>>>Hi all,
>>>
>>>I've been asked to project the number of hours required to complete a project.
>>>
>>>Is there a method or system that would assist me to project that? I've never done this before.
>>>
>>>Any help will be greatlly appriciated!
>>
>>1) Figure out the DBC. How many tables, indexes, relationships, views, etc you are going to need, and estimate how long it will take you to do that part.
>>2) Screens. How many of these will you need, and how complicated are they?
>>3) Business rules and functions that will need to be run. How many and how complicated are these?
>>4) Reports... how many, how complicated.
>>5) Deployment - will you have to make an installer?
>>6) Testing - how much testing will there need to be?
>>
>>If the project is really large, you can break it down by 'module'..for example...
>>..If there is an Accounting part, a Human Resources part, and a Shipping & Receiving part... you can calcualate the 6 things above for each section.
>>
>>I realize this is very basic - but it should help get you started.
>>
>>Also, if you have it, you might consider using Microsoft Project or something similar.
>
>Oh and by the way whatever the amount of hours you estimated you multiply it by two ;->

This may look flippant and sound like a joke, but I'm pretty sure he's serious. My fudge factor is usually 2.5 times.

Unless you're talking about an enhancement to a system you know inside and out, there are Always things that are harder than they first appear. Things should take X number of hours, but somehow they never do. This also builds in a cushion for when there is a misunderstanding between you and the user on what the specfiications really are. Bear in mind that it DOESN'T include time for the inevitable changes in what the user wants. The impact of those change requests should be addressed separately.