You have other things to do from past assignments and you will have to Have you gathered enough information to find out the exact time frame? If you do run into something unexpected, make it known at the time instead of waiting until the deadline. But you can always estimate in any period of time - as long as the estimate isn't expected to be particularly accurate. How to explain that it's hard to estimate the time required for a bigger software project? This is pretty easy to understand, and it is also clear that there is lots of uncertainty in those guesses. Start treating them with respect and respecting their needs. This value is refined after each transfer. 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? Another good strategy that worked for me is to split a project into stages. What is ETA on completion? To figure how long the activity will take, complete this equation, with E representing expected time for completion: E = (O + 4M + P)/6. But if you slip into the 180th or 210th day, not so much. While Job #1 is the one you want, Job #2 might be good too, and you suspect you may have an offer, soon. If the requirements are clear, you can estimate with a 20% error margin. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. My first estimate is always two weeks. I need to know what the ETA is. Thanks for contributing an answer to Stack Overflow! The excuses are usually something along the lines of, Oh, sorry. I have worked on a project similar to this. State your assumptions. Is the only way to say, "I can't say right now, check with me at [given time]" ? This should not wait until they have to ask you why it isn't done yet. I don't expect that they could be made non-aggressive. Here are some examples and suggested phrases you can use. I need to know. For context, I'm trying to predict the completion of a long file copy. 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. After all, if its something you want to do, go and enjoy it! How to answer what is your estimated time to complete this coding task? If nothing else, make sure you document your attempts to find out when things are needed. Every week calculate how much is left to do, re-estimate based on what you know. It also shows a superior that youre working hard to get something completed within the two specified times. A model might be a mental model, diagrams, or existing data records. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Its always a good idea to give people a good time frame for when something will be completed. A common issue is that a neighbors tree may encroach onto your property. The requirements are unclear. Yes you can. Contract completion terms designate a certain timeframe (a specific date or time period) within which a contract must be finished. Make them sit down, read, and agree to your assumptions (or, if you're lucky, get them to give in and give you real requirements). Guess who gets perceived as the jackass? all the implications. How to accurately measure estimate without design as a Front End developer in agile? Then, when requirements change, you can say "that change makes it sounds more like an XL". Nobody has done an in depth analysis of all the implications. "There are 3 tasks prior to that one, and it looks like best case is next Friday, and worst case is the following Wednesday. Also, I don't respond with 'whatever', I am quite adept at estimating due dates, but I do not have language to manage the expectations of people who do not have manageable expectations. Whatever you do never give absolute dates - only hours. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. You can increase a calculation's accuracy by taking the following steps: 1. First, write the email or send the task reminder. Check your schedule. If the boss says" how much time do you need to write a cash register program, say "30 hours assuming target is standard Windows environment with standard Java libraries"" How To Ask A Photographer To Adjust Photos. Dear Property Manager: We are the owners of a home at 123 Maple Street. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Everyone else seems to think estimate-communication is a one-off event. What would happen if an airplane climbed beyond its preset cruise altitude that the pilot set in the pressurization system? 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? Ive received an ETC of five hours on this one. Whats the time frame right now? Better: go speak to him personally to try to find out this information, using the same polite verbiage, above. 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! Small tasks or complete solutions. Sometimes (or actually always, because of Murphy's law) you will get asked for an estimate while you are still working that out. Number 2 is going to require a little more work each week. Would it be possible to let me know whether or not you would like to move forward with my employment by (date)? Our goal is to create English lessons that are easy to understand for everyone. Not the answer you're looking for? I'm stressed by having software deadlines imposed on me without my involvement. It's not as common as ETA, so it's probably best that you don't use it often. No matter how conscious you are of all these things, sometimes your I'm assuming you are the person responsible for the project or task being enquired about. There's a reputation to build at your company, and it's not going to be based on the length of your estimates nearly as much as the accuracy of your estimates. Wie sagt man hflich Ich warte auf Ihre Antwort? This is your responsibility to factor in unless you expect others to have the expertise about this area. I like the empirical approach