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1/31/2021 Project Procurement
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Project Procurement
By Adrienne Watt and bpayne
The procurement effort on projects varies widely and depends
on the type of project.
Often the client organization will provide procurement services
on less complex projects.
In this case, the project team identifies the materials,
equipment, and supplies needed by
the project and provides product specifications and a detailed
delivery schedule. When
the procurement department of the parent organization provides
procurement services, a
liaison from the project can help the procurement team better
understand the unique
requirements of the project and the time-sensitive or critical
items of the project schedule.
On larger, more complex projects, personnel are dedicated to
procuring and managing the
equipment, supplies, and materials needed by the project.
Because of the temporary
nature of projects, equipment, supplies, and materials are
procured as part of the product
of the project or for the execution of the project. For example,
the bricks procured for a
construction project would be procured for the product of the
project, and the mortar
mixer would be equipment procured for the execution of the
project work. At the end of
the project, equipment bought or rented for the execution of the
work of the project are
sold, returned to rental organizations, or disposed of some other
way.
More complex projects will typically procure through different
procurement and
management methods. Commodities are common products that
are purchased based on
the lowest bid. Commodities include items like concrete for
building projects, office
supplies, or even lab equipment for a research project. The
second type of procurement
includes products that are specified for the project. Vendors
who can produce these
products bid for a contract. The awarding of a contract can
include price, ability to meet
the project schedule, the fit for purpose of the product, and
other considerations
important to the project.
Manufacturing a furnace for a new steel mill would be provided
by a project vendor.
Equipment especially designed and built for a research project
is another example. These
vendors’ performances become important parts of the project,
and the project manager
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assigns resources to coordinate the work and schedule of the
vendor. The third
procurement approach is the development of one or more
partners. A design firm that is
awarded the design contract for a major part of the steel mill
and a research firm that is
conducting critical subparts of the research are examples of
potential project partners. A
partner contributes to and is integrated into the execution plan.
Partners perform best
when they share the project vision of success and are
emotionally invested in the project.
The project management team builds and implements a project
procurement plan that
recognizes the most efficient and effective procurement
approach to support the project
schedule and goals.
Licenses and Attributions
Chapter 4: Framework for Project Management
(https://opentextbc.ca/projectmanagement/chapter/chapter -4-
framework-for-project-
management-project-management/) by bpayne and Adrienne
Watt from Project
Management is available under a Creative Commons Attribution
4.0 International
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en) license.
© 2014, Adrienne
Watt. UMUC has modified this work and it is available under
the original
license. Download this book for free at http://open.bccampus.ca
(http://open.bccampus.ca) .
© 2021 University of Maryland Global Campus
All links to external sites were verified at the time of
publication. UMGC is not responsible for the validity or
integrity
of information located at external sites.
https://opentextbc.ca/projectmanagement/chapter/chapter-4-
framework-for-project-management-project-management/
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en
http://open.bccampus.ca/
1/31/2021 Cost Estimating
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Cost Estimating
Cost estimating is the process of determining the likely cost of
performing a defined scope
of work at a future time. As with any attempt to predict the
future, it is unreasonable to
expect a cost estimate to be 100 percent correct. The estimating
process should be
focused on determining a reasonably accurate estimate based on
defined assumptions for
a reasonable expenditure of effort. The estimate should be
supported by appropriate risk
management strategies and management reserves based on an
appreciation of the likely
levels of variability and uncertainty inherent in the estimate.
The core stages in developing a pragmatic and reasonable
process for cost estimating are
as follows:
Plan the estimating strategy based on available estimating
resources and available
budget for preparing the estimate.
Determine the most appropriate approaches to develop the
estimate. Select the
most appropriate methodology consistent with the organization's
culture and
objectives.
Consider any estimating inputs to the project delivery strategy,
such as assessing the
cost effectiveness of alternative methodologies and strategies.
Develop systems to ensure the estimate covers 100 percent of
the scope (this is
nearly impossible, but essential). In particular ensure potential
future suppliers and
subcontractors have included within their submitted price all of
the scope of work
you expect them to price.
Determine the appropriate estimating technique to use. In most
projects, a
combination of these options are used to obtain the best
estimate:
analogous—comparing the current project with a similar
completed project and
making appropriate adjustments. This is relatively quick but
requires expert
knowledge. It is generally seen as the least accurate approach
and this depends
on the degree of knowledge and expertise. In most situations the
degree of
accuracy associated with an analogous estimate is considered to
be a rough
Learning Resource
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order of magnitude (ROM) estimate, with a range of -25 percent
to +75
percent.
parametric—using adjusted historical data to price defined
elements of the
project such as the cost per function point in software
development and the
cost per square (10 square miles) in domestic construction
work.
bottom-up (or detailed) estimating—the cost of each resource
used in the
project is determined and multiplied by the quantity required.
This is the most
expensive estimating process and the most accurate. A detained
engineering
estimate can be as accurate as -5 percent to +15 percent.
vendor bid analysis—where prices for different components of
the project are
obtained from the market and compiled to generate the cost of
the overall
project.
Consider a staged approach to estimating, if possible. Near -term
work can be
estimated more accurately then far-term, but many projects need
an overall
estimate. Approaches such as rolling wave can be very useful.
Determine the allocation of organizational overheads to the
project costs and how
these will be applied.
Determine which costs are fixed (occurring only once regardless
of the actual project
outcomes) and which are variable (change in relation to changes
in the project's work
or time). Generally, small savings or errors on variable costs
that occur every week
will add up to a lot more than a larger one-off saving (or error)
on a fixed cost. Focus
most effort onto the costs that have the biggest effect overall.
Develop or adjust estimating rates for work to be priced
internally. These rates
should account for the following:
loaded hourly cost rates
loaded cost per unit or element (parametric estimates)
balancing the allocation of costs between project overheads and
loaded cost
rates
Assess the likely levels of estimating error to develop
contingencies and reserves,
accounting for the following:
variability in estimated costs and rates (there will always be a
level of
variability)
estimating errors (e.g., omissions and duplications)
external events and changes in the market (e.g., suppliers
ceasing to trade)
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assess future cost movements (e.g., inflation)
Understand the intensity of the work. Costs are minimized if the
optimum crew sizes
are applied to the work and it takes a normal time to complete.
High intensity work
associated with a crashed schedule generally causes increased
inefficiencies and
drives up costs.
Identify estimating and other risks and link to the project's risk
management
processes. The way the estimate has been developed is itself a
risk issue, plus there
will be identified risks arising from interaction with suppliers,
contractors, and
others.
Link estimating to procurement to minimize risk exposure from
suppliers and
subcontractors.
Once the estimating process is properly planned, the actual
work of developing the
estimate can be undertaken with the final output the expected
cost of the work and a
recommended level of management reserves. The US
Government Accountability Office
has developed a comprehensive guide to developing credible
cost estimates and then
managing the budget for a project using earned value. The GAO
"Cost Estimating and
Assessment Guide" is particularly useful for major projects.
Cost Estimating versus Pricing
The cost estimate is the net cost of completing the scope of
work. The price charged to a
client for the work should consist of the following elements:
estimated cost
reasonable level of management reserves (contingency) to cover
both the expected
level of variability in the cost price and an allowance for
identified risk events
amount of profit to reward the organization for the risks
involved in undertaking the
work and to compensate for the use of the organization's capital
to undertake the
work. This would normally exceed the amount received from a
safe investment (e.g.,
a bank deposit).
The final price is always a subjective management decision
based on the defined items
above, an assessment of the market and what is likely to be an
acceptable price, and views
on the level of competition from others, combined with the
organization's level of desire
to win the work.
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The above factors are focused on a competitive estimate to win
work by a commercial bid
or tender. If the work is internal to the organization, the
expected benefits to be realised
define an acceptable price.
Cost Estimating & Risk Minimization
Estimating what something will cost in the future is a risk. It is
impossible to forecast what
the element of work will actually cost. The estimating processes
need to balance the
mutually exclusive options of seeking the lowest practical cost
estimate and minimizing
risk. Risk is reduced if the estimated values are inflated but the
unnecessarily high cost
estimates tend to make competitive bids too expensive to win
work and internal projects
too expensive to undertake. Decision need to be made to
balance cost and risk within the
risk tolerance levels of the organization's management. Some of
the decisions that need to
be made include the following:
In-house resources or subcontract?
Direct in-house resources are subject to more control, direction,
and
motivation, but any estimating errors in the quantum of effort
needed to
accomplish the work are a direct cost to the project (as are
supervision, quality
defects, etc.).
Subcontractors can be expected to carry the consequences of
their estimating
errors and perform the work for the agreed price. However,
there is a loss of
direct control and the need to manage contracts. At least some
of the risk is
transferred to the subcontractor.
Low price or safe suppliers and subcontractors?
