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Subject:Re: Is an estimate a committment? From:Art Elser <aelser -at- USWEST -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 15 Jun 1998 07:52:34 -0600
Anthony Markatos asks:
>>Is an estimate supposed to be a commitment (i.e, a promise to work
"whatever hours necessary" to meet the date)? I have always read that
an estimate is just that - an estimate. And that estimates are meant to
be revised as new data becomes available. JoAnn Hackos says such in her
book on documentation project management.<<
And as with most questions like this, the answer is it depends.
Yes, Hackos does say that estimates should be revised as new data become
available. But, that idea is taken a bit out of context of her overall
strategy. A good estimate that the writer provides the client, whether
the client is internal or external to the writer's company, should
contain a list of specific assumptions upon which the estimate is based.
Only when those assumptions are violated or not met, should the estimate
be revised.
If one assumption is that the *product* should be in the hands of the
writer by a certain date, and the client misses that date significantly,
then a revision is probably in order. If another assumption is that each
of several specified SMEs will provide two hours of interview time
before the first draft and they are unavailable, a revision to the
estimate is probably in order. In these cases, the client has not lived
up to the terms of the estimate.
But, if you miss your estimate because you didn't do enough up-front
investigation and missed a compexity or critical item, then you have to
bite the bullet and meet the terms of the estimate. One place some
freelancers get trapped is in the area of production. You may be
assuming that the client is going to "publish" the document, and the
client may be assuming that you are. You haven't put those dollars into
your budget, but the client expects 1500 copies of the book on the
loading dock at sundown. That should be in your assumptions. The client
will might question the assumption, but you are early in the project and
have some room to negotiate.
You might "fess up" to having missed an assumption, and ask your client
for some slack. But if your client doesn't want to cut you that slack,
then I'm afraid you have to eat the expense, whether in money, time, or
resources.
From a comment from a commander in former life in the USAF: The word
ASSUME is composed of three words. If you ASSUME you make an ASS out of
U and ME.
You have to take Hackos's book in its totality, not just those pieces
that seem to apply at some point in the development process. Yes, she
says estimates may have to be revised, but she has also built that
estimate on lots of up-front research and planning, and so should we
all.
==================================================================
Art Elser (303) 965-4825 aelser -at- uswest -dot- com
Information Developer, U S WEST
There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands.
You seek problems because you need their gifts. Illusions, Richard
Bach
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