This three-day workshop will enable participants to improve their estimating skills and increase confidence in their estimates.

The focus of the workshop is on practical and effective methods that have been proven from experience with thousands of software projects. This workshop creates an understanding of the underlying nature, dynamics and characteristics of software projects and the way they influence estimating.

The workshop shows you how to estimate software projects reliably. It covers practical approaches to estimating as well as various techniques to use in different situations. You are shown how to select the most appropriate estimating technique for a specific situation and how to adjust the formula and models to best fit your situation.

Systems Project Management Staff, Project Leads, Analysts, Designers, Software Developers, and Estimate Participants

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Provide an understanding of the estimating process.
• Identify various estimating strategies and techniques in use.
• Develop a working knowledge of some of the techniques using case studies.
• Provide a forum for discussing ideas, concerns, and estimating issues.
• Enable participants to start using at least two methods from this workshop.
• Enable participants to create standard estimating practices and techniques in their environment audience.

• Estimating Concepts
• Approaches to Estimating
• High Level Estimating
• Whole Project Estimating
• Identifying Project Tasks
• Task Based Estimating
• Estimating Project Duration
• Estimating Costs
• Estimating Contingencies – Incorporating the Concept of Risk
• Managing the Estimating Process
• Summary and Conclusion

Student should have taken Project Management Overview for Project Teams or have similar experience.