Re: Re[2]: IS AN ESTIMATE A COMMITMENT?

Subject: Re: Re[2]: IS AN ESTIMATE A COMMITMENT?
From: Sharon Burton <sharonburton -at- EMAIL -dot- MSN -dot- COM>
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 1998 08:11:53 -0700

I have to reply to this thread. I am a contractor/consultant and this has
generally happened to me. But I was watching This Old House the other night
on TV (surfing and we are remodeling so these shows take on a new meaning
for me). As they were looking at what they originally planned, they
realized, now that they had gutted the area, that there was another idea
that they preferred and would work better. They called the lead
contractor/construction guy over and discussed it. He said it sounded like a
Change Order! A re-estimate of the original plan because the
scope/requirements have changed! And it specified costs, time, impact on
deadline, etc.

I love this idea and wish I had it sooner. I plan to start talking about
change orders and writing them up. This way, the client realizes that what
they are asking about is not in the original estimate and requires an
adjustment. I think this does at least 2 things - 1. It makes the client
aware that the scope of the project has really changed, and gives them
documentation that I say it has. 2. It may make those "Oh, this is a little
thing" comments stop or at least slow down if they get paper revising the
original estimate/plan.

This may be the tool we need to combat the feature creep/change of scope
that makes coming in at estimate so very hard.

sharon

Sharon Burton
Anthrobytes Consulting
Home of RoboNEWS, the award-winning unofficial RoboHELP Newsletter
www.anthrobytes.com
anthrobytes -at- anthrobytes -dot- com


-----Original Message-----
From: Walker, Arlen P <Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- COM>
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU <TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU>
Date: Tuesday, 16 June, 1998 7:33 AM
Subject: Re[2]: IS AN ESTIMATE A COMMITMENT?


> I don't think that's fair on the mechanic. It's very likely that the
> problems were there because the previous maintenance of the car was
> sub-standard, and now that someone thorough is working on it, all the
> past errors and omissions are coming to light.
>
>Remember, though, you didn't take the car to the mechanic for a general
>overview and diagnostic. You took it there to have a problem fixed. That's
>what you're hiring him to do.
>
>It's whole 'nother question if, after fixing the problem you gave him he
>hands you a sheet detailing other things he's noticed while working on the
>car. I've had that happen, and I appreciate it. What I wouldn't appreciate
>is taking my car in for a fix, being told it will take x time and y money,
>and then having it end up taking 5x time and 12y money and having the
>mechanic fix a whole bunch of things that were unrelated to the problem I
>brought the car in for.
>
>And that's what we're talking about. When we say it will take x time to do
>something, and it turns out not to, it makes us look like we don't know
>what
>we're doing. At the very least it marks us as making superficial estimates
>which bear only a coincidental resemblance to reality, which means that we
>can't be relied upon to give information to project managers. And that's
>not professional.
>
> It's really a matter of dependencies: if the job depends on a
> well-maintained car/document that only needs some small modification,
> you base your estimate on that premise, but you specify that it is
> based on such an assumption.
>
> If the specified dependency isn't available, there's every reason to
> say that the estimate needs to be revised.
>
>I'll go beyond that. We should make the effort to find out what the
>dependencies are before giving an estimate. It's incomplete without that
>information; finding out about the dependencies you listed should become
>the
>top items on your to-do list.
>
>
>Have fun,
>Arlen
>Chief Managing Director In Charge, Department of Redundancy Department
>DNRC 224
>
>Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- Com
>----------------------------------------------
>In God we trust; all others must provide data.
>----------------------------------------------
>Opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.
>If JCI had an opinion on this, they'd hire someone else to deliver it.
>
>
>




Previous by Author: Re: Screen vs. Window
Next by Author: Re: Using the second person (was: Humor as a communication technique)
Previous by Thread: Re[2]: IS AN ESTIMATE A COMMITMENT?
Next by Thread: (\Configuration Management Strategies


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads