Program Management Software-Technology

Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art

Software estimation is a somewhat undefined craft. Most coders simply “go with their gut” in estimating a project, and that gut is often wildly off. Alternative techniques involve intense calculations that take a lot of time, but rarely yield enough accuracy to help, especially for smaller projects. Unlike, say, construction or mechanical tasks, software builds represent a creative process where new territory is tread with each project. There’s a learning curve involved, and it’s hard…

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Indie Program Management Software-Technology

Predicting the Unpredictable: Pragmatic Approaches to Estimating Project Schedule or Cost

Software projects are notoriously difficult to estimate a time-to-completion, especially in the earliest days of a proposal. Sometimes, simple projects can prove time- and resource-consuming, and seemingly hard projects can complete quickly. Because learning is involved in every project, even good project managers struggle with wildly varying possibilities at first. Author Johanna Rothman offers her advice about what to do with this situation. A few pieces of her advice stand out. First, when estimating, always…

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