Low bids from suppliers and subcontractors allow the overall
estimate to be
lower, increasing your competitive advantage. The low bid may
be due to a
competitive advantage held by the supplier or subcontractor.
The low bid contractor may have made an error in its estimating
processes. In
this circumstance the contractor may refuse to take on the work
or chose to
take on the work with the intention of making claims to recover
its loss or
delivering a lower-quality product.
Firm fixed price or cost reimbursable contacts?
A fixed price offers no insight into the way the contractor
calculated its bid and
tends to make the price changes expensive (there is no base for
comparison).
Cost reimbursable contracts allow insight into the pricing
process but require
additional estimating to determine the cost.
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The combination of options that provides the best (lowest) cost
outcome within an
acceptable risk parameter requires careful judgement within the
organization's overall
governance processes.
Major contractors divide the work between suppliers and
subcontractors (i.e., their supply
chain). The art of managing the estimating process is to ensure
all of the work is portioned
out to trade packages and there are no duplications. The art of
estimating is to ensure 100
percent of the work is priced—but only once! In addition, the
accepted prices used in the
estimate have been risk assessed on the likelihood of the quoted
price being achieved by
the supplier.
Appropriate Levels of Detail
Adding detail to an estimate will not automatically improve
accuracy. Accuracy is only
improved if improved knowledge or insight is achieved.
Processes such as estimating the
cost of individual efforts against work on scheduled activities
can only add value if the
information being used is based on new and enhanced
information, preferably gathered
from the person actually involved in the work (or from
knowledge of the specific person).
This type of estimating is appropriate for short-term work, but
is pointless for tasks
scheduled months in the future, where the precise scope of work
is not known, and the
people who will be doing the work are not defined.
Adding unnecessary detail increases costs, increases the
workload, reduces visibility, and
reduces flexibility. Superficial detail will also change
expectations of more senior
managers, who may believe the information is valid and
therefore believe it is safe to
reduce contingencies.
Guideline for Creating a Good Estimate
Estimators forecast the future, attempting to predict the time
and money required to
produce a product or service. Predicting the future is never an
easy task, and it becomes
increasingly difficult the more unique the project. However,
knowing and applying the
golden rules of estimating, listed below will provide greater
opportunity for a successful
forecast.
Find the Right Estimator
Estimators familiar with the work and estimating methods are
key. There are many
estimating techniques, including phased, top-down, analogous,
parametric, and bottom-
up. Regardless of the estimating method, the person making the
estimate should have an
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understanding of the work to be done, and of the techniques and
goals of estimating. He
or she needs to understand that the goal is to predict the most
likely outcome.
Estimate Based on Experience
All projects are unique, but they often have similarities with
other historical projects. Data
from past projects can be helpful in estimating future ones—
past performance data
improves the accuracy of any of the discussed estimating
techniques. Formal data is best,
but if it is unavailable, people's personal experiences and
recollections are valid, but need
confirmation.
Avoid Negotiating Estimates
Though the tendency of management is to request estimate
changes to reduce time and
cost, this move should be resisted by demonstrating that the
estimate was created from
project specifications and represents a realistic balance of cost,
schedule, and risk. Also,
demonstrate that the estimate is linked to product specifications
and the work breakdown
structure. Further, highlight that the only way to reduce an
accurate estimate is by
changing the product scope or worker productivity.
Linking Cost Estimates with the Schedule
Apart from very small short-term projects (three to six months
and under $200,000),
attempting to directly integrate the cost estimating process with
the scheduling process is
fraught with difficulty. Even on these smaller projects, direct
linking is not really feasible
unless the primary source of all costs is staff directly employed
on the work.
Most normal projects require a degree of integration between
cost and schedule. This is
usually achieved by developing a WBS and integrating time,
cost, scope, risk, and quality
at either the work-package level or the control-account level.
Dealing with Objections
It is not uncommon in internal projects and negotiations, that
your carefully prepared
project estimates have to be justified or defended if the client or
sponsor thinks the
numbers are too high. If you have done the estimating properly,
reducing the price or time
in the face of an objection simply creates a bigger problem later
when the project
overruns its reduced costs or time.
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Information is the key to validating your work. You should be
able to defend the estimate
by demonstrating the following components:
your understanding of the work
estimating techniques you used
estimate of the effort hours, duration, and cost
detailed estimating information in case the sponsor would like
to review
estimating assumptions
level of uncertainty as reflected in the estimating range
This level of information gives you the facts to respond to the
challenge, and it will stop
many challenges because people will have difficulty di sputing
your facts. The keys to this
part of discussion are your credibility and the quality of the
information you have
presented.
Once the credibility of your estimate is accepted based on your
estimating rigor, the
discussion can then proceed to alternatives. If the sponsor still
thinks the numbers are too
high, or cannot afford the solution at that cost, there are a few
alternative options:
Determine if the client has any additional information that
would allow you to revise
your assumptions and perhaps revise the estimate. For instance,
if a critical end date
now has some flexibility, perhaps the estimate can be revised
based on this new
information.
Determine whether high-level requirements and functionality
can be scaled back. In
many cases, the original set of features and functions is more of
a wish list. After
seeing a price tag, it is very possible that the client can live
without certain features.
If you included a high contingency to reflect a high estimating
risk, ask the client for
more time to gather more detail for the estimate, which may
result in less
uncertainty and risk and allow you to reflect this as a smaller
contingency.
No estimate is perfect. Sensible sponsors and clients are seeking
reassurance that you
have done the best job possible in the circumstances, and the
costs are realistic. This
reassurance requires that they believe you are skilled and
credible and your estimating
processes were rigorous and effective.
Managing the Estimate—Lessons Learned
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Estimating normally precedes the start of a project, or is
completed in the early concept
and planning phases. While the estimate may go through several
iterations as its final
scope is firmed up, the normal expectation is the estimate
should be converted to the cost
baseline before the main execution phase begins.
The cost baseline provides one of the key foundatio ns for the
ongoing management of the
project work. The cause of any variance from the baseline
should be identified, and
options developed to lock in gains and mitigate losses. This is
the domain of project
controls, cost engineering, earned value management, and
project administration.
Estimating processes are used for price variations and
occasionally to re-estimate the
project if the original cost baseline is found to be invalid.
However, numerous surveys
have shown that in most circumstances, re-estimating the
project costs is less accurate
then applying earned value calculations. The exception is where
major changes in the
structure of the project team or management have occurred.
Upon the completion of the project, and occasionally during the
execution of the project,
it is important to undertake an effective "lessons learned" study
to determine the voracity
of the estimating process and identify areas for improvement. A
major advantage of
retained organizational experience is the capability to
accurately price work in a particular
domain and understand and manage the associated risks.
Licenses and Attributions
Cost Estimating
(http://www.mosaicprojects.com.au/WhitePapers/WP1051_Cost
_Estimating.pdf) from
Mosaic is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Unported
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US)
license. © Mosaic Project
Services Pty Ltd and Casablanca Management Pty Ltd. UMUC
has modified this work and
it is available under the original license.
© 2021 University of Maryland Global Campus
All links to external sites were verified at the time of
publication. UMGC is not responsible for the validity or
integrity
of information located at external sites.
http://www.mosaicprojects.com.au/WhitePapers/ WP1051_Cost_
Estimating.pdf
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Estimating and Managing Costs
An important part of a project manager’s job is managing
money. All types of organizations
must manage their money well in order to fulfill their mission,
including not-for-profit and
government organizations. The tools and methods used to
manage money on a project
vary depending on the phase and complexity of the project. This
chapter describes the
methods used to estimate the cost of a project, create a budget,
and manage the cost of
activities while the project is being executed.
Estimating Costs
Estimating Costs to Compare and Select Projects
During the conceptual phase when project selection occurs,
economic factors are an
important consideration when choosing between competing
projects. To compare the
simple paybacks or internal rates of return between projects, an
estimate of the cost of
each project is made. The estimates must be accurate enough so
that the comparisons are
meaningful, but the amount of time and resources used to make
the estimates should be
appropriate to the size and complexity of the project. The
methods used to estimate the
cost of the project during the selection phase are generally
faster and consume fewer
resources than those used to create detailed estimates in later
phases. They rely more on
the expert judgment of experienced managers who can make
accurate estimates with less
detailed information. Estimates in the earliest stages of project
selection are usually made
using estimates based from previous projects that can be
adjusted—scaled—to match the
size and complexity of the current project or by applying
standardized formulas.
Analogous Estimate
An estimate that is based on other project estimates is an
analogous estimate. If a similar
project costs a certain amount, then it is reasonable to assume
that the current project will
cost about the same. Few projects are exactly the same size and
complexity, so the
estimate must be adjusted upward or downward to account for
the difference. The
Learning Resource
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selection of projects that are similar and the amount of
adjustment needed is up to the
judgment of the person who makes the estimate. Normally, this
judgment is based on
many years of experience estimating projects, including
incorrect estimates that were
learning experiences for the expert.
