How do you estimate time required for assigned task?

The Article is first published in https://dev.to/imben1109/how-do-you-estimate-time-required-for-assigned-task-57md

Introduction

When some tasks are assigned to you, your boss would often ask for your estimated time for assigned task.

For me, I often say a very draft estimate which is not a accurate time when compared to final used time. Finally, I found that the estimated time should be double to response to the BOSS).

How would you do time estimation?

General Estimated Time

I have collected the response from dev.to.

The responded estimated time would be double of your estimated time generally.

Responded Estimated Time = 2 * Estimated Time

Why

• The task may be highly unknown which developer may never try.
• Extra task may be required such as deployment, merge, review, testing. The definition of real completion may be different from your definition.
• There may be extra requirement such as documentation
• There may be technical obstacle which block you continue
• Meeting, Communication and other assigned task make you cannot continue
• Personal problem such as sick, family issue and daily life problem
• Third Party Dependency. It may be your teammate, client or partner
• There may be something more that you cannot imagine when you do estimation

It is just draft response to our customer or boss to make them feel safe. Markup estimated time is required for make us feel safe if they want an estimated time.

Time estimation is just iterative estimation. No correct estimate until it ends

Progress Report

Even a double estimated time would not make your task complete on time. I suggest you to have regular progress update for your boss, customer or any stakeholder. Any surprise of agreed estimated time would make you get a extreme trouble. Progress update may make you safer.