Re: Project Estimating

[John David Hickey <jdavid -at- FARABI -dot- COM>]

Greetings Peter!

> Can anyone offer any guidelines or rules of thumb or checklists for
> estimating the time required to complete print-based or on-line help
> projects?
>
> These formulas would be applied to new work and revisions to existing
> documentation. Graphics (screen captures) are usually required and some
> would be annotated.

My standard formula is 2 days per window or dialog box with more than one
tab (each tab counts as one window). This assumes that the product is pretty
much complete except for some MINOR touch-ups (you can take that literally).
Count up the number of windows, multiply by two, and voila! This estimate
includes research, writing, editing, and even has a bit left over for the
unexpected.

For updates, find out how much the product has changed since the
documentation was written (be sure to include this figure in your estimate
along with who said it!) and adjust your total number of days (product
change: %50/Total number of days 30/New total:15 days).

Of course, these numbers can be adapted to your own situation. If you feel
the product is really complex, you might want to add another %20 to your
total to include learning curve time.

In most cases, these estimates have worked for me.

--
Be seeing you,

Dave
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jdavid -at- farabi -dot- com
Lone "Documentation Boy" at Farabi Technology Corp.
Montreal, Quebec

4000+ readers? I Am Drunk With Power! <maniacal laughter>
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