Analogous Estimate for John’s Move
For example, John asked a friend for advice about the cost of
moving. His friend
replied, “I moved from an apartment a little smaller than yours
last year and the
distance was about the same. I did it with a fourteen-foot truck.
It cost about $575
for the truck rental, pads, hand truck, rope, boxes, and gas.”
Because of the similarity
of the projects, John’s initial estimate of the cost of the move
was less than $700,
and he decided that the cost would be affordable and the project
could go forward.
Less experienced managers who are required to make analogous
estimates can look
through the documentation that is available from previous
projects. If those projects were
evaluated using the Darnall-Preston Complexity Index (DPCI),
the manager can quickly
identify projects that have similar profiles to the project under
consideration even if those
projects were managed by other people. Comparing the original
estimates with the final
project costs on several previous projects with the same DPCI
ratings gives a less
experienced manager the perspective that it would take many
years to acquire by trial and
error. It also provides references the manager can use to justify
the estimate.
Parametric Estimate
If the project consists of activities that are common to many
other projects, average costs
are available per unit. For example, if you ask a construction
company how much it would
cost to build a standard office building, they will ask for the
size of the building in square
feet and the city in which the building will be built. From these
two factors—size and
location—the company’s estimator can predict the cost of the
building. Factors like size
and location are parameters—measurable factors that can be
used in an equation to
calculate a result. The estimator knows the average cost per
square foot of a typical office
building and adjustments for local labor costs. Other parameters
such as quality of finishes
are used to further refine the estimate. Estimates that are
calculated by multiplying
measured parameters by cost-per-unit values are parametric
estimates.
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Parametric Estimates for John’s Move
To estimate the size of the truck needed for John’s move, the
parameter used by a
truck rental company is the number of bedrooms, as shown
below.
Moving Trucks
Truck size Number of bedrooms
26’ 4+ bedrooms
24’ 3–4 bedrooms
17’ 2–3 bedrooms
14’ 1–2 bedrooms
10’ apartment
The moving company assumes that the number of bedrooms is
the important parameter in
determining how big a truck is needed for a move. For John’s
move, he has a one-bedroom
apartment, so he chooses the fourteen-foot truck. Once the size
is determined, other
parameters, such as distance and days, are used to estimate the
cost of the truck rental.
Estimating Costs to Initiate Projects
Once the project is selected, more accurate estimates are often
needed to raise funds and
agree on contracts with vendors in the initiation phase.
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Estimate During the Initiation Phase of John’s Move
John recalled that his friend also told him how tiring it was to
do all the packing,
loading, and driving himself, and some items were damaged
when the load shifted
inside the truck during the trip. John decides to call in favors
from two friends, Dion
and Carlita, to help him pack in Chicago and to hire some of the
skilled labor like
that needed to load the truck properly.
Vendor Bid Analysis
If services or products will be provided by vendors, the cost of
those services can be
determined by issuing a request for proposal (RFP). The RFP
describes the work, service,
or product to be provided by the vendor and the quality level
required. The RFP is sent to
a list of vendors who are qualified—meet standards of
reliability and capability—to perform
this type of work. They respond with a proposal for completing
the work described in the
RFP, including an estimate of the cost. Some government
organizations are required to use
the qualified vendor with the lowest bid. Other organizations
are not bound to take the
lowest bid but are usually required to justify their reasons for
not doing so.
Using RFPs to Make Estimates on John’s Move
John wants to find out how much it would cost to hire a skilled
crew to load and
secure the furniture in the truck and then have another crew
from the same
company meet him in Atlanta to unload the truck and help him
unpack. He is not
sure if any companies offer this option, so he decides to ask
three moving
companies for bids. He also decides to ask for bids on a
standard move that includes
all phases of packing, loading, transportation, and unloading as
a comparison to see
if his cost-saving plan is worth the extra effort.
The project management team can review the responses by
several vendors to the RFP to
determine if their estimate of the cost of that aspect of the
project is close to the estimate
made during the project selection stage. If the estimates by the
vendors are much higher
than expected, and if the project cannot be completed for the
cost that was used to select
the project, the selection decision might have to be
reconsidered. Reconsidering the
selection of the project should take into consideration the
economic ratings of the
competing projects that were not chosen and who the project
champions are for the
projects that would be affected.
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Some vendors may suggest an alternative way to meet the
objective of the RFP in a more
cost-effective manner that does not match the specifics of the
RFP. Such alternatives can
reduce costs if they are acceptable.
Bottom-Up Estimating
The most accurate and time-consuming estimating method is to
identify the cost of each
item in each activity of the schedule, including labor and
materials. If you view the project
schedule as a hierarchy where the general descriptions of tasks
are at the top and the
lower levels become more detailed, finding the price of each
item at the lowest level and
then summing them to determine the cost of higher levels is
called bottom-up estimating.
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Bottom-Up Estimate for John’s Move
After evaluating the bids by the moving companies, John
decides the savings are
worth his time if he can get the packing done with the help of
his friends. He
decides to prepare a detailed estimate of costs for packing
materials and use of a
rental truck. He looks up the prices for packing materials and
truck rental costs on
company Web sites and prepares a detailed list of items,
quantities, and costs, as
shown below.
Detailed Cost Estimate
Category Description
Quantit
y
Unit
price Cost
Packing
materials
Small boxes 10 $1.70 $17.00
Packing
materials
Medium boxes 15 $2.35 $35.25
Packing
materials
Large boxes 7 $3.00 $21.00
Packing
materials
Extra large boxes 7 $3.75 $26.25
Packing
materials
Short hanger boxes 3 $7.95 $23.85
Packing
materials
Box tape 2 $3.85 $7.70
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Category Description
Quantit
y
Unit
price Cost
Packing
materials
Markers 2 $1.50 $3.00
Packing
materials
Mattress/Spring
bags
2 $2.95 $5.90
Packing
materials
Lift straps per pair 1 $24.95 $24.95
Packing
materials
Bubble wrap 1 $19.95 $19.95
Packing
materials
Furniture pads 4 $7.95 $31.80
Truck Rental $400.0
0
Truck Gas at 10mpg 200 $2.25 $45.00
This type of estimate is typically more accurate than an
analogous or parametric
estimate. In this example, the sum of packing materials and
truck expenses is
estimated to be $661.25.
The detail can be rolled up—subtotaled—to display less detail.
This process is made easier
using computer software. On projects with low complexity, the
cost estimates can be
done on spreadsheet software.
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For example, the subtotal feature could be used in Excel and
collapsed to show the
subtotals for the two categories of costs.On larger projects,
software that manages
schedules can also manage costs and display costs by activity
and by category.
Activity-Based Estimates
An activity can have costs from more than one vendor plus costs
for labor and materials
from internal sources. Detailed estimates from all sources can
be reorganized so those
costs that are associated with a particular activity can be
grouped by adding the activity
code to the detailed estimate, as shown in the table below.
Detailed Costs Associated with Activities
Category Description
Activi
ty
Quanti
ty
Unit
price Cost
Packing
materials
Small boxes 2.1 10 $1.70 $17.00
Packing
materials
Medium boxes 2.1 15 $2.35 $35.25
Packing
materials
Large boxes 2.1 7 $3.00 $21.00
Packing
materials
Extra large boxes 2.1 7 $3.75 $26.25
Packing
materials
Short hanger
boxes
2.1 3 $7.95 $23.85
Packing
materials
Box tape 2.1 2 $3.85 $7.70
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Category Description
Activi
ty
Quanti
ty
Unit
price Cost
Packing
materials
Markers 2.1 2 $1.50 $3.00
Packing
materials
Mattress/Spring
bags
2.1 2 $2.95 $5.90
Packing
materials
Lift straps per pair 2.1 1 $24.95 $24.95
Packing
materials
Bubble wrap 2.1 1 $19.95 $19.95
Packing
materials
Furniture pads 2.1 4 $7.95 $31.80
Truck Rental 2.2 $400.0
0
Truck Gas at 10mpg 2.2 200 $2.25 $45.00
The detailed cost estimates can be sorted by activity and then
subtotaled by activity to
determine the cost for each activity.
Establishing a Budget
Once the cost of each activity is estimated, it is possible to
determine how much money is
needed for each group of tasks and for the whole project.
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Cost of Tasks
The cost of each group of activities of the project can be
estimated by summing the costs
of the components of each activity in the group. This process of
subtotaling costs by
category or activity is called cost aggregation.
Budget Timeline
Because the costs are associated with activities and each
activity has a start date and a
duration, it is possible to calculate how much money needs to
be spent by any particular
date during the project. The money needed to pay for a project
is usually transferred to
the project account shortly before it is needed. These transfers
must be timed so that the
money is there to pay for each activity without causing a delay
in the start of the activity.
