Dominique Stender Good software is only the beginning…

Estimation techniques compared

I was inspired to write this article by several threads in forums covering agile methodologies. The basic discussion was whether to estimate based on Story Points or time. To me - and most people participating in those discussions - there is no silver bullet and you will have to find out what works best for you yourself. In this article I'd like to muse about the various estimation techniques that I'm familiar with as well as the pros and cons that I ran into with each of them.

I will compare PERT and COCOMO, both being traditional techniques with a long history and Planning Poker, probably the most prevalent agile estimation technique.

All techniques have their pros and cons and it will be up to you to determine which technique will work best in your environment.

My comparison is purely based on experience, which is broader for PERT and more narrow for COCOMO and to some extend Planning Poker. Your mileage may vary. This article does not intend to be the definite guide on estimation techniques.

That being said, let's start shall we?