Step One: Establish Estimate Scope and Purpose
ESTABLISH ESTIMATE SCOPE AND PURPOSE
Define and document expectations. When all participants understand the scope and purpose of the estimate, you’ll not only have a baseline against which to gauge the effect of future changes; you’ll also head off misunderstandings among the project group and clear up contradictory assumptions about what is expected.
Documenting the application specifications, including technical details, external dependencies and business requirements, will provide valuable input for estimating the resources required to complete the project. The more detailed the specs, the better. Only when these requirements are known and understood can you establish realistic development costs.
An estimate should be considered a living document; as data changes or new information becomes available, it must be documented and factored into the estimate in order to maintain the project’s integrity.
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Ten-Step Project Estimation Process Introduction
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Step Two: Establish Technical Baseline, Ground Rules, and Assumptions