If the money is transferred too far in advance, the organization
will lose the opportunity
to use the money somewhere else, or they will have to pay
unnecessary interest charges if
the money is borrowed. A schedule of money transfers is
created that should match the
need to pay for the activities. The process of matching the
schedule of transfers with the
schedule of activity payments is called reconciliation. Refer to
the table below, which
shows the costs of ten major activities in a project. Funds are
transferred into the project
account four times. Notice that during most of the project, there
were more funds
available than were spent except at Activity 6 when all the
available funds were spent.
Fund Transfers and Expenditures
Activity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Cost 5
0
2
0
0
5
0
30
0
50
0
20
0
10
0
40
0
30
0
50
0
Total spent 5
0
2
5
0
3
0
0
60
0
1,1
00
1,3
00
1,4
00
1,8
00
2,1
00
2,6
00
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Transfers 4
0
0
90
0
70
0
60
0
Total
funding
4
0
0
4
0
0
4
0
0
1,3
00
1,3
00
1,3
00
2,0
00
2,0
00
2,6
00
2,6
00
Cash in
account
3
5
0
1
5
0
1
0
0
70
0
20
0
- 60
0
20
0
50
0
-
Total Funding and Expenditure per Activity
In the project budget profile shown in the table above, there is
no margin for error if the
total of the first six activities exceeds the amount of funding at
that point in the project.
Contractual agreements with vendors often require partial
payment of their costs during
the project. Those contracts can be managed more conveniently
if the unit of measure for
partial completion is the same as that used for cost budgeting.
For example, if a contractor
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is pouring concrete for a large project, their contract may call
for partial payment after 25
percent of the total volume of concrete is poured as determined
by cubic yards of
concrete.
Analogous estimating scales an estimate from a similar project
to
match the current project. Parametric estimating multiplies a
standard cost-per-unit value by the number of units in the
project.
Bids from contractors can be compared to estimate costs.
Bottom-
up estimating determines the cost of each detail and aggregates
them to determine activity cost estimates.
During the project selection and approval stage, rough estimates
are used that are usually obtained using analogous and
parametric
methods. Vendor bid analysis and detailed bottom-up estimates
are
used in the initiation phase to estimate project costs.
Detailed estimates are associated with activities and aggregated
during the planning phase to create an activity-based budget.
Funding transfers are arranged to reconcile money spent to
money
from funding sources in a timely manner.
Managing the Budget
Managing Cash Flow
If the total amount spent on a project is equal to or less than the
amount budgeted, the
project can still be in trouble if the funding for the project is
not available when it is
needed. There is a natural tension between the financial people
in an organization, who do
not want to pay for the use of money that is just sitting in a
checking account, and the
project manager, who wants to be sure that there is enough
money available to pay for
project expenses. The financial people prefer to keep the
company’s money working in
other investments until the last moment before transferring it to
the project account. The
contractors and vendors have similar concerns, and they want to
get paid as soon as
possible so they can put the money to work in their own
organizations. The project
manager would like to have as much cash available as possible
to use if activities exceed
budget expectations.
Key Points
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Contingency Reserves
Most projects have something unexpected occur that increases
costs above the original
estimates. If estimates are rarely exceeded, the estimating
method should be reviewed
because the estimates are too high. It is not possible to predict
which activities cost more
than expected, but it is reasonable to assume that some of them
will be. Estimating the
likelihood of such events is part of risk analysis, which is
discussed in more detail in a later
chapter.
Instead of overestimating each cost, money is budgeted for
dealing with unplanned but
statistically predictable cost increases. Funds allocated for this
purpose are called
contingency reserves (Project Management Institute, Inc.,
2008). Because it is likely that
this money will be spent, it is part of the total budget for the
project. If this fund is
adequate to meet the unplanned expenses, then the project will
complete within the
budget.
Management Reserves
If something occurs during the project that requires a change in
the project scope, money
may be needed to deal with the situation before a change in
scope can be negotiated with
the project sponsor or client. It could be an opportunity as well
as a challenge. Money can
be made available to the project to be used at the discretion of
the manager to meet
needs that would change the scope of the project. These funds
are called management
reserves. Unlike contingency reserves, they are not likely to be
spent and are not part of
the project’s budget baseline, but they can be included in the
total project budget (Project
Management Institute, Inc., 2008).
Evaluating the Budget During the Project
A project manager must regularly compare the amount of money
spent with the budgeted
amount and report this information to managers and
stakeholders. It is necessary to
establish an understanding of how this progress will be
measured and reported.
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Reporting Budget Progress on John’s Move
In the John’s move example, he estimated that the move would
cost about $1,500
and take about sixteen days. Eight days into the project, John
has spent $300. John
tells his friends that the project is going well because he is
halfway through the
project but has only spent a fifth of his budget. John’s friend
Carlita points out that
his report is not sufficient because he did not compare the
amount spent to the
budgeted amount for the activities that should be done by the
eighth day.
As John’s friend points out, a budget report must compare the
amount spent with the
amount that is expected to be spent by that point in the project.
Basic measures such as
percentage of activities completed, percentage of measurement
units completed, and
percentage of budget spent are adequate for less complex
projects, but more
sophisticated techniques are used for projects with higher
complexity.
Earned Value Management
A method that is widely used for medium- and high-complexity
projects is the earned
value management (EVM) method. EVM is a method of
comparing the budgeted and
actual costs of a project periodically during the project. It
combines the scheduled
activities with detailed cost estimates of each activity. It allows
for partial completion of
an activity if some of the detailed costs associated with the
activity have been paid but
others have not. The earned value analysis method compares the
anticipated cost of work
that is scheduled to be done at a given point in time against
what has been done and how
much it actually cost.
The Budgeted Cost of Work and Planned Value
The budgeted cost of work scheduled (BCWS) comprises the
detailed cost estimates for
each activity in the project. The amount of work that should
have been done by a
particular date is the planned value (PV). These terms are used
interchangeably by some
sources, but the planned value term is used in formulas to refer
to the sum of the
budgeted cost of work up to a particular point in the project, so
we will make that
distinction in the definitions in this text for clarity.
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Planned Value on Day Six of John’s Move
On day six of the project, John should have taken his friends to
lunch and purchased
the packing materials. The portion of the BCWS that should
have been done by that
date (the planned value) is listed in the table below. This is the
planned value for day
six of the project.
Planned Value for Lunch and Packing Materials
Description Quantity Cost
Lunch 3 $45.00
Small boxes 10 $17.00
Medium boxes 15 $35.25
Large boxes 7 $21.00
Extra large boxes 7 $26.25
Short hanger boxes 3 $23.85
Box tape 2 $7.70
Markers 2 $3.00
Mattress/Spring bags 2 $5.90
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Description Quantity Cost
Lift straps per pair 1 $24.95
Bubble wrap 1 $19.95
Furniture pads 4 $31.80
Total $261.65
Budgeted Cost of Work Performed and Earned Value
The budgeted cost of work performed (BCWP) is the budgeted
cost of work scheduled
that has been done. If you sum the BCWP values up to that
point in the project schedule,
you have the earned value (EV).
Actual Cost
The amount spent on an item is often more or less than the
estimated amount that was
budgeted for that item. The actual cost (AC) is the sum of the
amounts actually spent on
the items.
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Comparing PV, EV, and AC in John’s Move on Day Six
Dion and Carlita were both trying to lose weight and just
wanted a nice salad.
Consequently, the lunch cost less than expected. John makes a
stop at a store that
sells moving supplies at discount rates. They do not have all the
items he needs, but
the prices are lower than those quoted by the moving company.
They have a very
good price on lifting straps so he decides to buy an extra pair.
He returns with some
of the items on his list, but this phase of the job is not complete
by the end of day
six. John bought half of the small boxes, all of five other items,
twice as many lifting
straps, and none of four other items. John is only six days into
his project, and his
costs and performance are starting to vary from the plan. Earned
value analysis gives
us a method for reporting that progress. Refer to the figure
below.
Planned Value, Earned Value, and Actual Cost
Budgeted Cost of
Work Scheduled
(BCWS)
Budgeted Cost of
Work Performed
(BCWS)
Actual Cost
(AC)
Descripti
on
Quantity Cost Quantity Cost Quant
ity
Co
st
Lunch 3 $45.
00
3 $45.
00
3 $4
5.
00
Small
boxes
10 $17.
00
5 $17.
00
5 $1
7.
00
Note: The original schedule called for spending $261.65 (PV)
by day six. The
amount of work done was worth $162.10 (EV) according to the
estimates, but
the actual cost was only $154.50 (AC).
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Budgeted Cost of
Work Scheduled
(BCWS)
Budgeted Cost of
Work Performed
(BCWS)
Actual Cost
(AC)
Medium
boxes
15 $35.
25
15 $35.
25
15 $3
5.
25
Large
boxes
7 $21.
00
Extra
large
7 $26.
25
Short
hanger
3 $23.
