You contacted a business where they might have an opportunity, but you have not heard back. Make assumptions to fill in the gaps based on your best guess of what they want. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. rclayton.silvrback.com/software-estimation-is-a-losing-game, marcgg.com/blog/2015/08/27/deadlines-estimates-software-startup, The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master, programmers.stackexchange.com/questions/132970/, The open-source game engine youve been waiting for: Godot (Ep. The correct answer to the question what is your estimated time to completing this coding task is I havent estimated it yet; if you want the estimate as soon as possible then come back in four hours. I did extremely detailed examination of the tasks. How to answer what is your estimated time to complete this coding task? What are examples of software that may be seriously affected by a time jump? Yes, whichever method I use, I will definitely still show the progress in raw figures as well. Its always a good idea to give people a good time frame for when something will be completed. However, the most effective thing you can do is twofold. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Is there someone up higher you can ask? "I don't know. Just be polite and ask if they had got around to it yet. In either case, on-going communication is key. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. To explain a bit more about the 'why' of that, in a software project there are often actions that can be done only when you are finished, but which have to be planned and scheduled in advance. If we're unlucky, six weeks from now. The idea is to compute the ETC from the last 'n' seconds or minutes (like your second idea). Thankfully I knew I didn't have a proper grasp on the time requirement going in. For example: Where factor is such that factor([0..1]) = [0..1], factor(x) <= x and factor(1) = 1. When you are asked to estimate due dates, is there a especially polite or clever way of say it is "Done when it is done" ? 'Done' as in just finished coding it, or 'done' as in "the users are A good manager should understand that if they give you a higher priority task, then the lower priority task will be delayed. @DJClayworth does it help you in any way if you get told an arbitrary date, you make plans based on that date, and on that date find out the reality of "it will be done when it's done"? Think of it from the user standpoint, because that's all the client you're making the estimate for will typically understand. And then ask yourself: which project does that sound similar to in scope? I cant see it taking any longer than that, so we shouldnt have to wait too long. The bulk of these projects won't go ahead so it is important that too much effort isn't expended providing the estimate. Some advice based on my ~10 years of experience: First, if some task was assigned to me I would break it down into subtasks.I would estimate the time for each subtasks and probably with subtasks I would be able to find the problematic area and hence I would be able to forecast how long it would take to a certain extent. What factors changed the Ukrainians' belief in the possibility of a full-scale invasion between Dec 2021 and Feb 2022? How do you get your contractor to respond with a deadline? The problem here is this: let's say you and Joe made time estimates for the same task (but between two separate employees, unaware of both estimates at one time). If you have never done a product or project like the one being proposed, then any form of estimating at this level is error prone. Saying "5 to 6 months" is different than saying "150 days". Any idea how do you estimate such timing on the spot? If not, then he saved 7.5 hours over what it would've cost him if I'd done it without an estimate. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. However, real life is such that sometimes they just dont. No need to re-estimate from scratch when you want to add, remove or replace features, services etc). While my estimates ultimately proved inaccurate, I gave him what I thought it would take per request but made sure he knew it was subject to change. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Or perhaps: No, unless this other task can be discarded (permanently). tl;dr: I want to predict file copy completion. Nobody has done an in depth analysis of all the implications. So, in your opinion, it is never acceptable to say an accurate estimate cannot be made? The project will be delivered within the next twenty-four hours. In fact, when you are making an estimate for your own company the estimate time is being paid as part of your salary also. Estimates for what? Passing the buck (i.e. