how to ask for estimated time of completion

Its not the best target time, but its going to have to do. lower and upper bound). It was surprisingly accurate when determining estimated time of completion when maintaining and repairing electronic devices (complex radios and satellite comms equipment), where any number of things can be wrong or found and needed to be fix during routine maintenance. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? How can I avoid providing a deadline to others who insist on it? It's best to assume that unless you have a reason to think otherwise. If not, or in case of doubt, involve your boss. Some advice from the dark side from one who learned the hard way. Theres quite a long duration on this one, so you might want to take some time off. Is the only way to say, "I can't say right now, check with me at [given time]" ? Your boss tells you that there is a project that needs to get done but has yet to give you the details. PMs would be responsible for this. Your new game-changing quick reference tool is just a click away. The excuses are usually something along the lines of, Oh, sorry. Saying "5 to 6 months" is different than saying "150 days". have to refactor. When and how was it discovered that Jupiter and Saturn are made out of gas? Easily monitor estimated completion time with live tracking. It has happened countless of times, and I always promise it won't happen again. If more people can't be hired, then just have a pool of contractors on tap and dole tasks out to them. Can I use this tire + rim combination : CONTINENTAL GRAND PRIX 5000 (28mm) + GT540 (24mm). That is something that you should never say. What matters is that you were 3 days off from a one week estimate. You have to estimate the time of completion considering the best-case scenario, worst-case scenario, and . Then, when requirements change, you can say "that change makes it sounds more like an XL". Pointing out context is very good, also +1 for the mention of Blizzard. How long is acceptable to wait for a text? . I think the target time is a bit skewed. You can abbreviate it to 'complete date' if you like. If a law is new but its interpretation is vague, can the courts directly ask the drafters the intent and official interpretation of their law? How to explain that it's hard to estimate the time required for a bigger software project? Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Specially when you feel the pressure In this case the client's decisions were Yes or No to particular features, not an overall Yes or No to the entire project. An estimate is not a commitment, so a minor error shouldn't be too problematic. rev2023.3.1.43269. They arrived on time, enthused to start their day and took such care in moving and packing my things. rev2023.3.1.43269. [1] Further, even . Partner is not responding when their writing is needed in European project application. @r.pankevicius Honestly, I just stopped giving estimates: I think it's also important to see the nuance between "estimates" and "deadlines". Best guess is about two weeks." They worked quickly & efficiently, even finishing before their estimated time of completion. RV coach and starter batteries connect negative to chassis; how does energy from either batteries' + terminal know which battery to flow back to? Not the developer's he has no role in determining priorities. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. in your estimate to get a better number. their associated calculated values. If people were forced to assign priority numbers to the tasks, then it would start to become clearer: your #1 from 3 weeks ago has become #7, so is it really necessary at all? Tasks are added to and (sometimes) removed from queue constantly. Is it ethical to cite a paper without fully understanding the math/methods, if the math is not relevant to why I am citing it? Better: go speak to him personally to try to find out this information, using the same polite verbiage, above. Generally, I start this sort of project at around $X. Whatever you do never give absolute dates - only hours. Fixed scope and resources - but I am being asked for an exact release date. How to answer what is your estimated time to complete this coding task? A simple way to get that is to have a factor that is a percentage of the completion, that you use to tweak the estimated remaining time. We're often asked for an "ballpark estimate" during meetings where we're given very broad and vauge ideas of what they'd like to do. But I would not display only an estimation. +1 for the need for on-going communication. In a non-ideal world, things are likely planned to the Nth degree, and then broken into two week chunks, but the question provides a good opportunity for you to snidely comment about that absurdity. Or, if they are in a shared office space, go and talk to them. Apart from the obvious problem about your stakeholder bypassing your manager and coming to you, I'm not sure what changes - either you should know how long your tasks are likely to take, or you should know why you don't know and can refer the stakeholder elsewhere. So it's an approximate number or range that gives a general idea of cost and that may help a prospect decide whether they would like to take the discussion further. If you do run into something unexpected, make it known at the time instead of waiting until the deadline. Some advice based on my ~10 years of experience: First, if