Estimation Processes
Have you ever worked on a project where you knew that the costs and/or schedule estimates were unrealistic? If you have, then this SPIN session is for you and for the decision makers in your organization.
A project is considered a success only if the cost, schedule and quality objectives are met. The estimation process is a critical success factor in managing and controlling the project costs and schedule to achieve the required functionality. Senior managers should only commit to a project when they have a cost and schedule estimate for which they have a certain level of confidence.
No single estimating method is suited for every type of project. Each organization needs to define an estimating process suited to its needs. In this SPIN session you will get the answers to the following questions, based on the practical experiences of the presenter:
When are estimates and re-estimates performed?
Who performs the estimates?
What specifically is estimated, e.g., effort, loading, software
size, etc.?
How are estimates monitored and controlled?
If there is discrepancy between the actual versus the estimate,
when do you re-estimate?
What happens when the estimate is not accepted by management? by
the customer?
If requirements change when would you re-estimate? when wouldn't
you re-estimate?
What measures of previous projects (project metrics, process
metrics) are recorded in an organization database?
How are measures of previous projects maintained to improve
software cost estimates?
Who should attend?
This session is valuable for both managers of organizations acquiring products that contain software as well as managers of organizations that develop or maintain software. It will be valuable to middle managers, project managers, functional managers, line managers, other professionals who support the management of projects, software practitioners and quality assurance personnel.
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Last updated: February 3, 1998