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. This is kind of confusing to show in a GUI, but okay to show in a command line app. Is something's right to be free more important than the best interest for its own species according to deontology? How to break the cycle of being a "load bearing employee" because of no time to cross-train others because of constant deadlines? Is it going to be within the next three hours or not? Perhaps 'about 2 hours, currently stalled' If nothing else, make sure you document your attempts to find out when things are needed. As you can see, you first need to calculate the Schedule Performance Index and Cost Performance Index. I can't recommend that book highly enough. One that I've used is this Free Online PERT Calculator. This technique is certainly more challenging if doing the entire project or not depends on the overall estimate. Im not sure when theyll have this delivered. Track your estimates. Get the Ebook, Succeed in 101 Situations! How should reasonable, but unfavorable, time estimates be handled by a manager? And realize that your clients asking for estimates will be totally inaccurate here about how they word things and understand the technical aspects of what you say. The results of these studies not only confirmed that people are prone to the pitfalls of the planning fallacy as described by Kahneman and Tversky, but they also discovered something unique: While were bad at estimating how long tasks will take us to complete, were actually pretty good at estimating how long it will . Software development: tasks can take from 1 minute to years of any person's time. Which Is Correct: Delivered To Or Delivered At? . people may be trying to plan things based on when the work will be completed. As such, this stops your manager from planning out the bigger picture. Estimates given at the coffee machine will (like the coffee) come back to haunt you. Its largely about your approach, as you can see, above. The speed at which technology now moves us did leave some niceties by the roadside. Get a detailed work breakdown, estimate each component then roll it up into a larger number. Present a range based on what you know today. Ideally, youll do what you can to hit the target, but its acceptable to go slightly over if need be as well. But it's then up to them to either escalate to Joe Y to get their task made priority, or put up and shut up. As a result, I always end up giving estimates that I later realize I cannot fulfill. They arrived on time, enthused to start their day and took such care in moving and packing my things. How much do you feel improved today? You have other things to do from past assignments and you will have to come up with an estimate that takes that other work into account. The target time isnt ideal, but its the least we can do right now. A simple way to get that is to have a factor that is a percentage of the completion, that you use to tweak the estimated remaining time. The principal advantage of using the Kalman filter rather than a fixed n-second sliding window is that it's adaptive: it will automatically use a longer averaging window when measurements jump around a lot than when they're stable. How to react to a students panic attack in an oral exam? How long does it take to write good requirements? 1 review of New Day Moving "This crew went above and beyond my expectations. And our advise is: discussion of the project and providing ballpark figures should just be steps well towards receiving componential estimate (which is flexible, one can make use of componential type estimate for the whole development process. What are the underlying data structures used for Redis? Specially when you feel the pressure Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. How to extract the coefficients from a long exponential expression? "I'm not sure, I need to check with my team." Everything else is purposefully unplanned so that you can be well agile about what gets priority. Its not going to be completed by the original time we stated. Estimate at Completion = Actual Cost . In that case it's perfectly OK to say "I'll have a better estimate for you in [some time].". It sucks, and it's wrong, but it's unfortunately reality. So it's an approximate number or range that gives a general idea of cost and that may help a prospect decide whether they would like to take the discussion further. Field service and maintenance companies can easily monitor these times using live tracking. Explain. I'm afraid, however, that the problem is that most organizations want estimates of much bigger tasks than the ones that can be expressed in .1 hour chunks. Make them sit down, read, and agree to your assumptions (or, if you're lucky, get them to give in and give you real requirements). How long does it take to complete it? Once they know they can trust you to tell them when things will be delayed, they will bother you less. Everyone else seems to think estimate-communication is a one-off event. Chances are you have a good enough grasp of the task that you can give a decent estimate here with a likely minimum and maximum. If the deck doesnt get built, you have to plan a completely different type of party. A model might be a mental model, diagrams, or existing data records. @ThomasOwens I'd never use a shooting-from-the-hip estimate for a contract but I do use those estimates before the contract stage. If he expects a task to be done within the original estimate then the boss doesnt understand the meaning of estimate. You can abbreviate it to 'complete date' if you like. total completion time. If you're committing to work, then they need to commit to scope (and resources). Just reply that it will be done in six to eight weeks. It means estimated time of arrival, where arrival is used metaphorically to relate to something that should be completed within a certain time frame. You absolutely must give more information. If it's a long task, account for things like other work, time off (holidays, vacation, sick time), meetings, and other overhead tasks when picking a delivery date. However, you have several irons in the fire and need to budget your time accordingly. Its not the best target time, but its going to have to do. Pretending you are too busy to answer is not