Re: Rules of thumb in estimating

[Kathy Marshall <kmarshall -at- MODACAD -dot- COM>]

Matt,
I'm interested in hearing how everyone estimates their doc projects too.
I remember hearing or reading somewhere that the industry standard is
something like 2 pages per hour. I think that's what it was.  I used to
use that as a base and would then work around it -- projects that
required more research and were start-from-scratch things, I allowed
more time. Projects that were rewrites, I estimated less time (maybe 4-6
pages per hour). Then it got all complicated because you had to factor
in reviews, rewriting, etc.

Nowadays, I just eyeball it and I'm usually right. It goes something
like this:
Boss: So how long will this take to complete?
Me: 4 months, start to finish.
Boss: 4 months?! But it needs to be done in 2 months. That's when the
project is scheduled for release.
Me: Ok, let me rework the schedule...(a few hours later)...Ok, I think
we can do it in 2 months if we restructure a few things.
Boss: Great.

2 months later...the software is NOT released, nor has anyone reviewed
the manually thoroughly (which was completed on time). By the time the
doc has finallly been reviewed and revised, 4 months have passed.

-Kathy



> ----------
> From:         Matthew J Long[SMTP:mjl100z -at- MAIL -dot- ODU -dot- EDU]
> Reply To:     Matthew J Long
> Sent:         Tuesday, July 08, 1997 5:44 AM
> To:   TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject:      Rules of thumb in estimating
>
> On Mon, 7 Jul 1997, Cramer, Kim wrote:
>
> > This is how it works here:
> >
> > 1. We estimate time to completion for each book for each release,
> then
> > we track actual time.  We're expected to estimate within +/- 10% of
> > actual.  This comparison helps us become better at estimating for
> future
> > projects so they are more likely to stay on track for the estimated
> > release date.
> >
>
> Kim,
>
> I landed a great job as a technical writer only 6 months out of
> college in
> which I am the only (and therefore Lead) tech writer. I call all the
> shots
> as far as design, usage, conventions, etc. I learned a lot in my
> internship and with the work I have done so far (I have now been doing
> this for 9 months) and my company likes my work and seems confident in
> my
> skills. However, I start to get concerned about the amount of time it
> should take to produce a user's manual. In my internship, things were
> very
> laid back--no deadlines. Well, the real world just ain't like that. I
> haven't had any major deadlines so far, but I think that is just
> because
> my bosses have no idea how long a user's manual should take.
>
> When I read your comment (above), I thought it would be a good idea to
> ask
> you, but also anyone else, how to estimate the amount of time it
> should
> take to produce a manual. I am aware that the answer is going to
> depend
> on the application and how many "features" is sports. But I would love
> to
> know how you get started. When I used to paint houses during my
> summers
> in college, the only way I could be accurate in my estimates to the
> customer was through trial and error, Sometimes I would underestimate
> and
> lose my butt, while other times it was the opposite. I would bet that
> the
> same is true in estimating the time it takes to complete a manual, but
> I
> would also bet that there are a  few rules of thumb. Can you advise?
>
> I welcome any comments!!
>
> Thanks!
>
>
> ////////////////////////////**************************************
>         Matthew J. Long
>         Technical Writer
>         mjl100z -at- mail -dot- odu -dot- edu
>         matt -dot- long -at- justice -dot- usdoj -dot- gov
>
>         -When you can't be eloquent, choose brevity!
> ********************************************************////////////
>
> ~~
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