85
Box tape 2 $7.7
0
2 $7.7
0
2 $7
.7
0
Markers 2 $3.0
0
2 $3.0
0
2 $3
.0
0
Note: The original schedule called for spending $261.65 (PV)
by day six. The
amount of work done was worth $162.10 (EV) according to the
estimates, but
the actual cost was only $154.50 (AC).
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Budgeted Cost of
Work Scheduled
(BCWS)
Budgeted Cost of
Work Performed
(BCWS)
Actual Cost
(AC)
Mattress
/Spring
bags
2 $5.9
0
2 $5.9
0
2 $5
.9
0
Lift
straps
per pair
1 $24.
95
1 $24.
95
2 $2
4.
95
Bubble
wrap
1 $19.
95
Furniture
pads
4 $31.
80
4 $31.
80
4 $2
8.
50
Planned
Value (PV)
$26
1.65
Earned
Value (EV)
$16
2.10
Actual
cost
(AC)
$1
54
.5
0
Note: The original schedule called for spending $261.65 (PV)
by day six. The
amount of work done was worth $162.10 (EV) according to the
estimates, but
the actual cost was only $154.50 (AC).
Schedule Variance
The project manager must know if the project is on schedule
and within the budget. The
difference between planned and actual progress is the variance.
The schedule variance
(SV) is the difference between the earned value (EV) and the
planned value (PV).
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Expressed as a formula, SV = EV − PV. If less value has been
earned than was planned, the
schedule variance is negative, which means the project is
behind schedule.
Schedule Variance on John’s Move
Planning for John’s move calls for spending $261.65 by day six,
which is the planned
value (PV). The difference between the planned value and the
earned value is the
scheduled variance (SV). The formula is SV = EV − PV. In this
example, SV = $162.10
− $261.65 = $(99.55) A negative SV indicates the project is
behind schedule.
The difference between the earned value (EV) and the actual
cost (AC) is the cost variance
(CV). Expressed as a formula, CV = EV − AC
Cost Variance on John’s Move
The difference between the earned value of $162.10 and the
actual cost of $154.50
is the cost variance (CV). The formula is CV = EV − AC. In this
example, CV =
$162.10 − $154.50 = $7.60.
A positive CV indicates the project is under budget.
Variance Indexes for Schedule and Cost
The schedule variance and the cost variance provide the amount
by which the spending is
behind (or ahead of) schedule and the amount by which a
project is exceeding (or less
than) its budget. They do not give an idea of how these amounts
compare with the total
budget.
The ratio of earned value to planned value gives an indication
of how much of the project
is completed. This ratio is the schedule performance index
(SPI). The formula is SPI =
EV/PV. In the John’s move example, the SPI equals 0.62 (SPI
= $162.10/$261.65 = 0.62)
A SPI value less than one indicates the project is behind
schedule.
The ratio of the earned value to the actual cost is the cost
performance index (CPI). The
formula is CPI = EV/AC.
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Cost Performance Index of John’s Move
In the John’s move example, CPI = $162.10 / $154.50 = 1.05 A
value greater than 1
indicates the project is under budget.
Schedule Variance and Cost Variance on Day Six
The cost variance of positive $7.60 and the CPI value of 1.05
tell John that he is
getting more value for his money than planned for the tasks
scheduled by day six.
The schedule variance (SV) of negative $99.55 and the schedule
performance index
(SPI) of 0.62 tell him that he is behind schedule in adding value
to the project.
During the project, the manager can evaluate the schedule using
the schedule variance
(SV) and the schedule performance index (SPI) and the budget
using the cost variance (CV)
and the cost performance index (CPI).
Estimated Cost to Complete the Project
Partway through the project, the manager evaluates the accuracy
of the cost estimates for
the activities that have taken place and uses that experience to
predict how much money
it will take to complete the unfinished activities of the project—
the estimate to complete
(ETC).
Atypical Cost Variance
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To calculate the ETC, the manager must decide if the cost
variance observed in the
estimates to that point are representative of the future. For
example, if unusually bad
weather causes increased cost during the first part of the
project, it is not likely to have
the same effect on the rest of the project. If the manager decides
that the cost variance up
to this point in the project is atypical—not typical—then the
estimate to complete is the
difference between the original budget for the entire project—
the budget at completion
(BAC)—and the earned value (EV) up to that point.
Expressed as a formula, ETC = BAC − EV.
Estimate to Complete John’s Move
In John’s move, John was able to buy most of the items at a
discount house that did
not have a complete inventory and, he chose to buy an extra pair
of lift straps. He
knows that the planned values for packing materials were
obtained from the price
list at the moving company where he will have to buy the rest of
the items, so those
two factors are not likely to be typical of the remaining
purchases. The reduced cost
of lunch is unrelated to the future costs of packing materials,
truck rentals, and hotel
fees. John decides that the factors that caused the variances are
atypical. He
calculates that the estimate to complete (ETC) is the budget at
completion ($1,534)
minus the earned value at that point ($162.10), which equals
$1,371.90. Expressed
as a formula, ETC = $1,534 − $162.10 = $1,371.90.
Typical Cost Variance
If the manager decides that the cost variance is caused by
factors that will affect the
remaining activities, such as higher labor and material costs,
then the estimate to complete
(ETC) needs to be adjusted by dividing it by the cost
performance index (CPI). For
example, if labor costs on the first part of a project are
estimated at $80,000 (EV) and they
actually cost $85,000 (AC), the cost variance will be 0.94.
(Recall that the cost variance =
EV – AC).
To calculate the estimate to complete (ETC) assuming the cost
variance on known
activities is typical of future cost, the formula is ETC = (BAC –
EV)/CPI. If the budget at
completion (BAC) of the project is $800,000, the estimate to
complete is ($800,000 –
$80,000) / 0.94 = $766,000.
Estimate Final Project Cost
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If the costs of the activities up to the present vary from the
original estimates, it will affect
the total estimate for the project cost. The new estimate of the
project cost is the
estimate at completion (EAC). To calculate the EAC, the
estimate to complete (ETC) is
added to the actual cost (AC) of the activities already
performed. Expressed as a formula,
EAC = AC + ETC.
Estimate at Completion for John’s Move
The revised estimate at completion (EAC) for John’s move at
this point in the
process is EAC = $154.50 + $1,371.90 = $1,526.40.
Refer to the table below for a summary of terms and formulas.
Summary of Terms and Formulas for Earned Value Analysis
Term
Ac
ro
ny
m Description Formula
John’
s
Mov
e
Actual cost AC The money actually spent on
projects up to the present
$154
.50
Budget at
completion
BA
C
Original budget for the project
(same as BCWS)
$1,5
34.0
0
Cost
performance
index
CP
I
Ratio of earned value to actual
cost
CPI = EV /
AC
1.05
Cost variance CV Difference between earned value
and actual cost
CV = EV -
AC
$7.6
0
1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs
https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/ 2211
/learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing-
costs.html?ou=541222 24/26
Term
Ac
ro
ny
m Description Formula
John’
s
Mov
e
Earned value EV Sum of estimates for work
actually done up to the present
$162
.10
Estimate at
completion
EA
C
Revised estimate of total project
cost
EAC = AC
+ ETC
$1,5
26.4
0
Estimate to
complete
ET
C
Money to complete the project if
early cost variance is typical
ETC =
BAC - EV
$1,3
71.9
0
Estimate to
complete
ET
C
Money to complete the project if
early cost variance is atypical
ETC =
(BAC- EV)
/ CPI
N/A
Planned value PV Sum of the estimates for work
done up to the present
$261
.65
Schedule
performance
index
SPI Ratio of earned value to planned
value
SPI = EV /
PV
.62
Schedule
variance
SV Difference between earned value
and planned value
SV = EV -
PV
$(99.
55)
1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs
https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211
/learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing-
costs.html?ou=541222 25/26
Extra money is allocated in a contingency fund to deal with
activities where costs exceed estimates. Funds are allocated in a
management reserves in case a significant opportunity or
challenge
occurs that requires change of scope but funds are needed
immediately before a scope change can typically be negotiated.
Schedule variance is the difference between the part of the
budget
that has been done so far (EV) versus the part that was planned
to
be completed by now (PV). Similarly, the cost variance is the
difference between the EV and the actual cost (AC).
The schedule performance index (SPI) is the ratio of the earned
value and the planned value. The cost performance index (CPI)
is
the ratio of the earned value (EV) to the actual cost (AC).
The formula used to calculate the amount of money needed to
complete the project (ETC) depends on whether or not the cost
variance to this point is expected to continue (typical) or not
(atypical). If the cost variance is atypical, the ETC is simply the
original total budget (BAC) minus the earned value (EV). If
they are
typical of future cost variances, the ETC is adjusted by dividing
the
difference between BAC and EV by the CPI.
The final budget is the actual cost (AC) to this point plus the
estimate to complete (ETC).