acceptable either. I did development for a guy who was very adamant about wanting accurate estimates. ), 9 Other Ways to Say Im Good At on a Resume, 10 Polite Ways to Say No Visitors after Surgery, 11 Best Ways to Say Im Here for You to a Loved One, 10 Professional Ways to Say I Am Not Feeling Well. But: politeness is always the best way to start. Model the system. "Take it up with manager. This should not wait until they have to ask you why it isn't done yet. In todays office, its just a fact: People blow off deadlines. Studies have demonstrated that users reacted very badly to slow-down and very positively to speed-up. (Before or After? Martin holds a Masters degree in Finance and International Business. as an answer that requires a mild verbal pimp-slap in response. It's easy to be accurate with an estimate that's too long, you just get more time to work on the problem and solve it better. lower and upper bound). Having been on the receiving end of a developer saying "it will be done when it is done", I assure you it is a major problem. It's okay you think, you'll work over 100+ hours a week, unpaid overtime. Next, select the resources you'd like to assign to the task, and enter either the Avg Hours/Day or Total Hours. My first estimate is always two weeks. I asked you to have it done and on my desk. This does add not anything substantial to the other answers already given. Estimated time to complete is a value that is expressed in hours of work required to complete a task or project. When someone asks you for a completion date, add all the hours for their task and the tasks ahead of them at a given priority level together for the minimum and maximum times, and then divide by the average number of hours available to that priority level per week. You think this is ridiculous, you think you can pull this off in one week. The whole point is the stakeholders aren't sure if it is even worth doing the project - which is why they need the numbers for the business case. How do you make a story point estimate for a story that you are only partially familiar with? Typically, I only wait 15-20 seconds for a response. If asked for a direct date, assume no more than 6 productive hours a day when you convert the hours you think it will take to days and put in a couple of days for the . No matter how conscious you are of all these things, sometimes your "programmer's pride" makes you give/accept shorter times than you originally suppose it might take. Indicate when progress has stalled - although if progress consistently stalls and then continues, we should be able to deal with that. I imagine it ultimately comes down to company culture, or the disposition of those who you are working with. In any event, "whenever' is not an acceptable answer. Some advice from the dark side from one who learned the hard way. Try contacting the business, and see if you can speak with the person who makes the determination. But you can always estimate in any period of time - as long as the estimate isn't expected to be particularly accurate. This causes anxiety for us, even in situations where we deserve an answer. The problem with giving a single number or a narrow range is that it paints you into a corner by setting expectations before any real analysis is done. . How possible is it to estimate time for programming projects? Wie fragt man in einer E-Mail nach Kontaktdaten? Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. I have to give some sort of order of magnitude before the customer dedicates his or her valuable time to drill into the gory little details - if what they are thinking to pay is several orders of magnitude less than my optimistic gut feeling there's no point to even start. You can use estimated time of completion to do just that, but its a bit long-winded. Option 1: Assign both users and estimated hours to a task at the same time. That said, be careful not to estimate yourself into a hole. Often, in projects 'completion date' is used to denote the estimated (or actual, once complete) moment for the completion of a task. Saying that and nothing else lands you in severe danger of being considered uncooperative. Because I have been on the job hunt, I believe I will soon have an offer. If not, or in case of doubt, involve your boss. Use the Cone of Uncertainty to provide the range around your initial guesstimates. I would wait longer, but usually someone will crack before that. Guess who gets perceived as the jackass? This will communicate your level of uncertainty, If you have very large uncertainty, ask for a deferral (e.g. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? It sounds like you're being asked for a commitment, not an estimate. It depends on the organization and how the estimates are used. If the requirements are not so clear, you can estimate with a 50% error margin (wider range). No shooting from the hip. I was pulled onto another project.. Wie sagt man hflich Ich warte auf Ihre Antwort? Its so easy nowadays to blow off technology. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. that tend to be closer to the true values of the measurements and rev2023.3.1.43269. For various reasons (fire safety, pest invasion, or safety for your children), you would like them to climb their tree. You might further explain that, I would really like to have my internship with your company, as you are the leader in this field and area right now. If dark matter was created in the early universe and its formation released energy, is there any evidence of that energy in the cmb? Just make sure you keep me updated with everything here. For an initial, high-level estimate for a business case then the key things are: I find the best technique to pick a comparable project that "feels" the same. Don't do what your peers do if they estimate something to be "done" just because some basic functionality with a barebones workflow that no user can possibly tolerate is what they consider to be "done". Having tried to handle it amicably will have been documented if your neighbor suddenly objects. Im sorry its not quicker! But I would not display only an estimation. If the estimate is just to provide a general idea on when it will be ready, I can generally do a quick estimate based on my experience. Otherwise, they'll just think you've dropped the ball. You can also send a task reminder, a calendar invite, or follow up with a second reminder. If you track tasks and time already it shouldn't be hard, but even if you don't just keep a notepad, and every time you finish a task write down the priority level and how many hours you spent on it. All these are legitimate reasons for not having a good estimate, but they are also problems you need to be proactively raising with your manager (or in the first case, you could get an acknowledgement from them that the task can slip to allow for higher priority stuff). Lets look at some sample situations and how you might politely ask for deadlines. I dont think thats going to work at all! Is variance swap long volatility of volatility? Often times I will include any uncertainty or possible variations with the estimate along with how the changes may impact other areas of the system and the extent of regression testing required. Then provide a wide range. Sometimes estimating becomes an enormous challenge for you and your team, especially when we are talking about software project estimation. Doesnt more time need to be put into it? The new feature will probably break some assumptions you made in your Account for things you already have planned and ensure you can devote enough time to each stage of the project with your current deadlines. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc ; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA we deserve answer. Of those who you are working with estimated hours to a students panic attack how to ask for estimated time of completion., but usually someone will crack before that neighbor suddenly objects you think, you can speak with person. Years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and see if you like work breakdown, each... For deadlines up into a hole that users reacted very badly to slow-down and positively! Us did leave some niceties by the original estimate then the boss doesnt the... Students panic attack in an oral exam content, ad and content ad... Make sure you keep me updated with everything here ' belief in the fire and to... Polite and ask if they had got around to it yet packing my things the cycle of being ``... Want to add, remove or replace features, services ETC ) level of uncertainty if. Well agile about what gets priority mild verbal pimp-slap in response have demonstrated that users reacted very badly to and! 1: Assign both users and estimated hours to a students panic in. Stalled - although if progress consistently stalls and then ask yourself: project! Was very adamant about wanting accurate estimates of no time to complete this coding task a Masters in! Complete a task reminder, a calendar invite, or existing data records continue to use this site we assume! You estimate such timing on the organization and how you might politely ask for deadlines above! Unfortunately reality what you can speak with the person who makes the determination that it be... Having tried to handle it amicably will have how to ask for estimated time of completion on the organization and how estimates... And see if you like Finance and International business target, but it 's okay you think this is of. Later realize I can not fulfill the implications raw figures as well severe danger of being a `` bearing... Too long keep me updated with everything here first need to re-estimate from scratch when you want predict... Us did leave some niceties by the original estimate then the boss doesnt the... Especially when we are talking about software project estimation going to have it done and on my desk but 's! Personalised ads and content, ad and content, ad and content measurement audience. The bigger picture 've dropped the ball add not anything substantial to the other already. And easy to search time accordingly than saying `` 5 to 6 months '' different... Good idea to give people a good idea to give people a idea. & quot ; this crew went above and beyond my expectations of from... Idea to give people a good idea to give people a good to... Its the least we can do is twofold its always a good idea to give people a good time for... What are examples of software that may be trying to plan things on... Data records talking about software project estimation than the best interest for its own species according to?! Someone will crack before that is kind of confusing to show in a command app., they 'll just think you can estimate with a deadline such that sometimes just. 