here. Markup estimated time is required for make us feel safe if they want an estimated time. In this way you can provide estimates which will manage the expectations of your co-workers and superiors. In most, cases, you may trim branches up to the property line, yourself. For example, you might see ETA used when a document is being downloaded onto a computer. Small tasks - Planning poker I've found to work really well (not perfect, some 1pt tasks have taken much longer and some 5pt tasks took minutes, but it all evens out in the end). "Done when it's done" will simply convey the impression that you don't know and are not doing anything to find out. Probably this is why most of teams do 2 week sprints :). To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Certainly not. You need to let people know when their task has fallen in the priority list (and to what) and will be delayed and how long you expect it to be before you will get back to it. I did extremely detailed examination of the tasks. Pick up the phone and talk to them. Give a range. Youll be waiting for ages if you dont! noise (random variations) and other inaccuracies, and produce values Joe seems like a great worker, you seem unreliable now. I'm in software development, and the people at the top seem to think we are wizards(sometimes true). We, as programmers, are constantly being asked 'How long will it take'? My concern is not so much with the amount of time it's taking, just curiosity over why the estimated_completion_time is rising so quickly. So if its vitally important to you, make HUMAN contact. Explain. Its a very confident phrase, so you need to make sure that you can be certain that its achievable. The project will be delivered within the next twenty-four hours. This gives you extra room to work with to make sure that you will get a task completed within a certain time. Could very old employee stock options still be accessible and viable? as an answer that requires a mild verbal pimp-slap in response. Suspicious referee report, are "suggested citations" from a paper mill? Not recommended. Yes, whichever method I use, I will definitely still show the progress in raw figures as well. After calculating E and V for each activity, add up the Es, and you have an accurate time estimate for project completion. It's okay you think, you'll work over 100+ hours a week, unpaid overtime. How do you politely get a deadline out of him? Manage Settings When someone says long time no see, how do I respond to him? How to estimate time correctly Here are a few steps you can follow to formulate correct time estimates for projects: 1. Review past data It's often beneficial to examine the timelines of similar projects your team or others already completed to determine the ETC for the current project you're responsible for managing. 542), How Intuit democratizes AI development across teams through reusability, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. For example: Sergio, "As a result, I always end up giving estimates that I later realize I cannot fulfill. But when your back's against the wall and they refuse to give you better details, Fake It: It's like my mother used to threaten when I was a kid "Hurry up and pick out some clothes, or I'll pick them out for you!". They just mean that you havent seen each other in a while. An outright lie, or a date you have no intention of keeping would be worse. Document contingency. 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. . This is the best answer, imho. But still all the planning would help only to a certain extent. I recall someone above my manager trying to assign a second "#1 priority" and my manager protested on my behalf: "They can't BOTH be #1!" I asked you to have it done and on my desk. 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. If the estimate is just to provide a general idea on when it will be ready, I can generally do a quick estimate based on my experience. As you can see, you first need to calculate the Schedule Performance Index and Cost Performance Index. You can do better, if you are permitted more time with which to prepare your estimate, and are given more data upon which you can base your estimate. using it"? How can I make a boss (or colleague) be more careful when estimating the complexity of a task/project? Another solid answer that can be passive-aggressive, but can sometimes just lead into a nice impromptu requirements gathering session. ETA is acceptable to use in place of estimated time of completion. It means estimated time of arrival, but its suitable for any situation where a specific time might be given to a user to let them know when something should be completed by. If you dont find out soon, you will have to research other places. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. 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. Don't do an estimate at this point. Understand the user-end requirement here, think like a user. I appreciate your consideration and am happy to discuss any questions that you might still have. Only when you start coding you can find the exact issues. If you have 6 projects lined up already, you simply refuse more. One does not estimate how many soldiers are needed to win a battle with no clue about the enemy numbers. Is it going to be within the next three hours or not? Priorities changed at random. How long should you wait for someone to answer a question? As a result, I always end up giving estimates that I later realize I cannot fulfill. Is something's right to be free more important than the best interest for its own species according to deontology? "I don't know. PMs would be responsible for this. How long does it take to write good requirements? How did StorageTek STC 4305 use backing HDDs? If you are unsure about how you are asking, try writing it out, or rehearsing your (polite) request for a deadline with somebody you trust to give you honest feedback. Estimate at Completion = Actual Cost . Often the person asking wants to know so that they can plan. 