Oct 7, 2010
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A Quick Estimate Can Save You Project Headaches
Formal project management methodology can be overkill on some projects or a lifesaver on others. In general, it’s clear on when to go through the detailed steps of a methodology and when not to. It depends on the overall size of the project.
- A short project doesn’t require much in terms of formal project management. The steps you’d go through in putting together all the documents and spreadsheets of a methodology are done automatically as part of getting the project done.
- A long project should go through formal project management steps to make sure all bases are covered and that nothing is dropped or forgotten. (This is especially true during when gathering requirements for the project.)
The problem comes when you think the project will be short and it turns out to be a long one.
To avoid this, do a quick, 10,000 foot estimate on the project’s size before getting started. In the language of formal project management (like PMI’s Guide to the PMBOK), this is called a top-down estimate. It can be based on experience and past projects you, or other people in your organization, have done. Templates or archives of these past projects can be helpful sources of information for the estimates.
Take the time to actually put together an estimate, as opposed to just eye-balling it or basing your estimate on “gut” alone. It can save you from the headache of underestimating the tools, resources or information you need to get the project done.
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