Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art

Chapter 20. Special Issues in Estimating Schedule

Applicability of Techniques in This Chapter

	The Basic Schedule Equation	Informal Comparison to Past Projects	Jones’s First-Order Estimation Practice	Estimation Software Tools
What’s Estimated	Schedule	Schedule	Schedule	Schedule
Size of project	- M L	S M L	- M L	- M L
Development stage	Early	Early	Early	Early
Iterative or sequential	Sequential	Both	Sequential	Both
Accuracy possible	Medium	Medium	Low	High

The need to meet customer deadlines, trade show deadlines, seasonal sales-cycle deadlines, regulatory deadlines, and other calendar-oriented deadlines seems to put much of the estimation pressure on the schedule. The schedule estimate seems to produce most of the heat in estimation discussions.

Ironically, once you move ...