11.14.09
Rules of Estimation
Estimation Considered Wasteful
Estimation, to predict some attribute of the future, is a common method tool. Estimation has long been a standard, some would say overused, tool in the tool box of most development teams. However, these last years estimation has been called out for questioning.
Estimation has always been problematic. One problem is that estimates are often perceived as promises, which they are not. They are only forecasts. Another issue is that estimates, just as weather forecasts, are often wrong. Putting too much weight on an estimate spells trouble. The majority of the criticism, though, does not focus on these problems, but instead on the inherent wastefulness of the practice.
