Predicting the Unpredictable

Pragmatic Approaches to Estimating Cost or Schedule

If you have trouble estimating cost or schedule for your projects, you are not alone. The question is this: who wants the estimate and why?

The definition of estimate is “guess.” But too often, the people who want estimates want commitments. Instead of a commitment, you can apply practical and pragmatic approaches to developing estimates and then meet your commitments. You can provide your managers the information they want and that you can live with.

Learn how to use different words for your estimates and how to report your estimate that includes uncertainty. Learn who should—and should not—estimate. Learn how to update your estimate when you know more about your project.

Regain estimation sanity. Learn practical and pragmatic ways to estimate schedule or cost for your projects.