Introduction to project management/IPM103/Resources/Estimating activity duration

Reading

Estimating duration

When you have worked out the different resources required, and the quantity of each resource, you will need to work out how long you need those resources for and whether they are available or not. The planning here is closely linked to the work you will do in the next learning path relating to time.

Read the section Estimating Activity Duration in the prescribed textbook (Web | PDF), Chapter 11 (pages 86-87 in the pdf version).

This section describes 5 methods of estimating how long you will need resources for:

• Expert judgment
• Analogous estimating
• Parametric estimating
• Three-point estimating
• Reserve analysis

Quiz

For each of the scenarios below, what method is being used to estimate the time the activity will take?

• Sally calls up her friend who knows specifics of the various venues in their area for advice on which one would work best.
  • Expert judgment
    • Correct: Sally is using the knowledge of her friend.
  • Analogous estimating
    • Incorrect: try again.
  • Parametric estimating
    • Incorrect: try again.
  • Three-point estimating
    • Incorrect: try again.
  • Reserve analysis
    • Incorrect: try again.
• There are two different catering companies at the wedding. Sally asks the head chef at each company to give her an estimate of how long it will take each of them to do the job.
  • Expert judgment
    • Correct: Sally is using the knowledge of the chefs.
  • Analogous estimating
    • Incorrect: try again.
  • Parametric estimating
    • Incorrect: try again.
  • Three-point estimating
    • Incorrect: try again.
  • Reserve analysis
    • Incorrect: try again.
• There’s a spreadsheet that Sally always uses to figure out how long it takes guests to RSVP (in other words, to respond to invitations). She enters the number of guests and their zip codes, and it calculates estimates for her.
  • Expert judgment
    • Incorrect: try again.
  • Analogous estimating
    • Incorrect: try again.
  • Parametric estimating
    • Correct: Sally is plugging data into a spreadsheet.
  • Three-point estimating
    • Incorrect: try again.
  • Reserve analysis
    • Incorrect: try again.
• Sally’s done four weddings that are very similar to Steve and Susan’s, and in all four of them, it took exactly the same amount of time for the caterers to set up the reception hall.
  • Expert judgment
    • Incorrect: try again.
  • Analogous estimating
    • Correct: Sally is using the time taken at other similar weddings.
  • Parametric estimating
    • Incorrect: try again.
  • Three-point estimating
    • Incorrect: try again.
  • Reserve analysis
    • Incorrect: try again.

WEnote post

Choose one of the tasks in your project and select one of the estimating techniques described above. Briefly describe the task and say why you chose that estimating technique. Post your comment below and then look on the course feed page to see what others have posted.

Note: Your comment will be displayed in the course feed.