- Estimation and planning practices set and reinforce the expectations of product delivery, which is a key driver of IT satisfaction.
- However, today’s rapidly scaling and increasingly complex products and business needs create mounting pressure for teams to make accurate estimates with little knowledge of the problem or solution to it, risking poor-quality products.
- Many organizations lack the critical foundations involved in making acceptable estimates in collaboration with the various perspectives and estimation stakeholders.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Estimation reflects your culture and operating model. The accuracy of your estimates is dependent on the roles involved, which is not encouraged in traditional and top-down methodologies. Stakeholders must respect and support the team’s estimates.
- Estimates support value delivery. IT satisfaction is driven by the delivery of valuable products and services. Estimates set the appropriate stakeholder expectations to ensure successful delivery and make the right decisions.
- Estimates are more than just guesses. They are tools used to make critical business, product, and technical decisions and inform how to best utilize resources and funding.
Impact and Result
- Establish the right expectations. Gain a grounded understanding of estimation value and limitations. Discuss estimation challenges to determine if poor practices and tactics are the root causes or symptoms.
- Strengthen analysis and estimation practices. Obtain a thorough view of the product backlog item (PBI) through good analysis tactics. Incorporate multiple analysis and estimation tactics to verify and validate assumptions.
- Incorporate estimates into your delivery lifecycle. Review and benchmark estimates, and update expectations as more is learned.
Estimate Software Delivery With Confidence Research & Tools
Start here – read the Executive Brief
Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why you should optimize your estimation practice, review Info-Tech’s methodology, and understand the four ways we can support you in completing this project.Besides the small introduction, subscribers and consulting clients within this management domain have access to:
- Estimate Software Delivery With Confidence – Phases 1-3
1. Justify estimation optimization
Set the right stakeholder expectations for your delivery estimates and plans.
- Estimate Software Delivery With Confidence – Phase 1: Justify Estimation Optimization
- Estimation Quick Reference Template
2. Commit to achievable delivery
Adopt the analysis, estimation, commitment, and communication tactics to successfully develop your delivery plan.
- Estimate Software Delivery With Confidence – Phase 2: Commit to Achievable Delivery
3. Mature your estimation practice
Build your estimation optimization roadmap.
- Estimate Software Delivery With Confidence – Phase 3: Mature Your Estimation Practice
Workshop: Estimate Software Delivery With Confidence
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
1 Set the Context
The Purpose
Discuss the decisions that estimates will help make.
Level set estimation expectations by clarifying what they can and cannot do.
Review the current state of your estimation practice.
Key Benefits Achieved
Grounded understanding of estimation that is accepted by all audiences and stakeholders.
Identification of whether estimation practices are the root cause of estimation challenges or a symptom of a different issue.
Activities
1.1 Define estimation expectations.
1.2 Reveal your root cause challenges.
Outputs
Estimation expectations
Root causes of estimation challenges
2 Build Your Estimation Practice
The Purpose
Discuss the estimation and planning practices used in the industry.
Define the appropriate tactics to use to make key business and delivery decisions.
Simulate the tactics to verify and validate their fit with your teams.
Key Benefits Achieved
Knowledge of good practices that can improve the effectiveness of your estimates and plans.
Practice using new tactics.
Activities
2.1 Ground estimation fundamentals.
2.2 Strengthen your analysis tactics.
2.3 Strengthen your estimation tactics.
2.4 Commit and communicate delivery.
2.5 Simulate your target state planning and estimation tactics.
Outputs
Estimation glossary and guiding principles
Defined analysis tactics
Defined estimation and consensus-building tactics
Defined commitment and communication tactics
Lessons learned
3 Define Your Optimization Roadmap
The Purpose
Review the scope and achievability of your improved estimation and planning practice.
Key Benefits Achieved
Realistic and achievable estimation optimization roadmap.
Activities
3.1 Mature your estimation practice.
Outputs
Estimation optimization roadmap