References
Project Management Institute, Inc., A Guide to the Project
Management Body of
Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 4th ed. (Newtown Square, PA:
Project Management Institute,
Inc., 2008), 173.
Licenses and Attributions
Chapter 9: Estimating and Managing Costs
(http://open.lib.umn.edu/projectmanagement/part/chapter-9-
estimating-and-managing-
costs/) from Project Management from Simple to Complex by
the University of
Minnesota Libraries Publishing is an adaptation of a work
whose original author and
Key Points
http://open.lib.umn.edu/projectmanagement/part/chapter-9-
estimating-and-managing-costs/
1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs
https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211
/learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing-
costs.html?ou=541222 26/26
publisher request anonymity and is available under a Creative
Commons Attribution-
NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-
nc-sa/4.0/) license. UMUC has modified this work and it is
available under the original
license.
© 2021 University of Maryland Global Campus
All links to external sites were verified at the time of
publication. UMGC is not responsible for the validity or
integrity
of information located at external sites.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
1/31/2021 Project Statement of Work
https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211
/learning-topic-list/project-statement-of-work.html?ou=541222
1/2
Project Statement of Work
By Adrienne Watt and bpayne
The statement of work (SOW), sometimes called the scope of
work, is a definition of a
project’s parameters—factors that define a system and
determine its behavior—and
describes the work done within the boundaries of the project,
and the work that is outside
the project boundaries.
The SOW is typically a written document that defines what
work will be accomplished by
the end of the project—the deliverables of the project. The
project scope defines what will
be done, and the project management plan defines how the work
will be accomplished.
No template works for all projects. Some projects have a
detailed scope of work, and
some have a short summary document. The quality of the scope
is measured by the ability
of the project manager and project stakeholders to develop and
maintain a common
understanding of the products or services the project will
deliver.
The size and detail of the project scope is related to the
complexity profile of the project.
A more complex project often requires a more detailed and
comprehensive scope
document.
According to the Project Management Institute (2008), the
scope statement should
include the following components:
description of the scope
product acceptance criteria
project deliverables
project exclusions
project constraints
project assumptions
Learning Topic
1/31/2021 Project Statement of Work
https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211
/learning-topic-list/project-statement-of-work.html?ou=541222
2/2
The scope document is the basis for agreement by all parties. A
clear project scope
document is also critical to managing change on a project. Since
the project scope reflects
what work will be accomplished on the project, any change in
expectations that is not
captured and documented creates an opportunity for confusion.
One of the most common trends in project management is the
incremental expansion in
the project scope. This trend is labeled scope creep. Scope creep
threatens the success of
a project because the small increases in scope require additional
resources that were not
in the plan.
Increasing the scope of the project is a common occurrence, and
adjustments are made to
the project budget and schedule to account for these changes.
Scope creep occurs when
these changes are not recognized or not managed. The ability of
a project manager to
identify potential changes is often related to the quality of the
scope documents.
References
Project Management Institute, Inc. (2008). A guide to the
project management body of
knowledge (PMBOK guide) (4th ed.). Project Management
Institute, Inc.
Licenses and Attributions
Chapter 4: Framework for Project Management
(https://opentextbc.ca/projectmanagement/chapter/chapter -4-
framework-for-project-
management-project-management/) by bpayne and Adrienne
Watt from Project
Management is available under a Creative Commons Attribution
4.0 International
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en) license.
© 2014, Adrienne
Watt. UMUC has modified this work and it is available under
the original
license. Download this book for free at http://open.bccampus.ca
(http://open.bccampus.ca) .
© 2021 University of Maryland Global Campus
All links to external sites were verified at the time of
publication. UMGC is not responsible for the validity or
integrity
of information located at external sites.
https://opentextbc.ca/projectmanagement/chapter/chapter -4-
framework-for-project-management-project-management/
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en
http://open.bccampus.ca/
Introduction
In this two-week project, you will work with a project team
made up of your fellow students using basic project
management skills to plan for the design, construction,
outfitting, and stocking of a new retail store in Brazi l for your
US-based home improvement company. As this is the first time
the company has opened a store in an international market, your
team will blaze a new trail for the company and set the example
for future international expansion.
This project will require you and your team to create several
deliverables using templates provided in the steps below to
ensure that the new store is fully operational by the target date.
You will have two weeks to complete all nine steps.
Recall that by the end of Week 2 in Project 1, you should have
completed several tasks in preparation for this project: (1)
joined a team, (2) posted your team agreement to your group
discussion area, (3) posted your project work plan to your group
discussion area, (4) downloaded and installed Microsoft Project
on your personal computer, or have access to it, and (5)
completed MS Project Practice Exercise.
To get started, click Step 1: Become Familiar with Project
Scope.
Competencies
Your work will be evaluated using the competencies listed
below.
· 1.1: Organize document or presentation clearly in a manner
that promotes understanding and meets the requirements of the
assignment.
· 1.2: Develop coherent paragraphs or points so that each is
internally unified and so that each functions as part of the whole
document or presentation.
· 1.3: Provide sufficient, correctly cited support that
substantiates the writer's ideas.
· 1.6: Follow conventions of Standard Written English.
· 1.7: Create neat and professional looking documents
appropriate for the project or presentation.
· 2.2: Locate and access sufficient information to investigate the
issue or problem.
· 2.4: Consider and analyze information in context to the issue
or problem.
· 3.1: Identify numerical or mathematical information that is
relevant in a problem or situation.
· 3.4: Employ software applications and analytic tools to
analyze, visualize, and present data to inform decision-making.
· 4.1: Lead and/or participate in a diverse group to accomplish
projects and assignments.
· 4.2: Demonstrate the ability to plan and execute a project,
articulating clear objectives and goals for the team.
· 4.3: Contribute to team projects, assignments, or
organizational goals as an engaged member of a team.
· 4.4: Demonstrate diversity and inclusiveness in a team setting.
· 5.4: Resolve workplace conflicts using the optimal approaches
and techniques for the situation and involved parties.
· 6.1: Identify the general (external) environment in which an
organization operates and discuss the implications for enterprise
success.
· 7.4: Analyze the impact of international and foreign laws on
US organizations acting domestically and abroad.
· 9.2: Evaluate how human capital serves as a source of
competitive advantage.
· 9.3: Apply the principles of employment law for ethical
practices and risk mitigation.

