Software Project Estimate Excel Template and Example

Free Software Project Estimate Template in Excel / Google Sheets  The template below has been successfully used in dozen of software development project. It calculates total project effort based on development estimates.  You can finetune the template to your project by adjusting corresponding percentages. Please follow the steps below to obtain full and realistic project estimate. Free Excel Software Project Estimate Template Free Google Sheets Software Project Estimate Template How to use this template Please follow the steps below to obtain full project estimate. Fill-in the cover.  It is important to list all the assumptions that make your estimate relevant. They may include the versions of frameworks, agreements with your client or contractors, disputable points in project scope definition, requirements etc. Place them onto Assumptions sheet. Create a WBS for your project. Noun-based WBS is preferable. List the work items in ESTIMATE sheet. Carefully read the contrac...

The Main Purpose of Project Estimate

Purpose of project estimate
A simple idea you will not find in most of the articles and books on project estimation. Formulated in brilliant Steve McConnel's Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art. I would formulate it as:

The project you are estimating is not the one you will execute

With rare exceptions, you will not execute the project you are estimating. Changes are inevitable, changes are welcome. Scope, tasks, risks and assumption are likely to change right after you send the estimate to your client.

At the same time, it is unlikely that you will have time and resources to re-estimate the whole project after every change. Hence the main purpose of software project estimate is to have enough time (and other resources) to keep the changes to have your project under control and successfully complete it, whatever "successfully" means here.




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