Re: Scoping vs Estimating

[Bill Swallow <techcommdood -at- gmail -dot- com>]

> Scope is a major input to estimating; however, scoping
> out a documentation project (i.e., determining the
> extent of the project) is a different activity than is
> time estimating a doc project.

Agreed. Scoping is qualitative and estimation is quantitative.

> In scoping, the emphasis is on discovering the
> interfaces between the "system" and the "outside
> world" (rigor in IDing interfaces provides for rigor
> in defining the system boundary). Not so during
> estimating.
>
> Estimating is largely about properly chunking the
> system down into right-size and equal-size pieces;
> this is not nearly so with scoping.

I think you're trying to draw a distinction in the wrong place here.
Scoping involves breaking down the "thing" into "thing-ettes". This is
not unique to estimation. Where scoping ends and estimation begins is
where level of effort enterss the equation. LoE is specific to
estimation, where you're tying quantitative metrics to a qualitative
breakdown of a thing (scoping).

> Granted, I am sure that many lump both processes
> together and call the whole thing estimating, but that
> does not change the fact that they are two distinct
> entities.  Requirements engineers have seperate tools
> for each.

As do project managers and engineering leads.

> "It is only by dying (i.e., following the flow of
> data) that we are born again (i.e., come to understand
> the underlying logic of a system)." - AJ Markos

I think you're reaching too deep there. ;-)

--
Bill Swallow
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WWP-Users List Owner
42.8162,-73.7736
http://techcommdood.blogspot.com
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