Estimating workflow hours

Tue Mar 22 11:45:35 EST 2005

Hi Rick,

I second what Mark says and find that this is one of the most difficult aspects of Workflow projects for the exact reasons he stated.

That being said, I use the following rules of thumb:

2 weeks for out of the box SAP delivered workflow with little customization
4 weeks for the average workflow where there is some custom ABAP/Object development and trigger creation
8 weeks for ground-up custom work with heavy ABAP and object development.

I find it hardest to judge between 4 - 8 weeks.  The problem I find many times is that sometimes its harder to adjust a SAP delivered workflow for client needs versus developing a new one in an area where workflow is not well-developed.

As you can imagine, most of these timelines don't fit very well within most standard project methodologies, especially when they start getting near the 2 month range.

With regards,
Partha

________________________________

From: sap-wug-bounces at MIT.EDU on behalf of Rick Sample
Sent: Tue 3/22/2005 7:24 AM
To: sap-wug at MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: Estimating workflow hours

I am sure SAP has some sort of measuring stick when selling the product
line.
So there must be some SAP guidelines on development hours. *hint*

We estimate the best we can. I am just looking for some sort of
supporting documentation
as a back up.

>>> kjetilk at statoil.com 3/22/2005 1:53:01 >>>

The good old "how much time do you feel it should take" method is in
use
here. No formal methods.

Not that we are making many new workflows, but estimating is one of
the
least mature areas of software development whether it is workflow or
traditional coding. I used to work with software measurement and
estimates
for a previous employer, and even when using formal methods with
experience
data it is very difficult to make estimates. Unlike many other
industries
we "never" make the same product twice, and often it is not the same
people
working together except within a project. So all we have to help us
when
estimating is previous personal experience, unless you have been
gathering
experience data using some formal method.
Assuming you have a near perfect specification you can probably make a
very
reliable estimate, at least if you have some previous experience data.
So
one trick is of course to say the estimate assumes there will be no
changes
in or additions to the specifications. That should give you a safe
escape :
-)

Not much help I guess.... you are on your own. My best advice: always
give
the estimate as a range. When there is high uncertainty an estimate of
1000
hours doesn't say as much as between 500 and 3000 hours. The second
best
option is to give an estimate and a quantified uncertainty. However, in
the
latter case the project manager will most likely forget the uncertainty
and
use the estimate.

Ask the accountant for an estimate on specifying and verifying the
controlling processes required to be compliant with the
Sarbannes-Oxley
act.
Can't do it? Well...
--
Kjetil Kilhavn

                    "Rick Sample"                                     

                    <Rick.Sample@        To:     SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU

                    GBE.COM>             cc:     (bcc: Kjetil Kilhavn)

                    Sent by:             Subject:     Estimating
workflow hours                                                         

                    sap-wug-bounc                                     

                    es at mit.edu                                        

                    21.03.2005                                        

                    18:28                                             

                    Please                                            

                    respond to                                        

                    "SAP Workflow                                     

                    Users' Group"                                     

I am looking for some rough guidelines for estimating cost of WF
development.
Not an exact science I know but some general guidelines on what others
are
estimating on development would help.

Would be nice to estimate by days, weeks, and months but project
management and
accountants don't like that method.

Any help is appreciated.
4.6C

Rick Sample
SAP Workflow / Developer
Graybar, Inc.
11885 Lackland Rd.
63146-4208
314.573.5822
Rick.Sample at GBE.com

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