Dahyun Kwon

Effort Estimation: A Step Toward Better Project Planning

20 Dec 2024
Effort Estimation

What is IDPM and Effort Estimation?

Issue-Driven Project Management (IDPM) is about managing tasks by focusing on specific issues. This method is good for organizing and completing projects. Effort estimation is important because it helps to predict how much time, resources, and work are needed for tasks. It also helps teams set goals, find risks, and make better plans.

In our final project, we tried to estimate the time for each issue based on past experience and intuition. We divided milestones into three phases and broke down big tasks into smaller ones. My tasks were creating the Sign-In Mockup, Review Creation Mockup, and Discover Musicians Page Mockup. I thought it would take 180 minutes total, but the actual time was longer because of unexpected problems, like debugging and adjusting designs.

Even though the estimates were not always right, the process helped our team prioritize tasks and communicate better. I learned that using tools and historical data could improve accuracy in the future.

Even though your estimates were off, was there any benefit from making effort estimates in advance?

For me, I don’t feel big benefits yet from making effort estimates. But it helped me see where I need to improve. It also showed me that planning more carefully and allocating enough time is very important before starting work.

Was there any benefit to tracking the actual effort expended on the issues?

Tracking actual time was helpful to understand my ability better. I realized I need to work on improving my skills and to plan more detailed steps in the future.

How did you track your actual effort? How accurate was your tracking?

I used my phone to record the start and end time of tasks. But I found it not very accurate because unexpected situations, like debugging or looking for solutions, made my work time not consistent. This method is subjective and not perfect. I think using tools like WakaTime or Toggl will be more helpful for tracking time objectively in future projects.