9) Just For Grins

Last week, we presented Chance and Wayne Shirley's repair-time- estimator, modified for computer work. (See http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/2000-11-20.htm#10 ) Reader Douglas Pedersen was inspired to further modify that time- estimator so it could be used to predict how long a software project will take:

1. With the project description in front of you, determine if you can identify the entire program or most of the program. If you can, go to step #3.

2. If you can't understand or identify the program at all, call 1-800-CONSULTANTS. Open a cold beer and spend your time more wisely, deciding which house to mortgage.

3. If you can only identify a portion of the program, add 2 weeks to your initial estimate of the development time.

4. Count the total number of people, departments, legacy systems and Macs related to the program. Multiply this number by 1.5 weeks.

5. Estimate the number of people, departments, legacy systems and Macs you can't identify and multiply this number by 2 weeks.

6. For each additional program that must be deciphered to gain access to the program you need to work on, add 2 weeks.

7. If the target program itself contains pre-Y2K systems, multiply your total time so far by 2.

8. If this is your first time working on this program, multiply your total time so far by 2.

9. If your neighbor or work associate told you how easy it was to make the update and gave you advice, multiply your total time so far by 2.

10. If you wear bifocal glasses, subtract 10 weeks because you might really know how to fix this legacy system.

11. Divide the total number of people, departments, legacy systems and Macs by 4; this is the number of change orders you will see. Multiply this number by 2 weeks for total change management time. If you are working in an area with a complicated political structure, double this number.

12. Total your weeks to this point. Note the month. If your calculations suggest Thanksgiving will come before you finish, add 8 weeks. If you live in an area that gets more than 10"snow per year, double this number.

http://www.langa.com

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2000

Answers

Lol! This is not the exact method I use. I just pull a number out of the air and multiply by pi. Sort of like the manual recounts (joke, meant as a joke)

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2000

ROTFLMBO!! Nope, not the way I do it either, but pretty close to the way it usually works out. (Except I don't really have to worry about "snow" now. It did affect a project I was on a few years ago.)

(Scratch that; my company's HQ is in Rochester, NY.)

FWIW, I think "counting votes" is a bit more complicated [g].

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2000