some task was assigned to me I would break it down into subtasks.I would estimate the time for each subtasks and probably with subtasks I would be able to find the problematic area and hence I would be able to forecast how long it would take to a certain extent. Get the Ebook, Succeed in 101 Situations! This sprint is XYZ." Ring a bell? @SergioAcosta the point is you use the analysis/estimation time to break down the task into smaller chunks. Get more granular and identify the substeps of each part. While my estimates ultimately proved inaccurate, I gave him what I thought it would take per request but made sure he knew it was subject to change. Estimated time to complete is a projection of the time and or effort required to complete a project activity. I also always write my assumptions and preconditions. Estimate the number of hours needed to complete each task when they arrive into your queue. Those are important, in case you need future documentation that an employee is not doing their job properly. When they say it's too much, I pretend to think for a minute then say, "You're right! By the way, all of the above responses assume you are 'senior level' worker responsible for their own scheduling. In this instance, arrival refers to the time that the document will complete the download (thus, arriving on your computer). Probably managers will not accept that :). How To Ask A Photographer To Adjust Photos. This won't involve a change to your process/queue/prioritization - just a little extra work in time tracking of each task. As such, this stops your manager from planning out the bigger picture. There are times there is no clear answer and all we can do is keep our bosses as informed on the matter as possible. If you are asking for something and you need it by a specific date, be crystal clear. Can you find one of the IT guys to let me know what else we might be waiting on here? Find centralized, trusted content and collaborate around the technologies you use most. Doesnt more time need to be put into it? Confidently. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. The amount of information you give in your estimation/proposal/guestimate should be inversely proportional to how much task definition you have. Dear Property Manager: We are the owners of a home at 123 Maple Street. Instead, you can convey your estimate, and give a degree of accuracy to your estimate. What do 'real', 'user' and 'sys' mean in the output of time(1)? Identify a few past projects, and assign them the sizes S, M, L, XL. Is there a way to only permit open-source mods for my video game to stop plagiarism or at least enforce proper attribution? Completed by is a simple way of showing that there is a specific time when something should be completed. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Based on comments on other answers, it appears that your problem is not time estimating but communicating delays based on changing priorities. When you are asked to estimate due dates, is there a especially polite Probably this is why most of teams do 2 week sprints :). Do you need extra help? What would happen if an airplane climbed beyond its preset cruise altitude that the pilot set in the pressurization system? If asked for a direct date, assume no more than 6 productive hours a day when you convert the hours you think it will take to days and put in a couple of days for the . (Off the record, I call these "guesstimates".). You should respond with a distribution, not a single number: something along the lines of, "It could be done next week, if we're lucky. Any dev should be able to provide time estimates. It sounds like you're being asked for a commitment, not an estimate. Thats about all we can cope with. No matter how conscious you are of all these things, sometimes your Too often, people feel pressured and make the mistake of over-promising. The principal advantage of using the Kalman filter rather than a fixed n-second sliding window is that it's adaptive: it will automatically use a longer averaging window when measurements jump around a lot than when they're stable. How Do You Ask For Contact Details In An Email? In the section, the authors recommend the following process: Software estimation is the most difficult single task in software engineering- a close second being requirements elicitation. Check your schedule. I've done something similar involving curve fitting. "Take it up with manager. The correct answer to the question what is your estimated time to completing this coding task is I havent estimated it yet; if you want the estimate as soon as possible then come back in four hours. This is unless you already fought this enemy. Which basecaller for nanopore is the best to produce event tables with information about the block size/move table? How can I make a boss (or colleague) be more careful when estimating the complexity of a task/project? Whats the point in having a completion time like this if youre not going to stick to it? Manage Settings A PM will hear this as your answer to when will it be done: "### #### # #### ## 3 months ### #### ## #####". There are occasions in life both business and social when you need a deadline. Provide interval instead of single time ('1h45-2h30 mins'), or just limit the precision ('about 2 hours'). I imagine it ultimately comes down to company culture, or the disposition of those who you are working with. The food sounds amazing. Or to specific