10 Step Estimation Process Sample Checklist
View our 10 Step Estimating Process Checklist. This checklist should be tuned to the individual company’s needs and suggestions.
By Charles Orlando, Chief Strategy Officer, Galorath Incorporated
For decades, cost estimation platforms operated as black boxes. Data went in and outputs came out, but the inner logic remained hidden. Organizations had little visibility into how costs were calculated, what assumptions were made, or how risks were factored in.
At Galorath, we believe transparency is essential to building trust and improving outcomes. That belief is the foundation of SEER®, our AI-driven estimation platform built to give users full access to the cost relationships, modeling assumptions, and structured logic behind every estimate.
SEER was designed from the beginning to be a glass box. Instead of obscuring how estimates are generated, it makes every step visible, adaptable, and aligned to real-world needs.
Transparency is not a new goal for Galorath. It has been a guiding principle for decades. As estimation challenges evolve, so does our commitment to providing tools that are clear, explainable, and fully under the user’s control.
SEER® was Built to Be a Glass Box
SEER is a structured parametric modeling platform, not a guessing engine. It is built on a foundation of more than 22,000 anonymized projects from mission-critical sectors such as space, defense, software, IT, hardware, and advanced manufacturing. This historical data forms the basis for reliable cost relationships, which can be calibrated to reflect each organization’s structure, terminology, and business needs.
The models in SEER are adaptable. They evolve with your data, scale with your programs, and grow as you apply the system to more projects. This flexibility is supported by decades of embedded expertise across diverse domains, from satellite design to global manufacturing.
SEER has been proven in environments where accuracy is critical, and stakes are high. Galorath’s research team regularly collaborates with industry experts to build new cost benchmarks. These updates reflect emerging technologies, changing supplier dynamics, and evolving delivery models, helping ensure SEER aligns with where the market is going rather than where it has been.
At the center of SEER is explainability. Users can trace every output—cost, risk, and schedule, back to its original inputs, logic, and underlying relationships. Every assumption is documented. Every element of the work breakdown structure is visible. Every driver can be adjusted.
SEER allows users to view formulas, modify parameters, and incorporate their own historical data with ease. It was built to be examined and understood—not hidden behind layers of abstraction. That transparency supports smarter decisions and greater trust across project teams.
Moving Beyond the Black Boxes of the Past
Traditional cost estimation systems often operated as black boxes. Spreadsheets, legacy models, and disconnected tools made it difficult to trace assumptions, validate logic, or adapt to change. Many required external consultants to interpret results or offered rigid templates that limited flexibility and slowed innovation.
Modern estimation and risk analysis demands more.
SEER and SEERai™ were designed to provide transparency from the start. They give users:
- Scenario modeling to test assumptions and tradeoffs early
- AI-supported workflows that surface insights and automate routine tasks
- Direct access to cost relationships and estimation logic without outside dependency
- Flexible templates and tunable parameters tailored to each project
- Advanced modeling tools built for agility and continuous improvement
Unlike legacy systems that require extensive customization or become difficult to maintain, SEER and SEERai are designed to evolve alongside your programs. They offer clarity, adaptability, and scalability without sacrificing control.
Galorath supports clients by building internal expertise, not creating dependency. Our focus is on knowledge transfer, capability building, and accelerating long-term value.
With SEER and SEERai, organizations are moving beyond the black box era. They gain transparent, explainable, and scalable systems that grow with their needs and build lasting expertise inside their teams.
With SEERai™, Transparency Scales
Estimation is changing. The future is faster, more accurate, and built on transparency. Galorath has always focused on helping organizations make clear, confident decisions based on explainable logic and trusted data.
SEER is a glass box. It was designed to be fully transparent from the start, with unmatched domain knowledge, structured modeling, and analyst-first control.
With SEERai, we are extending that foundation. Customers gain intelligent agents, real-time document ingestion, and full traceability — all while maintaining control over their own data and decisions.
When evaluating estimation tools, ask the questions that matter. Can they show you:
- Their equations and cost relationships
- Their data sources and modeling assumptions
- How their outputs connect to your WBS or project structure
- Whether they offer transparency without requiring third-party interpretation
- A clear roadmap for AI integration and model evolution
SEER and SEERai provide answers to those questions. They are not only built for transparency; they help you lead with it.
The Bottom Line
The future of estimation isn’t slower, less explainable, or locked behind consultant gates. It’s faster. More defensible. More transparent. That has been our guiding principle from the start, and that’s what we’re building for the future, and why the narrative needs to change.
SEER is not a black box, and it never has been. It’s a glass box, a fully transparent platform built on unmatched domain data, structured logic, and analyst-first control. And with the integration of SEERai, we’re extending that transparency with intelligent agents, real-time ingestion, and full traceability.
Estimating Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
Find out how you can use Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) model to create an estimate which includes all the costs generated over the useful life of a given application.
Should Cost Analysis
Learn how Should-Cost Analysis can identify savings opportunities and drive cost efficiency in procurement and manufacturing processes.
ROM Estimate: The First Step Towards a Detailed Project Plan
Find out what ROM (rough order of magnitude) estimate is and why is it a crucial element of every project planning cycle.
Software Maintenance Cost
Find out why accurate estimation of software maintenance costs is critical to proper project management, and how it can make up to roughly 75% of the TCO.
