Skip to content

Contact sales

By filling out this form and clicking submit, you acknowledge our privacy policy.

Project Estimation Fundamentals

Course Summary

The Project Estimation Fundamentals course is designed to provide senior to mid-level software engineers with the essential tools, methodologies, and mindset necessary to accurately estimate project milestones, scope, and labor costs. Participants will enhance their ability to provide customers with realistic timelines and set clear expectations for project success and client satisfaction.

Purpose
Accurately estimate project milestones, scope, and labor costs.
Audience
Anyone interested in setting realistic project expectations with customers
Role
Software Engineers | Developers
Skill level
Advanced
Style
Lectures | Hands-on Activities
Duration
2 days
Related technologies
Estimation tools

 

Learning objectives
  • Understand the fundamentals of project estimation and apply agile estimation techniques effectively.
  • Create work breakdown structures (WBS) and use estimation tools and software to estimate milestones, scope, and labor costs.
  • Manage project risks, set realistic timelines, and communicate effectively with stakeholders to set clear expectations.
  • Implement continuous improvement strategies and feedback mechanisms to refine their project estimation skills over time.

What you'll learn:

In this course, you'll learn:
  • Introduction to Project Estimation
    • Overview of project estimation and its importance in software development projects.
    • Key terms
      • Milestones
      • Scope
      • Labor Costs
      • Timelines
  • Agile Estimation Techniques
    • Introduction to agile estimation methodologies
    • Relative sizing
    • Planning poker
    • Story points
    • Hands-on Exercise: Use agile estimation techniques to estimate the complexity of user stories or tasks
  • Work Breakdown Structure
    • Introduction to Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
    • Using it in project estimation
      • Scheduling, estimating cost, and determining risk
    • Hands-on Exercise: Create a WBS for a software development project breaking down tasks into smaller, manageable components
  • Estimation Tools and Software
    • Overview of common estimation tools and software
    • Effectively using tools for common tasks
      • Creating project plans
      • Allocating resources
      • Estimating labor costs
    • Demo: Use estimation software to create project plans, allocate resources, and estimate labor costs
  • Risk Management and Contingency Planning
    • Introduction to risk management and contingency planning in project estimation
    • Discussion: Identifying and mitigating project risks, and incorporating contingency buffers into estimates
  • Setting Realistic Timelines and Expectations
    • Strategies for setting realistic timelines and managing customer expectations in project estimation
    • Case Study Analysis: Analyzing real-world examples of successful and unsuccessful project estimations
  • Effective Communication and Stakeholder Engagement
    • Importance of effective communication and stakeholder engagement in project estimation
    • Role-playing Exercise: Practicing communication skills and techniques for presenting project estimates to stakeholders
  • Continuous Improvement and Feedback
    • Strategies for continuous improvement in project estimation practices
    • Group Discussion: Identifying areas for improvement and implementing feedback mechanisms for ongoing learning and development

Project Estimation Fundamentals

real world content

Real-World Content

Project-focused demos and labs using your tool stack and environment, not some canned "training room" lab.
expert practitioners

Expert Practitioners

Industry experts that bring their battle scars into the classroom.
experiential learning

Experiential Learning

More coding than lecture, coupled with architectural and design discussions.
fully customized

Tailored Outlines

Once-size-fits-all doesn't apply to training teams. That's where we come in!

Dive in and learn more

When transforming your workforce, it’s important to have expert advice and tailored solutions. We can help. Tell us your unique needs and we'll explore ways to address them.

Let's chat

By filling out this form and clicking submit, you acknowledge our privacy policy.