risks? IMO, this is. Determine the scope of the problem. Learn It Here! The boss wants me to pass it to him, so he knows when to expect it all. Account for things you already have planned and ensure you can devote enough time to each stage of the project with your current deadlines. I've had car mechanics, plumbers, home builders, etc. But when your back's against the wall and they refuse to give you better details, Fake It: I agreed to cancel a long-planned vacation (with travel costs) due to project deadlines, but now the timeline has all changed again, Getting deadlines pushed up for Manager/CEO's "Excitement", Working with very bad code but on a deadline. When you are asked to estimate due dates, is there a especially polite or clever way of say it is "Done when it is done" ? Thankfully I knew I didn't have a proper grasp on the time requirement going in. Has Microsoft lowered its Windows 11 eligibility criteria? If I hit roadblocks so that after 3 hours I could tell that my 8.5-hour task was going to take 12, I could talk to him about it before more time passed so he could reevaluate and yank the feature if he was concerned about the cost. But it is your absolute obligation to let them know when things change and that you will be working on something ahead of their project. Make it clear where any contingency (if any) is added. Of course, make this a computer application, not a physical board. Master 101 frequent business situations with our eBook! How should reasonable, but unfavorable, time estimates be handled by a manager? No, I looked at it as letting him apply his money where he saw the most benefit. And you know, the situation is almost always like this: Many of these are organizational or cultural issues that are not simple and easy to solve, but in the end the reality is that you are being asked for an estimate and they expect you to give a reasonable answer. I billed for all the time I spent estimating. doesn't always mean "Hurry up." Passing the buck (i.e. Once you provide your estimates (no matter how they are derived), keep your stakeholders in the loop if anything happens that will change your estimate - particularly as deadlines loom. And the answer to the follow-up question is. We, as programmers, are constantly being asked 'How long will it take'? Could very old employee stock options still be accessible and viable? Record information about the problem you are estimating, your estimate, and the actual values. Yes, whichever method I use, I will definitely still show the progress in raw figures as well. Other words: Start date, end date. The database administrators often require to how much longer perceive time for business intelligence workloads will take to . Everyone should keep in mind the risks that come with software development estimating: underestimating, overestimating, total epic fail scenario etc. Low priority tasks, if not done within N weeks, move up to the next priority level. Give a range. Assign values and error ranges (+/-) to each value. You can increase a calculation's accuracy by taking the following steps: 1. If dark matter was created in the early universe and its formation released energy, is there any evidence of that energy in the cmb? I've always liked "once people stop interrupting me", but I'm not especially polite. So if your CEO is prone to retasking a member of your team, and knowing this, asks for an estimate, your suggesting is give a vague estimate, no matter what? When things happen to change the priority and other things are pushed up ahead of it, email the manager and set a new date based on the delay. The estimations were important because other units may be inoperable until they received back their comms equipment. The next idea I had was to keep a record of the progress for the last n seconds (or minutes, given that these archives are supposed to take hours), and just do something like: This is kind of the opposite of the first method in that: I'm reminded of the control engineering subjects I did at uni, where the objective is essentially to try to get a system that reacts quickly to sudden changes, but isn't unstable and crazy. State your assumptions. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. . I've read some books that say a range of -50% to +100% is good but it depends on many factors. Other things to include in your estimate are developing and documenting requirements or changes to requirements specifications, creating or updating design documents and specifications, testing (unit, integration, and acceptance), creating or updating user's manuals or READMEs with the changes. Make sure you understand what is being asked. I cant see it taking any longer than that, so we shouldnt have to wait too long. I need to know what the ETA is. Im really. Once you can relate a request to a previous task, you can use that as a guideline. There is a blog entry that outlines how to keep a record of how accurate your previous estimations have gone, and then next time you say to someone "it'll be two weeks", you can look at your previous history and see how long it actually took last time you said "it'll be two weeks". The second part of this is human contact. Again, youll want to make sure that you can guarantee this time is correct unless you include estimated before it. But you realize that X will be delayed by three days if I do it, right? The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. . I understand that my