One of the first tasks when managing a project is the cost estimate. A cost estimate must be accurate, transparent and reliable. These factors are particularly important for a small business because ...

Two key features of a project are on-time and on-budget delivery. The project manager can only fulfill these objectives if the estimates leading to the project schedule and budget are accurate.

The purpose of the estimate is two-fold. First, it allows the contractor to enter into a contractual agreement with confidence. Second, it provides an organized, detailed plan to execute the project ...

Project work estimation has three components: the initial first cut, commonly known as a SWAG (scientific wild-ass guess), tracking the estimate against the actual numbers, and using the schedule to ...

In a previous column we discussed work load management as a basic requisite for keeping your company on an even keel through these challenging economic times. The next basic, perhaps the most ...

Project managers are asked to provide effort, duration, and cost estimates as a primary part of our jobs. You know then, that the estimation process is partly an art and partly a science. However, ...

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As a staff writer for Forbes Advisor, SMB, Kristy helps small business owners find the tools they need to keep their businesses running. She uses the experience of managing her own writing and editing ...

Last week I received a question about project estimation. If you’re part of a next-generation IT group, project estimation is a critically important capability. If, on the other hand, you’re part of a ...

Project estimation is one of those black arts I try to avoid. In addition to the karmic burden created by having to perform the required rituals, having to sacrifice the occasional chicken makes a ...