Comments on How to estimate time of completion while developing an electronic product?
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How to estimate time of completion while developing an electronic product?
I don't know whether this question is on-topic or not but answering this helps a lot of future electronics entrepreneurs like me understand how the product design and development time estimation takes place.
Suppose a customer approaches me and gives a project with his specifications(let us say a DC-DC converter or a Home automation System etc.). Now how should I estimate the design time, development time, test/debugging time and give him a report that by this time approximately I can handover the project?
As far as I know there are two types of products-
- The product which is already present in the market and customer comes to me for price optimization or some different specifications.
- A complete new project never been in the market.
So time varies for each one above, how to estimate time and what are all the factors to consider?
There is no easy answer to time-estimation. Experience is essential, but even for experienced people it's never easy. …
3y ago
First, consider the usual triple-constraints often discussed in project management theory: time, cost, quality (choose 2 …
3y ago
First of all, it depends on how much work the customer has done in advance. Do they have a proper spec? Do they at least …
3y ago
I'm actually an algorithmic engineer, not an electronic engineer. But your question is extremely general, and valid for …
3y ago
In my 15 yrs of intense deadline R&D for new state-of-the-art design in my 45yrs experience, estimation of time is inver …
3y ago
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I'm actually an algorithmic engineer, not an electronic engineer. But your question is extremely general, and valid for every field of engineering. Also, it obviously depends upon the human and technical resources available to you. So, it cannot be answered at this level.
Nevertheless, according to my point of view that every question can be answered, it has only to be answered at the same level of generality as it has been asked, that is, the highest level.
Obviously, you have to detail each task separately to manage your project, and to arrange them in a list. Then you have to evaluate each task according to your human and technical resources, knowledge etc. That's as simple as that apparently, but that's also all the difficulty.
Now comes the secret, I mean my secret to do that, and believe it or not, it works incredibly well.
Rule 1: When you evaluate the time to allow for a task, do that as well and as carefully as you can. So far so good. Let t be the time allowed for this task.
Rule 2: Then ask yourself if you have already done some similar task, or if you have never done something similar. If you have already done something similar, multiply t by a factor between 1 and 2, according to the similarity of the task. But if you have never done something similar, multiply t by a factor of 5. Yes, you have correctly read, five time what you have evaluated. That's my secret.
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