Actually my preferred headline is “Estimator Saves Project.” It reflects what an estimator really does for a living. Sometimes the project has hiccups along the way but in the end it can be a successful project for all parties. Estimators do not define the project scope. This is the responsibility of the end user and the design team. Estimators inform the owners of the cost for the scope being proposed. Remember, “Don’t shoot the messenger.”
So if projects don’t make it, just who does kill the project? Presuming it is a necessary project, many methods exist to kill projects. Primary methods of killing projects include:
- Poorly defined project scope
- Constant scope changes
- Initial budget prepared incorrectly
- Scope changes priced incorrectly
- Optimism or pessimism in preparing costs
- Misleading or misrepresented budget information
These six areas are just the beginning of methods to kill a project. The first two can be attributable to poor end user or designer scope definition. The next three can largely be attributed to untrained or biased personnel preparing the budgets. The last one is oftentimes someone with a vested interest.
While an estimator may be thought as the one to “deliver the killing blow” to a project, the death or delay of a project is usually started by others before an estimator becomes involved. Most of the methods presented above can be overcome by using experienced estimators. The right numbers from the beginning rarely kill projects that are viable.
Saving a project doesn’t mean keeping the estimated cost low to make sure it is approved. Nor does it mean keeping the estimated cost on the high side so there is money to build it. Saving a project means developing the right cost for the right project scope. This is how estimators save projects.
Oh By the Way… If a project is “killed” as being unviable at the very beginning, it will save the end user a substantial sum of money. Get the estimator involved!
