Duration: 50 minutes total
Objective: Apply different estimation techniques to a real-world project scenario
Tools: This interactive spreadsheet will calculate automatically as you input values
Workshop Timeline:
Time
Activity
Tab to Use
0-10 min
Read instructions and case study
Instructions & Case Study
10-20 min
Complete Top-Down estimates
Top-Down Estimation
20-25 min
Calculate Function Points
Function Points
25-35 min
Build WBS and Bottom-Up estimates
WBS Bottom-Up
35-40 min
Apply PERT estimation
PERT Analysis
40-45 min
Calculate total costs
Cost Calculation
45-50 min
Review and compare results
Summary
How to Use This Spreadsheet:
Click on tabs to navigate between exercises
Yellow cells = Input your estimates
Green cells = Automatically calculated
Formulas are displayed for learning purposes
Work as a team - discuss before entering values
Save your work frequently (Ctrl+S)
CASE STUDY: CAMPUSEATS DELIVERY APP
Project Background
The State University System (3 campuses, 45,000 students) needs a food delivery app for on-campus restaurants and approved vendors. Post-COVID, they want to reduce dining facility crowding while providing convenient food access.
Your Company's Historical Projects:
Project
Duration
Cost
Team Size
Restaurant Reservation System
6 months
$400,000
8 developers
E-commerce Platform (Textbooks)
4 months
$250,000
5 developers
Campus Navigation App
3 months
$150,000
4 developers
Project Modules Required:
User Management: Registration, login, profiles, order history
Payment Processing: Cards, meal plans, digital wallets
Delivery Management: Zone mapping, GPS tracking, assignments
Notifications: Email/SMS/Push for all stakeholders
Admin Dashboard: Analytics, user management, configurations
Support Features: Chat, FAQ, feedback system
Constraints:
Budget ceiling: $750,000
Must launch by August 15 (Fall semester)
Development starts February 1
Maximum team size: 12 people
Must integrate with university LDAP
99.9% uptime requirement
Support 10,000 concurrent users
TOP-DOWN ESTIMATION METHODS
1. Consensus Method - Team Discussion
Based on the historical projects, discuss and reach consensus on these estimates:
Estimation Item
Your Initial Estimate
Team Consensus
Justification
Total Duration (months)
Total Cost ($)
Team Size (people)
Total Effort (person-months)
Auto-calculated
Auto-calculated
Duration × Team Size
2. Apportion Method - Percentage Distribution
Distribute the total cost across phases. Percentages must sum to 100%.
Phase definitions:
• Requirements & Design – discovery workshops, requirements, wireframes, architecture decisions.
• Programming/Development – application coding, integrations, code reviews.
• Testing & QA – test planning, test execution, bug fixing cycles.
• Documentation – user guides, technical docs, runbooks.
• Deployment & Training – CI/CD, release activities, training sessions and materials.
Phase
Percentage (%)
Dollar Amount
Requirements & Design
$0
Programming/Development
$0
Testing & QA
$0
Documentation
$0
Deployment & Training
$0
TOTAL
0%
$0
Historical Apportion References (use as guidance)
The following are percentage distributions we actually used in prior projects. They differ on purpose—scope, novelty, and integration risk drive the shape.
Historical Project
Req & Design
Programming
Testing & QA
Documentation
Deploy & Training
Rationale
Restaurant Reservation System (6 mo / $400k)
20%
45%
20%
5%
10%
Complex booking rules required strong build-out; moderate testing and a structured rollout to multiple venues.
E-commerce Platform – Textbooks (4 mo / $250k)
15%
50%
20%
5%
10%
Heavy catalog & checkout development; known patterns reduced upfront design. Testing focused on payments and promos.
Campus Navigation App (3 mo / $150k)
25%
35%
25%
5%
10%
More discovery/design due to UX/wayfinding; higher QA for GPS accuracy across campuses.
Tip: If your project has many unknowns or stakeholder workshops, increase Req & Design. If it involves heavy integrations or new features, increase Programming. If reliability is critical or environments are fragmented, increase Testing & QA.
FUNCTION POINT ANALYSIS
Use the detailed items below. For each, enter the count and choose a complexity that maps to the standard weights.
What is an Input? External data entering the system: e.g., registration forms, order submission, payment authorization. What is an Output? Information leaving the system: e.g., receipts, notifications, administrative reports. What is an Inquiry? Request/response without significant internal update: e.g., menu search, order tracking queries. What is a File (ILF/EIF)? Logical data groups maintained or referenced: e.g., Users, Restaurants, Orders, Menus. What is an Interface? External interface files/APIs: e.g., payment gateway, LDAP, SMS/Email, GPS.