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1312021 Project Procurementhttpsleocontent.umgc.educ

  • 1. 1/31/2021 Project Procurement https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/project-procurement.html?ou=541222 1/2 Project Procurement By Adrienne Watt and bpayne The procurement effort on projects varies widely and depends on the type of project. Often the client organization will provide procurement services on less complex projects. In this case, the project team identifies the materials, equipment, and supplies needed by the project and provides product specifications and a detailed delivery schedule. When the procurement department of the parent organization provides procurement services, a liaison from the project can help the procurement team better understand the unique requirements of the project and the time-sensitive or critical items of the project schedule. On larger, more complex projects, personnel are dedicated to procuring and managing the
  • 2. equipment, supplies, and materials needed by the project. Because of the temporary nature of projects, equipment, supplies, and materials are procured as part of the product of the project or for the execution of the project. For example, the bricks procured for a construction project would be procured for the product of the project, and the mortar mixer would be equipment procured for the execution of the project work. At the end of the project, equipment bought or rented for the execution of the work of the project are sold, returned to rental organizations, or disposed of some other way. More complex projects will typically procure through different procurement and management methods. Commodities are common products that are purchased based on the lowest bid. Commodities include items like concrete for building projects, office supplies, or even lab equipment for a research project. The second type of procurement includes products that are specified for the project. Vendors who can produce these
  • 3. products bid for a contract. The awarding of a contract can include price, ability to meet the project schedule, the fit for purpose of the product, and other considerations important to the project. Manufacturing a furnace for a new steel mill would be provided by a project vendor. Equipment especially designed and built for a research project is another example. These vendors’ performances become important parts of the project, and the project manager Learning Resource 1/31/2021 Project Procurement https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/project-procurement.html?ou=541222 2/2 assigns resources to coordinate the work and schedule of the vendor. The third procurement approach is the development of one or more partners. A design firm that is awarded the design contract for a major part of the steel mill and a research firm that is
  • 4. conducting critical subparts of the research are examples of potential project partners. A partner contributes to and is integrated into the execution plan. Partners perform best when they share the project vision of success and are emotionally invested in the project. The project management team builds and implements a project procurement plan that recognizes the most efficient and effective procurement approach to support the project schedule and goals. Licenses and Attributions Chapter 4: Framework for Project Management (https://opentextbc.ca/projectmanagement/chapter/chapter -4- framework-for-project- management-project-management/) by bpayne and Adrienne Watt from Project Management is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en) license. © 2014, Adrienne Watt. UMUC has modified this work and it is available under the original
  • 5. license. Download this book for free at http://open.bccampus.ca (http://open.bccampus.ca) . © 2021 University of Maryland Global Campus All links to external sites were verified at the time of publication. UMGC is not responsible for the validity or integrity of information located at external sites. https://opentextbc.ca/projectmanagement/chapter/chapter-4- framework-for-project-management-project-management/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en http://open.bccampus.ca/ 1/31/2021 Cost Estimating https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/cost-estimating.html?ou=541222 1/8 Cost Estimating Cost estimating is the process of determining the likely cost of performing a defined scope of work at a future time. As with any attempt to predict the future, it is unreasonable to expect a cost estimate to be 100 percent correct. The estimating process should be focused on determining a reasonably accurate estimate based on
  • 6. defined assumptions for a reasonable expenditure of effort. The estimate should be supported by appropriate risk management strategies and management reserves based on an appreciation of the likely levels of variability and uncertainty inherent in the estimate. The core stages in developing a pragmatic and reasonable process for cost estimating are as follows: Plan the estimating strategy based on available estimating resources and available budget for preparing the estimate. Determine the most appropriate approaches to develop the estimate. Select the most appropriate methodology consistent with the organization's culture and objectives. Consider any estimating inputs to the project delivery strategy, such as assessing the cost effectiveness of alternative methodologies and strategies. Develop systems to ensure the estimate covers 100 percent of the scope (this is
  • 7. nearly impossible, but essential). In particular ensure potential future suppliers and subcontractors have included within their submitted price all of the scope of work you expect them to price. Determine the appropriate estimating technique to use. In most projects, a combination of these options are used to obtain the best estimate: analogous—comparing the current project with a similar completed project and making appropriate adjustments. This is relatively quick but requires expert knowledge. It is generally seen as the least accurate approach and this depends on the degree of knowledge and expertise. In most situations the degree of accuracy associated with an analogous estimate is considered to be a rough Learning Resource 1/31/2021 Cost Estimating https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211
  • 8. /learning-resourcelist/cost-estimating.html?ou=541222 2/8 order of magnitude (ROM) estimate, with a range of -25 percent to +75 percent. parametric—using adjusted historical data to price defined elements of the project such as the cost per function point in software development and the cost per square (10 square miles) in domestic construction work. bottom-up (or detailed) estimating—the cost of each resource used in the project is determined and multiplied by the quantity required. This is the most expensive estimating process and the most accurate. A detained engineering estimate can be as accurate as -5 percent to +15 percent. vendor bid analysis—where prices for different components of the project are obtained from the market and compiled to generate the cost of the overall project. Consider a staged approach to estimating, if possible. Near -term
  • 9. work can be estimated more accurately then far-term, but many projects need an overall estimate. Approaches such as rolling wave can be very useful. Determine the allocation of organizational overheads to the project costs and how these will be applied. Determine which costs are fixed (occurring only once regardless of the actual project outcomes) and which are variable (change in relation to changes in the project's work or time). Generally, small savings or errors on variable costs that occur every week will add up to a lot more than a larger one-off saving (or error) on a fixed cost. Focus most effort onto the costs that have the biggest effect overall. Develop or adjust estimating rates for work to be priced internally. These rates should account for the following: loaded hourly cost rates loaded cost per unit or element (parametric estimates) balancing the allocation of costs between project overheads and
  • 10. loaded cost rates Assess the likely levels of estimating error to develop contingencies and reserves, accounting for the following: variability in estimated costs and rates (there will always be a level of variability) estimating errors (e.g., omissions and duplications) external events and changes in the market (e.g., suppliers ceasing to trade) 1/31/2021 Cost Estimating https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/cost-estimating.html?ou=541222 3/8 assess future cost movements (e.g., inflation) Understand the intensity of the work. Costs are minimized if the optimum crew sizes are applied to the work and it takes a normal time to complete. High intensity work associated with a crashed schedule generally causes increased inefficiencies and
  • 11. drives up costs. Identify estimating and other risks and link to the project's risk management processes. The way the estimate has been developed is itself a risk issue, plus there will be identified risks arising from interaction with suppliers, contractors, and others. Link estimating to procurement to minimize risk exposure from suppliers and subcontractors. Once the estimating process is properly planned, the actual work of developing the estimate can be undertaken with the final output the expected cost of the work and a recommended level of management reserves. The US Government Accountability Office has developed a comprehensive guide to developing credible cost estimates and then managing the budget for a project using earned value. The GAO "Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide" is particularly useful for major projects.
  • 12. Cost Estimating versus Pricing The cost estimate is the net cost of completing the scope of work. The price charged to a client for the work should consist of the following elements: estimated cost reasonable level of management reserves (contingency) to cover both the expected level of variability in the cost price and an allowance for identified risk events amount of profit to reward the organization for the risks involved in undertaking the work and to compensate for the use of the organization's capital to undertake the work. This would normally exceed the amount received from a safe investment (e.g., a bank deposit). The final price is always a subjective management decision based on the defined items above, an assessment of the market and what is likely to be an acceptable price, and views on the level of competition from others, combined with the organization's level of desire to win the work.
  • 13. 1/31/2021 Cost Estimating https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/cost-estimating.html?ou=541222 4/8 The above factors are focused on a competitive estimate to win work by a commercial bid or tender. If the work is internal to the organization, the expected benefits to be realised define an acceptable price. Cost Estimating & Risk Minimization Estimating what something will cost in the future is a risk. It is impossible to forecast what the element of work will actually cost. The estimating processes need to balance the mutually exclusive options of seeking the lowest practical cost estimate and minimizing risk. Risk is reduced if the estimated values are inflated but the unnecessarily high cost estimates tend to make competitive bids too expensive to win work and internal projects too expensive to undertake. Decision need to be made to balance cost and risk within the
  • 14. risk tolerance levels of the organization's management. Some of the decisions that need to be made include the following: In-house resources or subcontract? Direct in-house resources are subject to more control, direction, and motivation, but any estimating errors in the quantum of effort needed to accomplish the work are a direct cost to the project (as are supervision, quality defects, etc.). Subcontractors can be expected to carry the consequences of their estimating errors and perform the work for the agreed price. However, there is a loss of direct control and the need to manage contracts. At least some of the risk is transferred to the subcontractor. Low price or safe suppliers and subcontractors? Low bids from suppliers and subcontractors allow the overall estimate to be lower, increasing your competitive advantage. The low bid may be due to a
  • 15. competitive advantage held by the supplier or subcontractor. The low bid contractor may have made an error in its estimating processes. In this circumstance the contractor may refuse to take on the work or chose to take on the work with the intention of making claims to recover its loss or delivering a lower-quality product. Firm fixed price or cost reimbursable contacts? A fixed price offers no insight into the way the contractor calculated its bid and tends to make the price changes expensive (there is no base for comparison). Cost reimbursable contracts allow insight into the pricing process but require additional estimating to determine the cost. 1/31/2021 Cost Estimating https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/cost-estimating.html?ou=541222 5/8 The combination of options that provides the best (lowest) cost outcome within an
  • 16. acceptable risk parameter requires careful judgement within the organization's overall governance processes. Major contractors divide the work between suppliers and subcontractors (i.e., their supply chain). The art of managing the estimating process is to ensure all of the work is portioned out to trade packages and there are no duplications. The art of estimating is to ensure 100 percent of the work is priced—but only once! In addition, the accepted prices used in the estimate have been risk assessed on the likelihood of the quoted price being achieved by the supplier. Appropriate Levels of Detail Adding detail to an estimate will not automatically improve accuracy. Accuracy is only improved if improved knowledge or insight is achieved. Processes such as estimating the cost of individual efforts against work on scheduled activities can only add value if the information being used is based on new and enhanced information, preferably gathered
