{"id":7481,"date":"2012-02-27T01:58:53","date_gmt":"2012-02-27T08:58:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/?p=7481"},"modified":"2012-02-26T10:27:49","modified_gmt":"2012-02-26T17:27:49","slug":"the-secret-behind-accurate-estimating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/?p=7481","title":{"rendered":"The Secret Behind Accurate Estimating"},"content":{"rendered":"

Corporate Exit Strategist for the Blooming Entrepreneur<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Time is just a form of measurement.\u00a0 It\u2019s a tool for our convenience.\u00a0 One of the uses for \u201ctime\u201d is to synchronize pieces of a project:\u00a0 to schedule the various work products and integrate into a quality product, service or event.\u00a0 Inaccurate estimating skills slow down the entire team and builds resentment in those required to pick-up the slack.<\/p>\n

So \u2013 if time is just a form of measurement, why do we have trouble with our schedules and approximation?<\/p>\n

Just like there are 12 inches in a foot, and 3 feet in a yard or 16 ounces in a pound, there are 60 seconds in an hour.\u00a0\u00a0 We don\u2019t normally stress if we are given more material than we would like for a shirt, we simply measure and cut what we desire.\u00a0 We don\u2019t normally feel guilty when we cannot pour 8 pounds of sugar into a 5 pound sack.\u00a0\u00a0 Why do we fret when we cannot fit our activities into the time allotted?<\/p>\n

The simplistic answer is that, unlike measuring material or sugar, activities are less tangible and tactile.\u00a0 We can accurately guess how much 3 yards of material looks like.\u00a0\u00a0 We can \u201ceye-ball\u201d what 5 pounds of sugar, wheat, or flour looks like.\u00a0\u00a0 We are just not good at calculating what 1 hour of \u201cactivity\u201d holds.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Some will argue that every task is different, so it\u2019s impossible to estimate how long something takes.\u00a0 That may be true if you only do a task one time and every task is so dramatically different it\u2019s impossible to interpolate from other similar tasks.\u00a0\u00a0 This is not the case.\u00a0 Eight out of 10 cases, you will be doing similar things; therefore, you can log how long they are actually taking you.\u00a0 Once you take the time to log the actual time, you can better estimate for next time.<\/p>\n

So, like anything else, accurate estimating takes some practice and logging your results.<\/p>\n

The upcoming series will cover three methods of charting and logging your work product estimations:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Iterative charting to improve accuracy<\/li>\n
  2. Charting for effective communications<\/li>\n
  3. Charting for a streamlining process example<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Tip<\/strong>:\u00a0 If you are a beginner in accurate estimating, the first thing is to experience what time actually feels like.\u00a0\u00a0 Do the following test to see how accurate you are currently in-tune with time.\u00a0 If you feel your task will take 10 minutes, actually set your timer to 10 minute and start your task.\u00a0 Once the timer goes off, stop and actually see how much work you have left. \u00a0If you were pretty close to finishing your task, you have a good feel for time.\u00a0 If you\u2019re not done, then we have some practicing to do.\u00a0 \u00a0Now that you have a deliberately felt how long 10 minutes is, interpolate how long it will take you to complete the rest of the task.\u00a0 Repeat the exercise until you are better aligned with time, itself.<\/p>\n

    Charting and Logging:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Once you have calibrated your internal clock to be more aligned with actual time, let\u2019s start charting your estimating skills.<\/p>\n

    When starting, you will need to keep track of five things:<\/p>\n