Estimation & Project Planning

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Estimation & Project Planning

Overestimating a Project

planning difficulties

scheduling bottle necks

allocating appropriate resources to future projects can become an issue

Underestimating a Project

impacts

overall credibility

customer relationships

product quality

staff productivity

setting the schedule too short

under scoping the quality assurance effort

under staffing

Estimation Insights

fuzzy estimates

fuzzy project plans

decisions on spending resources and money need good estimates

accurate estimates helps deliver software your business needs

General Characteristics

over 66% of projects aren't delivered on time, budget or expected quality.

source of critical information for the IT departament, CIOs, project managers, VP's, etc.

useful for good decisions throughout a project's lifecycle

Estimation challenges

instill trust with management and peer-groups

control costs, meet delivery dates

forecast productivity, quality

Good Software Estimation

mutual expectations

senior management

software developers

understanding

right attitude

beyond tools, techniques, processes

Practical Project Planning

dependencies and assumptions

resource leveling and relationships

work breakdown structure

critical path/scheduling

Top Tips for Estimation

practical project planning

don't rely on instinct

apply rigor to create sound estimates

adjust project scope to available budget and resources

apply specific estimation techniques

mine historical information to tune your estimation capability

design estimation procedure to fit your culture

integrate estimation into overall development process

Getting better at estimation and project planning

controlled project costs

satisfied customers

improved communication

project team

management

reliable project delivery dates

more informed business decision making

alignment

technical estimates

business objectives

leverage estimates

present estimates to stakeholders effectively

estimation is critical

requires adequate time