Every estimator I know would rather be a weather forecaster than an estimator. True! Weather forecasters are paid a handsome amount of money. They get all of the attention with headlines when right and little when wrong. They are not expected to be right all of the time. If they were right most of the time, people would be amazed, if not astounded! Weather forecasters are rarely fired for being wrong.
Good and great estimators are the reason companies stay in business! Companies can recover from bad project management, but it is rare to survive bad estimating! With a construction company, a poor superintendent can be replaced but the bid estimate cannot. It is something that cannot be changed. An inaccurate estimate for the owner or developer may postpone or kill a “worthwhile” project while a “marginal” project proceeds.
The estimator is supposed to be right, not just some of the time but all of the time. If something is wrong with the job costs, it was the estimator. If the job is profitable, it is thanks to the project manager. If the estimator was “only” as accurate as a weather forecaster, they would be unemployable.
Today, the estimator’s job has high expectations, minimal training and is with less than stellar pay. It did not use to be this way. The career path to the top of a company used to be through estimating, not today. Companies used to be more profitable, not today.
Do you think there just might be a correlation?!
