Abstract

To estimate effort for a technical document has always been a challenge for authors. This stage is very crucial since it affects the high-level planning and subsequent budgeting for a particular project. Although it is endeavored to arrive at an accurate estimate initially, many unanticipated factors and risks could affect the overall health of a project. There are few accepted standards/methods for estimating effort for document deliverables and the accuracy of an estimate could make or break a project. Many projects are shelved due to errors in estimations, which have led to disputes. Some have resulted in doubling the effort, or even overshooting the overall planned schedule, entailing compromises in the quality of deliverables.

How do you estimate precisely the time & effort for authoring Product + Marketing + Learning content?

This document primarily looks into why estimates go wrong and what are the factors to be considered while making an estimate for a given document. It also addresses and discusses few of the viable estimating techniques and their implications and also the issues that are often overlooked during speculation.

Download TWB_ whitepaper on Estimating the Time & Effort for Creating Technical Content (PDF)