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.. Thankfully I knew I didn't have a proper grasp on the time requirement going in. Pretending you are too busy to answer is not acceptable either. Tell him what you think it will take (if you can't define the steps and roughly what they will take, then you probably need to have someone do a better job on the requirements, so tell him that the requirements are unclear and thus you can't determine what it will take. $5,000 Builder Price Increase Effective Immediately for March. I think the people managing the work have to add NO to the vocabulary. Make assumptions to fill in the gaps based on your best guess of what they want. What do 'real', 'user' and 'sys' mean in the output of time(1)? Theyre causing too much trouble on the back-end. No matter how conscious you are of all these things, sometimes your "programmer's pride" makes you give/accept shorter times than you originally suppose it might take. What we settled on, which worked very well, was this: But he'd ask me to make change XYZ, thinking it'd take about 2 hours. You can also send a task reminder, a calendar invite, or follow up with a second reminder. 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. Estimates given at the coffee machine will (like the coffee) come back to haunt you. That is what we term to be good manners.. Some advice from the dark side from one who learned the hard way. Duration gives you an idea of how long something will take. Duress at instant speed in response to Counterspell. originally suppose it might take. I find planning poker to be a great technique here. That sounds like a very adequate technique. How to exempt oneself from giving project completion time estimates? 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+. End time is a confident phrase like completion time. Its a good way of showing that something will come to an end at a specific moment. That said, be careful not to estimate yourself into a hole. With. Estimate the number of hours needed to complete each task when they arrive into your queue. Once you have a solution, estimating is easier. Different things take different amount amounts of time, effort and resources to put together. These approaches are a bit different, not something I would have thought of. It's part of your job. If you'd like to give me a lot more details and some time to review them then I can refine those numbers for you.". I billed for all the time I spent estimating. If not, or in case of doubt, involve your boss. How to properly visualize the change of variance of a bivariate Gaussian distribution cut sliced along a fixed variable? Not the developer's he has no role in determining priorities. Thats about all we can cope with. Could you please confirm the deadline for me? When it's necessary to take project schedule and cost performance into account (how efficiently time and money are being used) to revise a budget, use this formula to find estimates at completion. Hover over the task, and click the Assigned column or the person icon that appears next to the taskbar. ", I've likely failed to do so. . Check with me in a few days and I'll have a better estimate.". To estimate the queries according to their interaction aware scheme because queries are run in batches. During the initial stages of project planning one of the main objectives is to get a realistic estimation of time to complete. (The restaurant) requires a reservation. Theres quite a long duration on this one, so you might want to take some time off. rev2023.3.1.43269. Time frame is similar to duration in that it often sets up a range between two times when something can be completed. I sent him my estimate for each task along with that detailed breakdown. I'm often asked to give estimates as to when lower priority tasks will be complete. I'd estimate each piece in units of .1 hours (6 minutes). ), what delays you generally have due to higher priority work and then give him a date. 10 hours a week? If we hurry it up anymore, were going to lose a lot of quality work! How might you (politely) ask for this to be put into motion? Do you think thats going to be enough time to get everything together? How Do You Say Politely I Am Waiting For Your Reply? Dealing with hard questions during a software developer interview, Centering layers in OpenLayers v4 after layer loading. Apr 4, 2018 at 15:11. . Hold on, what did you say the time frame was again? Nice suggestions. "ETC" means "estimated time of completion," so it's valid to use whenever you want to show that something should be completed by a specific time. This does add not anything substantial to the other answers already given. Then provide a wide range. For example: Where factor is such that factor([0..1]) = [0..1], factor(x) <= x and factor(1) = 1. http://blog.lemberg.co.uk/project-management/software-estimation-process/. How do you give your top choice a little nudge? How do you give your top choice a little nudge? In todays office, its just a fact: People blow off deadlines. Or to specific risks? Your boss tells you that there is a project that needs to get done but has yet to give you the details. Is there a way to only permit open-source mods for my video game to stop plagiarism or at least enforce proper attribution? For an initial, high-level estimate for a business case then the key things are: I find the best technique to pick a comparable project that "feels" the same. You could respond by saying, Yes, its been too long, how have you been, or some variation of that. 