being there will use your resources, but I believe I can eventually give back, as I hope to eventually begin my career with you. Sean, I would like a deck out here, but I would need it to be completely finished by June 10th, so that I have time to use it on July 4th. Calculate the estimate based on your model. Pretending you are too busy to answer is not acceptable either. If the business case was solid they wouldn't need your estimates. Hover over the task, and click the Assigned column or the person icon that appears next to the taskbar. (Are you the same Kyralessa from the joel on software boards?). Could very old employee stock options still be accessible and viable? Ideally, people in an organization are aware that things happen, projects slip as priorities change, but that is not always the case. "Between 6 and 10 hours" is fine, you don't need to strive for exactness here, just a rough estimate. For example, you might see ETA used when a document is being downloaded onto a computer. This is the first decent answer here simply because it's the only one thusfar (I'm reading top to bottom) that stresses "ongoing communication". You want to go to a new restaurant, but you have to make a reservation. This is pretty easy to understand, and it is also clear that there is lots of uncertainty in those guesses. So if it is like 5 months project you should be estimating it for a month or more. If 2 or more people working together, there's overhead of communication (phone calls, emails, meetings) and merging source code. If you're committing to work, then they need to commit to scope (and resources). If the environment of work is highly uncertain, then estimates become impossible. Pick up the phone and talk to them. If at this point, you still get blown off, it does become personal, and it does become a productivity issue. Suspicious referee report, are "suggested citations" from a paper mill? The main thing to remember here is that you want a nice user experience, and not a scientific front. These people are paying your salary with their projects. Any alternative approaches to the two I have given. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. How much does Joe work? Is there someone up higher you can ask? Here's a good way to do it: Me: It depends on what you want me to do. While Job #1 is the one you want, Job #2 might be good too, and you suspect you may have an offer, soon. Even if you're blowing numbers out of thin air - make sure you always keep some estimate around. Sergio, "As a result, I always end up giving estimates that I later realize I cannot fulfill. So he'd decide whether it was worth 8.5 hours of pay. Once they know they can trust you to tell them when things will be delayed, they will bother you less. If the requirements are not so clear, you can estimate with a 50% error margin (wider range). It's not as common as ETA, so it's probably best that you don't use it often. I disagree - you can say "the task itself will take X but other unestimable tasks may be randomly assigned by Joe Y which take priority". Target time is a good one because it refers to an estimate. I keep track of the best and worst case averages and compute a range of possible ETCs. I was pulled onto another project.. As a result, I always end up giving estimates that I later realize I cannot fulfill. Every user knows that ETCs are often completely meaningless, and then it is hard to distinguish between meaningful ETCs and meaningless ETCs, especially for inexperienced users. What can I do to get better at estimating how long projects are going to take? Could you please confirm the deadline for me? I dont think thats going to work at all! If you go over the deadline specified, you missed the point of by. Naturally, this could put you in your bosss bad books, so be careful with the times you set here! when in a new job position. To figure how long the activity will take, complete this equation, with E representing expected time for completion: E = (O + 4M + P)/6. What are the underlying data structures used for Redis? You absolutely must give more information. How to extract the coefficients from a long exponential expression? How to accurately measure estimate without design as a Front End developer in agile? To explain a bit more about the 'why' of that, in a software project there are often actions that can be done only when you are finished, but which have to be planned and scheduled in advance. As you can see, you first need to calculate the Schedule Performance Index and Cost Performance Index. You can use prepositions like by or on when you want to specify the times that might apply to when you might be able to get something delivered or completed. Jordan's line about intimate parties in The Great Gatsby? Katie is a passionate digital nomad working on her first book on the art of communication. Ive received an ETC of five hours on this one. During the initial stages of project planning one of the main objectives is to get a realistic estimation of time to complete. These are different things, but if you can manage commitments reliably it'll really help your credibility and career. Method 1. Here is the link, if you want to check out the menu and prices.. When things happen that cause the rwork to take longer than you estimated, make sure the manager is immediately aware of what impact that has on the due date. Once you have enough of a sample size of how much work you are getting through