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Jop_Smith
Inspiring
December 5, 2008
Question

Estimating a Help project

  • December 5, 2008
  • 3 replies
  • 635 views
Hi

Has anyone got any advice/best practice, or even better, a project spreadsheet that I could use to provide estimates for document conversions to Help systems? Ideally, I'd like to feed in the number of pages plus other factors/deliverables and end up with a reasonably accurate timescale.

Rather than re-inventing the wheel I wondered if anyone out there already had something I could use/modify.

Here's hoping!

Thanks
    This topic has been closed for replies.

    3 replies

    RoboColum_n_
    RoboColum_n_
    Legend
    December 5, 2008
    ROTFL. Thank you for making me feel better instantly! Mind you in our last release we had CR003 listing nine changes, CR017 which overrode CR003 and deleted three changes and CR019 that reinstated one of them. Also what is worrying me is that with our numbering system for CRs we have scope to catch you up!
    G
    GEWB
    Inspiring
    December 5, 2008
    quote:
    Originally posted by: Colum McAndrew
    ROTFL. Thank you for making me feel better instantly! Mind you in our last release we had CR003 listing nine changes, CR017 which overrode CR003 and deleted three changes and CR019 that reinstated one of them. Also what is worrying me is that with our numbering system for CRs we have scope to catch you up!


    Hello Colum -

    Are you working for the same client as us because that drill sounds familiar...just add that one change affects six windows, eight db tables, two training manuals and four context Help topics...oh, and the client wants the work done at no charge.

    Sigh.

    Regards,
    GEWB
    G
    GEWB
    Inspiring
    December 5, 2008
    Hello Colum -

    You lucky dog - only 40+ CRs? We have had several hundred!

    Regards,
    GEWB
    RoboColum_n_
    RoboColum_n_
    Legend
    December 5, 2008
    Hi jop22.

    We use a spreadsheet here to provide rough estimates of effort (produced at the high level requirements step) which are then fed into a project plan. We have to revisit then frequently when the project scope changes. I doubt it would be much use to you though is it required a fairly detailed knowledge of the documentation we produce.

    The crux of such a process is know your documentation, try and get your project scope agreed up front and not to have 40+ change requests as we do here. Best of luck!
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