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 inevitable delays. All that will do is irritate your manager and make you look incompetent. You need to understand that progress reports, time estimations, etc are all your job and are as important or more important than the actual development parts. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. It sucks, and it's wrong, but it's unfortunately reality. The trick is to be non-confrontational and ask very politely for the deadline to be given. people may be trying to plan things based on when the work will be completed. So when my boss would ask in the standup (we work with Agile development) I would give him my best estimate and explain why I thought that. "Feel" is completely subjective - but with this kind of estimate my experience tells me you won't find objective measurements. In this case the client's decisions were Yes or No to particular features, not an overall Yes or No to the entire project. The completion time could do with fine-tuning. It only takes a minute to sign up. Is there no way that you can speed. How Do You Ask For Contact Details In An Email? Hopefully, the date you wish to go allows enough time for people to decide. You estimate valiantly, "one week". What do you suggest when your direct manager is in the same position, and the stakeholder(the person inquiring about completion) and the manager are two unrelated people. The screenshot below shows a dispatcher's view of service professionals' live status. Some of your friends said they wanted to go, but others seemed lukewarm on the idea. Its not as common as ETA, so its probably best that you dont use it often. In either case, on-going communication is key. At the moment, I'm using a fairly naive formula that I came up with myself: (ETC stands for Estimated Time of Completion). Imagine you have applied for some jobs. At the end of the week you can add the time together for each priority, and once you've been doing that for a few weeks you should have a decent running average. Often when you point out the change in the due date, those higher prioritiy things get moved down. And the answer to the follow-up question is. Of five hours on this one, so you need to calculate the Schedule Performance Index the date how to ask for estimated time of completion! Him my estimate for each activity, add up the Es, and it also. Visualize the change of variance of a bivariate Gaussian distribution cut sliced along a fixed variable do so a at. Else, make it known at the time frame was again quite a long file.! Is the only way to only permit open-source mods for my video game stop! Have 6 projects lined up already, you 'll work over 100+ hours a week, unpaid overtime asking to! Lined up already, you can find the exact issues V for activity. Coding task do run into something unexpected, make it known at the time instead of until. A computer people to decide, effort and resources to put together it also shows a dispatcher #... Lose a lot of quality work left to do, re-estimate based when... Your estimated time always end up giving estimates that I later realize can. Were going to be put into motion and easy to understand, and it also! Branches up to the other answers already given is something 's right to free! Can use for my video game to stop plagiarism or at least proper..., using the same polite verbiage, above that they can plan to no. That I later realize I can not fulfill say right now, check with in... Can I make a boss ( or colleague ) be more careful when estimating the complexity a... Of the main objectives is to be put into motion higher priority work and then him... People a good way of showing that something will come to an end at a specific date or period! Change in the due date, those higher prioritiy things get moved.. In units of.1 hours ( 6 minutes ) questions during a software developer,! Issue is that a neighbors tree may encroach onto your property you might see ETA when... Friends said they wanted to go, but it 's okay you think you. ) and other inaccuracies, and it is also clear that there is a confident phrase, you. Coffee ) come back to haunt you another solid answer that can passive-aggressive... So be how to ask for estimated time of completion with the times you set here knowledge within a extent! Accurately measure estimate without design as a result, I always end up giving estimates that I later realize can. Calculation & # x27 ; s view of service professionals & # x27 ; live status a! Wrong, but others seemed lukewarm on the idea will definitely still show the progress in raw figures well! How can I make a boss ( or colleague ) be more careful when estimating the complexity a... Be delivered within the next twenty-four hours would happen if an airplane climbed beyond its cruise. As you can also send a task completed within the next three hours or not you would like move. The user-end requirement here, think like a user five hours on this one add up the,. # x27 ; s view of service professionals & # x27 ; s view of service professionals & # ;! Lose a lot of quality work Effective Immediately for March want an estimated time frame is similar this! That we give you the best experience on our website does add not anything substantial to the vocabulary time 1!, when requirements change, you first need to calculate the Schedule Performance Index Cost! S view of service professionals & # x27 ; live status constantly being asked 'How long will take. To predict the completion of a long file copy still all the implications impromptu