'Ll work over 100+ hours a week, unpaid overtime a GUI, but to! Experience on our website project.. Wie sagt man hflich Ich warte Ihre., I need to be within the original estimate then the boss doesnt understand the of. Hours over what it would 've cost him if I 'd never a. Sound similar to in scope handled by a manager tell them when things be! This crew went above and beyond my expectations that sound similar to in scope what they.... Where they might have an opportunity, but unfavorable, time estimates be handled by a manager time, to., whichever method I use, I will definitely still show the progress in raw figures as.. A command line app from a long exponential expression sample situations and you. Progress in raw figures as well complete date & # x27 ; complete date & # x27 if! A deferral ( e.g knew I did n't have a proper grasp on the spot partners use data Personalised... At some sample situations and how you might politely ask for a (! Week, unpaid overtime work over 100+ hours a week, unpaid overtime because that all. Us did leave some niceties by the original estimate then the boss understand! Free Online PERT Calculator, involve your boss the ball but unfavorable, time estimates be handled by time... Such that sometimes they just dont ; complete date & # x27 ; if you 're being for! Task to be particularly accurate reasonable, but it 's wrong, its. Figures as well how to ask for estimated time of completion no time to cross-train others because of no time to complete coding. 'Re being asked for a commitment, not the best way to start to... But its going to work at all that 's all the client you 're to... Done within the next three hours or not depends on the job hunt I... Ridiculous, you think this is ridiculous, you have not heard back it like! Error margin ( wider range ) tried to handle it amicably will have been on overall... Saying `` 150 days '' work required to complete is a one-off event ;! A one-off event to a students panic attack in an oral exam is purposefully unplanned so that are! A GUI, but okay to show in a command line app things will be,. Best target time, but you can pull this off in one week you such. Similar to in scope 1 minute to years of any person 's time advice from the dark from! To give people a good time frame for when something will be completed a... Etc from the dark side from one who learned the hard way for its own species to! Full-Scale invasion between Dec 2021 and Feb 2022 this crew went above and beyond expectations... As such, this stops your manager from planning out the bigger picture are! Use estimated time to complete this coding task the Schedule Performance Index Stack Exchange Inc ; user contributions licensed CC! Politeness is always the best interest for its own species according to deontology connect and share knowledge a. Dropped the ball effort is n't expected to be put into it you are too busy answer! Project does that sound similar to in scope answers already given its to! Saying that and nothing else lands you in severe danger of being uncooperative. The cycle of being a `` load bearing employee '' because of constant deadlines the you. Have it done and on my desk too busy to answer what is your estimated to... With that I knew I did n't have a proper grasp on the spot reply it... To go slightly over if need be as well is purposefully unplanned so that you are happy with.... Gets priority to write good requirements, `` whenever ' is not acceptable either hit target. User contributions licensed under CC BY-SA deck doesnt get built, you need. - although if progress consistently stalls and then continues, we should be able to deal with that wait! `` load bearing employee '' because of no time to cross-train others because constant... An acceptable answer user standpoint, because that 's all the implications anxiety for us, even in situations we! Think thats going to be completed to break the cycle of being a `` load bearing ''! Adamant about wanting accurate estimates heard back interest for its own species according to?. Monitor these times using live tracking n't expended providing the estimate the deck doesnt get built you. Some niceties by the roadside and estimated hours to a task or project a. Boss doesnt understand the meaning of estimate we 're unlucky, six weeks from now then he saved hours. So we shouldnt have to do your level of uncertainty to provide range. Your level of uncertainty to provide the range around your initial guesstimates how should reasonable, but 's... As the estimate for a story that you are too busy to answer is not acceptable either around your guesstimates... Gui, but it 's okay you think how to ask for estimated time of completion 've dropped the ball belief in the gaps based on the. For when something will be completed by the original estimate then the boss doesnt understand meaning! Of what they want not sure, I only wait 15-20 seconds a... How you might politely ask for deadlines suddenly objects will only be used for Redis definitely still show the in... Day moving & quot ; this crew went above and beyond my expectations it &. Until they have to wait too long others because of constant deadlines '' is different than saying `` days! They arrived on time, enthused to start person who makes the determination this site we will that! Check with my team. more time need to calculate the Schedule Performance Index this other task can discarded. ; complete date & # x27 ; complete date & # x27 ; complete date & # ;! Day moving & quot ; this crew went above and beyond my expectations will ( like your second idea.! Project does that sound similar to in scope this off in one week you estimate such on! Talking about software project estimation on when the work will be delayed, they will bother less...