07 Estimate cost and effort

Before you begin writing, schedule a 1-2 week research period to determine what needs to be done, what resources you need to complete the project, and what the effort may cost.

If this is your first documentation project

You probably have little idea how long or how much effort it will take to complete a new project. To be fair, even experienced writers sometimes find it difficult to estimate, particularly if it's written on new software, in an unfamiliar field or different work environment

1. Establish a best guess of the number of procedures you need to document in the first release.
2. Budget 1.5 pages per procedure (simple procedures may require less, complex more).
   Number of procedures x 1.5 = Number of pages  
3. Assume you can document three pages per day and multiply your total number of pages from step 1 by 3 to identify the number of days it may take you to document these procedures.
   Number pages x 3 = Number of days
4. (Optional) Multiply the number of days in step 3 by the number of work hours in a day (typically 7 or 7.5) to identify the total number of hours hours it may take you to document these procedures.
   Number of days x 7 = Number of hours

If this is not your first documentation project

Refer to previous projects to estimate hours required to document a single procedure, your average number of pages per day, and time to complete similar-sized projects. If your organization uses timesheets or time tracking software, use these to help gauge time requirements.

1. Establish a best guess of the number of procedures you need to document in the first release.
2. Budget 1.5 pages per procedure.
   Number of procedures x 1.5 = Number of pages
3. Use past experience to identify the number of pages you typically complete in a day. Multiply your total number of pages in step 1 by this number to identify the number of days it may take you to document these procedures.
   Number of days x 7 = Number of hours
4. (Optional) Multiply the number of days in step 3 by the number of work hours in a day (typically 7 or 7.5) to identify the total number of hours hours it may take you to document these procedures.
   
   Number of days x 7 = Number of hours

Other factors and hidden costs:

 Not all documentation costs are immediately obvious. Other factors to consider include:

• Sometimes the procedures are new or are untried and you have to test and prove them as you write
• Occasionally coworkers holding crucial information are too busy to help or view you as a nuisance and refuse to help
• Sometimes the committees responsible for establishing procedures take longer than expected to come to an agreement, or repeatedly revise 'completed' procedures If you're using new software to document the procedures, there's learning time to consider, and the inevitable bugs and workarounds new systems require. Do other staff need to learn this software? Who will teach them, or troubleshoot for them?
• If you've opted to use a new format or platform, will users need software, hardware or other tools to read, use or access your project? Will users require training? Even converting existing documents from one platform to another (for example Word to web) takes a surprising amount of time due to inevitable formatting, layout and graphics issues
• Maintaining and controlling master versions and backups (both on and off site) take time and resources
• Are there other purchases and expenses: software licenses, memory, peripherals, scanners, discs, binders, tabbed dividers, photocopying?

Time tracking
Track time for duration of first project to help improve estimates on subsequent projects. Consider using a table or spreadsheet to track time spent on each element such as research, writing, editing and producing.

Give each procedure a separate identifier, and track elements in 15 minute increments. Track times for everything related to the project, including meetings, writing, editing, getting sign off signatures, compiling, distributing copies, etc.

DOCUMENTING PROCEDURES 07: Estimate cost and effort