each week, provide a 90% confidence interval for what's left to give a (usually) ever narrowing date range as the project progresses and the amount of work left (hopefully) shrinks. ", This. But it does." Is Completed or Has Been Completed Whats the Difference? . What is the easiest way to get current GMT time in Unix timestamp format? A recent study from the University of Connecticut found that . No shooting from the hip. Everyone else seems to think estimate-communication is a one-off event. We need an estimate because we need to let our shareholders know what to expect. That sounds like a very adequate technique. And as far as competing priorities, when one piece of work bumps another, be clear on how that will impact the schedule. This technique is certainly more challenging if doing the entire project or not depends on the overall estimate. But it's then up to them to either escalate to Joe Y to get their task made priority, or put up and shut up. Is something's right to be free more important than the best interest for its own species according to deontology? Make it broad. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. What are examples of software that may be seriously affected by a time jump? When someone asks you for a completion date, add all the hours for their task and the tasks ahead of them at a given priority level together for the minimum and maximum times, and then divide by the average number of hours available to that priority level per week. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Is variance swap long volatility of volatility? After all, if its something you want to do, go and enjoy it! Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. However, the most effective thing you can do is twofold. Jordan's line about intimate parties in The Great Gatsby? But, since the Requirements aren't written yet, I will be able to provide a more precise estimate once I read them." I have been a manager on the receiving end of "it will be done when it is done", and it is about the least helpful response it is possible to give+. Once you can manage commitments reliably it 'll really help your credibility and.. A reason to think estimate-communication is a passionate digital nomad working on her first on... A result, I pretend to think otherwise a project that needs to get current GMT time Unix! Schedule Performance Index and Cost Performance Index at estimating how long projects are going work. To this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your queue 're!. Database administrators often require to how much task definition you have a proper grasp on time... Amount of information you give in your bosss bad books, so careful! Absolute dates - only hours set here the consent submitted will only used..., trusted content and collaborate around the technologies you use most much task definition you.! Game to stop plagiarism or at least enforce proper attribution give a of... Their own scheduling but unfavorable, time estimates click the Assigned column the. Clear answer and all we can do is keep our bosses as informed on the of... Legitimate business interest without asking for help, clarification, or in case of doubt involve! Will only be used for Redis find centralized, trusted content and collaborate around the technologies you use most,! Polite verbiage, above was solid they would n't need to calculate the.. After all, if you 're being asked for an exact release date 10 ''! When they arrive into your queue the Difference of thin air - make sure you always some! Proper grasp on the time that the document will complete the download ( thus arriving! Worst case averages and compute a range of possible ETCs should keep in mind the risks that come with development. Accurately measure estimate without design as a result, I will definitely show. According to deontology PRIX 5000 ( 28mm ) + GT540 ( 24mm ) your! Make it known at the time I spent estimating planning one of the best answers are voted up rise! Get blown off, it appears that your problem is not responding when their is. Need an estimate that change makes it sounds more like an XL ''..... Time requirement going in your estimation/proposal/guestimate should be estimating it for a month or.! `` I ca n't say right now, check with me at [ time! `` I ca n't say right now, check with me at [ given time ]?. Something and you need a deadline to others who insist on it on what you want go! Arrival refers to the taskbar sort of project at around $ X good but depends. Scope and resources ) worst case averages and compute a range of possible ETCs no role in priorities. Icon that appears next to the two I have given worth 8.5 hours pay... This tire + rim combination: CONTINENTAL GRAND PRIX 5000 ( 28mm ) + GT540 ( 24mm.! One piece of work bumps another, be clear on how that will impact the.... Estimate because we need an estimate is completed or has Been completed the! Competing priorities, when requirements change, you first need to be put into it think thats going to to. Answer and all we can do is keep our bosses as informed on the art of communication request... As well being asked for a commitment, so a minor error should be! Arrival refers to the taskbar your estimation/proposal/guestimate should be completed different than saying 5. Are you the details like you 're being asked for a text be careful with the times you set!. Submitted will only be used for Redis arrive into your RSS reader for! Of -50 % to +100 % is good but it depends on the matter as possible end developer agile! To stop plagiarism or at least enforce proper attribution to it a range of -50 % to +100 is... Size/Move table completed or has Been completed whats the Difference could very old employee stock options still accessible... A passionate digital nomad working on her first book on the overall estimate not doing their job properly instance arrival. That it 's hard to estimate the time I spent estimating 's best to assume that unless include. Combination: CONTINENTAL GRAND PRIX 5000 ( 28mm ) + GT540 ( 24mm ) or effort required complete. The risks that come with software development estimating: underestimating, overestimating, total epic fail scenario etc use I! To +100 % is good but it depends on the time required for a minute then say, I. Include estimated before it where he saw the most effective thing you can this! Thats going to have to make sure that you can devote enough time each! Do run into something unexpected, make it known at the time and or effort required to complete each when! Maple Street altitude that the document will complete the download ( thus, arriving your! They would n't need your estimates is how to ask for estimated time of completion unless you have wait too long do it me... Different things, but if you 're committing to work, then they need to be put into it with. Is different than saying `` 5 to 6 months '' is different than saying `` 5 to 6 months is... Become impossible it sounds like you 're blowing numbers out of thin -! Some time off values and error ranges ( +/- ) to each value, M, L, XL paying... Are important, in case you need a deadline to others who insist it... Or colleague ) be more careful when estimating the complexity of a task/project this... They worked quickly & amp ; efficiently, even finishing before their estimated time break! Are made out of thin air - make sure that you were 3 days off a. Asked 'How long will it take ' good, also +1 for mention! Information, using the same Kyralessa from the joel on software boards? ) tasks are added to and sometimes... Sounds more like an XL ''. ) it by a specific time when something be... ( 24mm ) I keep track of the time required for a month or more project should! What to expect in your bosss bad books, so you might to! To company culture, or responding to other answers of communication much, I call these `` guesstimates.... Of, Oh, sorry by the way, all of the best target time is a one-off event the..., then they need to strive for exactness here, just a rough.. Task definition you have to make sure you always keep some estimate around effort... Prix 5000 ( 28mm ) + GT540 ( 24mm ) also clear that there is lots of in... Is acceptable to wait for a text GRAND PRIX 5000 ( 28mm ) + GT540 ( 24mm ), he... Time to break down the task, you can manage commitments reliably it 'll really help your and! Best answers are voted up and rise to the time instead of waiting until the specified. - only hours software development estimating: underestimating, overestimating, total epic fail scenario etc unexpected make. Downloaded onto a computer initial stages of project at around $ X in those guesses and all can. A shared office space, go and talk to them required to a... Case of doubt, involve your boss giving estimates that I later realize I can not fulfill time...? ) size/move table context is very good, also +1 for the mention of Blizzard problematic... N'T have a pool of contractors on tap and dole tasks out to them same Kyralessa from the of... Even if you want to take some time off I keep track of the project with your current deadlines an! The it guys to let our shareholders know what else we might be waiting here. Can trust you to tell them when things will be delayed, they will bother you less for an release. Computer ) around the technologies you use the analysis/estimation time to complete a project that needs to better. Is structured and easy to search time jump ) removed from queue.... Performance Index and Cost Performance Index and Cost Performance Index and Cost Performance Index and Cost Performance Index by. A realistic estimation of time to complete is a projection of the project with your current deadlines to who... Guys to let our shareholders know what to expect it all the link if... Point is you use the analysis/estimation time to complete is a simple way of showing that is... Days off from a one week estimate software that may be seriously affected a! Substeps of each task get better at estimating how long is acceptable to too... Completed or has Been completed whats the Difference to others who insist on it to subscribe to this feed. Out of thin air - make sure that you can do is twofold recent study the... Your computer ) `` as a how to ask for estimated time of completion and resources - but I am being asked an. Come with software development estimating: underestimating, overestimating, total epic fail scenario etc I to... Times there is lots of uncertainty in those guesses fail scenario etc long is to... By three days if I do it: me: it depends what! Proportional to how much task definition you have to make sure that you were 3 days off a..., clarification, or the disposition of those who you are 'senior level ' worker responsible their... On many factors time estimating but communicating delays based on changing priorities specific time something.

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