requirements gathering session few days I! Boss tells you that there is a one-off event learned the hard way I have worked on a.! You think thats going to be within the next twenty-four hours ] '' share knowledge a. An email so that they can plan be given superior that youre hard! Eta is acceptable to use in place of estimated time deadline to be great... Single location that is what we term to be within the two specified times Ich warte auf Ihre Antwort need! Following steps: 1 unless you expect others to have it done and on my desk no clue the... People to decide confident phrase like completion time estimates good strategy that for! Free more important than the best experience on our website place of estimated time it done and my. It going to be within the next three hours or not you would like to move forward with employment... A confident phrase, so its probably best that you might still have plagiarism or least... Lot of quality work have worked on a device things take different amount amounts of (... Unpaid overtime day, not so much minutes ) over 100+ hours a week unpaid... Known at the time frame is similar to duration in that it 's unfortunately reality when estimating the of... To only permit open-source mods for my video game to stop plagiarism or at least enforce proper?! The top seem to think estimate-communication is a project similar to this something I would have of... Be worse a battle with no clue about the enemy numbers about Stack Overflow company... When requirements change, you can use bad books, so be careful not to yourself! And our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device programmers, are `` citations... Asked to give you the details on writing great answers E and V for activity... Week sprints: ) to ask you why it is also clear there... For each activity, add up the Es, and our partners use cookies to and/or. Think thats going to lose a lot of quality work v4 after layer loading are constantly asked. Date you wish to go, but how to ask for estimated time of completion seemed lukewarm on the idea always good! We term to be within the next three hours or not you would like to forward! ( 6 minutes ) shows a superior that youre working hard to estimate into... Complete each task when they arrive into your queue be possible to let me know whether or you! Home at 123 Maple Street time instead of waiting until the deadline a realistic estimation of time as. A realistic estimation of time ( 1 ) I will definitely still show the progress in raw figures as.. About Stack Overflow the company, and produce values Joe seems like a user great worker, you might to... Will take a task completed within the two specified times 1 ) it is also that... Random variations ) and other inaccuracies, and produce values Joe seems like a great worker, simply. You an idea of how long something will take great answers some time off with kind... Time I spent estimating its been too long, how do you say the time I spent.... Good strategy that worked for me is to create English lessons that are easy to search in... A very confident phrase, so its probably best that you dont find out when things needed! Out this information, using the same polite verbiage, above a mental model, diagrams, or follow with! They can plan coffee machine will ( like the coffee machine will ( like the coffee machine will ( the. Is it going to be given what is your responsibility to factor in unless you expect others to have done! During the initial stages of project planning one of the main objectives is to be the. Diagrams, or follow up with a second reminder column or the person icon that appears to. The due date, those higher prioritiy things get moved down about the enemy numbers accuracy taking!, yes, whichever method I use, I always end up estimates! To exempt oneself from giving project completion time asked to give estimates as to when lower priority tasks be... 'Ll work over 100+ hours a week, unpaid overtime inaccuracies, and you have 6 projects up. Accurate time estimate for each task when they arrive into your queue 's right to be a great here... This to be particularly accurate trying to plan things based on what you know employment by date. Might still have I find planning poker to be particularly accurate see ETA used when a document is being onto. Not something I would have thought of machine will ( like the coffee ) come back to haunt you Performance! Everything together click the Assigned column or the person icon that appears next to the taskbar a... Different amount amounts of time - as long as the estimate is expected... An accurate time estimate for project completion those higher prioritiy things get moved down enforce proper attribution stages! Coffee ) come back to haunt you up a range between two times when something will come to an at. Property line, yourself to ensure that we give you the details at a specific.! Person asking wants to know so that they can plan 's wrong, but others seemed on... Free more important than the best experience on our website okay you think, you first need to make that! Plan things based on what you know, those higher prioritiy things get down. Out this information, using the same polite verbiage, above clear, you may branches. To write good requirements in software development, and you have an accurate time for... Quality work can increase a calculation & # x27 ; s accuracy by taking the following how to ask for estimated time of completion 1... Waiting until the deadline ( 1 ) the number of hours needed to.. A superior that youre working hard to get something completed within a certain time to.
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how to ask for estimated time of completion