  • 17. from the person actually involved in the work (or from knowledge of the specific person). This type of estimating is appropriate for short-term work, but is pointless for tasks scheduled months in the future, where the precise scope of work is not known, and the people who will be doing the work are not defined. Adding unnecessary detail increases costs, increases the workload, reduces visibility, and reduces flexibility. Superficial detail will also change expectations of more senior managers, who may believe the information is valid and therefore believe it is safe to reduce contingencies. Guideline for Creating a Good Estimate Estimators forecast the future, attempting to predict the time and money required to produce a product or service. Predicting the future is never an easy task, and it becomes increasingly difficult the more unique the project. However, knowing and applying the golden rules of estimating, listed below will provide greater opportunity for a successful
  • 18. forecast. Find the Right Estimator Estimators familiar with the work and estimating methods are key. There are many estimating techniques, including phased, top-down, analogous, parametric, and bottom- up. Regardless of the estimating method, the person making the estimate should have an 1/31/2021 Cost Estimating https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/cost-estimating.html?ou=541222 6/8 understanding of the work to be done, and of the techniques and goals of estimating. He or she needs to understand that the goal is to predict the most likely outcome. Estimate Based on Experience All projects are unique, but they often have similarities with other historical projects. Data from past projects can be helpful in estimating future ones— past performance data improves the accuracy of any of the discussed estimating
  • 19. techniques. Formal data is best, but if it is unavailable, people's personal experiences and recollections are valid, but need confirmation. Avoid Negotiating Estimates Though the tendency of management is to request estimate changes to reduce time and cost, this move should be resisted by demonstrating that the estimate was created from project specifications and represents a realistic balance of cost, schedule, and risk. Also, demonstrate that the estimate is linked to product specifications and the work breakdown structure. Further, highlight that the only way to reduce an accurate estimate is by changing the product scope or worker productivity. Linking Cost Estimates with the Schedule Apart from very small short-term projects (three to six months and under $200,000), attempting to directly integrate the cost estimating process with the scheduling process is fraught with difficulty. Even on these smaller projects, direct linking is not really feasible
  • 20. unless the primary source of all costs is staff directly employed on the work. Most normal projects require a degree of integration between cost and schedule. This is usually achieved by developing a WBS and integrating time, cost, scope, risk, and quality at either the work-package level or the control-account level. Dealing with Objections It is not uncommon in internal projects and negotiations, that your carefully prepared project estimates have to be justified or defended if the client or sponsor thinks the numbers are too high. If you have done the estimating properly, reducing the price or time in the face of an objection simply creates a bigger problem later when the project overruns its reduced costs or time. 1/31/2021 Cost Estimating https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/cost-estimating.html?ou=541222 7/8 Information is the key to validating your work. You should be
  • 21. able to defend the estimate by demonstrating the following components: your understanding of the work estimating techniques you used estimate of the effort hours, duration, and cost detailed estimating information in case the sponsor would like to review estimating assumptions level of uncertainty as reflected in the estimating range This level of information gives you the facts to respond to the challenge, and it will stop many challenges because people will have difficulty di sputing your facts. The keys to this part of discussion are your credibility and the quality of the information you have presented. Once the credibility of your estimate is accepted based on your estimating rigor, the discussion can then proceed to alternatives. If the sponsor still thinks the numbers are too high, or cannot afford the solution at that cost, there are a few alternative options:
  • 22. Determine if the client has any additional information that would allow you to revise your assumptions and perhaps revise the estimate. For instance, if a critical end date now has some flexibility, perhaps the estimate can be revised based on this new information. Determine whether high-level requirements and functionality can be scaled back. In many cases, the original set of features and functions is more of a wish list. After seeing a price tag, it is very possible that the client can live without certain features. If you included a high contingency to reflect a high estimating risk, ask the client for more time to gather more detail for the estimate, which may result in less uncertainty and risk and allow you to reflect this as a smaller contingency. No estimate is perfect. Sensible sponsors and clients are seeking reassurance that you have done the best job possible in the circumstances, and the costs are realistic. This
  • 23. reassurance requires that they believe you are skilled and credible and your estimating processes were rigorous and effective. Managing the Estimate—Lessons Learned 1/31/2021 Cost Estimating https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/cost-estimating.html?ou=541222 8/8 Estimating normally precedes the start of a project, or is completed in the early concept and planning phases. While the estimate may go through several iterations as its final scope is firmed up, the normal expectation is the estimate should be converted to the cost baseline before the main execution phase begins. The cost baseline provides one of the key foundatio ns for the ongoing management of the project work. The cause of any variance from the baseline should be identified, and options developed to lock in gains and mitigate losses. This is the domain of project controls, cost engineering, earned value management, and project administration.
  • 24. Estimating processes are used for price variations and occasionally to re-estimate the project if the original cost baseline is found to be invalid. However, numerous surveys have shown that in most circumstances, re-estimating the project costs is less accurate then applying earned value calculations. The exception is where major changes in the structure of the project team or management have occurred. Upon the completion of the project, and occasionally during the execution of the project, it is important to undertake an effective "lessons learned" study to determine the voracity of the estimating process and identify areas for improvement. A major advantage of retained organizational experience is the capability to accurately price work in a particular domain and understand and manage the associated risks. Licenses and Attributions Cost Estimating (http://www.mosaicprojects.com.au/WhitePapers/WP1051_Cost _Estimating.pdf) from
  • 25. Mosaic is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US) license. © Mosaic Project Services Pty Ltd and Casablanca Management Pty Ltd. UMUC has modified this work and it is available under the original license. © 2021 University of Maryland Global Campus All links to external sites were verified at the time of publication. UMGC is not responsible for the validity or integrity of information located at external sites. http://www.mosaicprojects.com.au/WhitePapers/ WP1051_Cost_ Estimating.pdf https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 1/26 Estimating and Managing Costs An important part of a project manager’s job is managing money. All types of organizations
  • 26. must manage their money well in order to fulfill their mission, including not-for-profit and government organizations. The tools and methods used to manage money on a project vary depending on the phase and complexity of the project. This chapter describes the methods used to estimate the cost of a project, create a budget, and manage the cost of activities while the project is being executed. Estimating Costs Estimating Costs to Compare and Select Projects During the conceptual phase when project selection occurs, economic factors are an important consideration when choosing between competing projects. To compare the simple paybacks or internal rates of return between projects, an estimate of the cost of each project is made. The estimates must be accurate enough so that the comparisons are meaningful, but the amount of time and resources used to make the estimates should be appropriate to the size and complexity of the project. The methods used to estimate the
  • 27. cost of the project during the selection phase are generally faster and consume fewer resources than those used to create detailed estimates in later phases. They rely more on the expert judgment of experienced managers who can make accurate estimates with less detailed information. Estimates in the earliest stages of project selection are usually made using estimates based from previous projects that can be adjusted—scaled—to match the size and complexity of the current project or by applying standardized formulas. Analogous Estimate An estimate that is based on other project estimates is an analogous estimate. If a similar project costs a certain amount, then it is reasonable to assume that the current project will cost about the same. Few projects are exactly the same size and complexity, so the estimate must be adjusted upward or downward to account for the difference. The Learning Resource
  • 28. 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 2/26 selection of projects that are similar and the amount of adjustment needed is up to the judgment of the person who makes the estimate. Normally, this judgment is based on many years of experience estimating projects, including incorrect estimates that were learning experiences for the expert. Analogous Estimate for John’s Move For example, John asked a friend for advice about the cost of moving. His friend replied, “I moved from an apartment a little smaller than yours last year and the distance was about the same. I did it with a fourteen-foot truck. It cost about $575 for the truck rental, pads, hand truck, rope, boxes, and gas.” Because of the similarity of the projects, John’s initial estimate of the cost of the move was less than $700, and he decided that the cost would be affordable and the project could go forward.
  • 29. Less experienced managers who are required to make analogous estimates can look through the documentation that is available from previous projects. If those projects were evaluated using the Darnall-Preston Complexity Index (DPCI), the manager can quickly identify projects that have similar profiles to the project under consideration even if those projects were managed by other people. Comparing the original estimates with the final project costs on several previous projects with the same DPCI ratings gives a less experienced manager the perspective that it would take many years to acquire by trial and error. It also provides references the manager can use to justify the estimate. Parametric Estimate If the project consists of activities that are common to many other projects, average costs are available per unit. For example, if you ask a construction company how much it would cost to build a standard office building, they will ask for the size of the building in square
  • 30. feet and the city in which the building will be built. From these two factors—size and location—the company’s estimator can predict the cost of the building. Factors like size and location are parameters—measurable factors that can be used in an equation to calculate a result. The estimator knows the average cost per square foot of a typical office building and adjustments for local labor costs. Other parameters such as quality of finishes are used to further refine the estimate. Estimates that are calculated by multiplying measured parameters by cost-per-unit values are parametric estimates. 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 3/26 Parametric Estimates for John’s Move To estimate the size of the truck needed for John’s move, the parameter used by a truck rental company is the number of bedrooms, as shown below.
  • 31. Moving Trucks Truck size Number of bedrooms 26’ 4+ bedrooms 24’ 3–4 bedrooms 17’ 2–3 bedrooms 14’ 1–2 bedrooms 10’ apartment The moving company assumes that the number of bedrooms is the important parameter in determining how big a truck is needed for a move. For John’s move, he has a one-bedroom apartment, so he chooses the fourteen-foot truck. Once the size is determined, other parameters, such as distance and days, are used to estimate the cost of the truck rental. Estimating Costs to Initiate Projects Once the project is selected, more accurate estimates are often needed to raise funds and agree on contracts with vendors in the initiation phase.
  • 32. 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 4/26 Estimate During the Initiation Phase of John’s Move John recalled that his friend also told him how tiring it was to do all the packing, loading, and driving himself, and some items were damaged when the load shifted inside the truck during the trip. John decides to call in favors from two friends, Dion and Carlita, to help him pack in Chicago and to hire some of the skilled labor like that needed to load the truck properly. Vendor Bid Analysis If services or products will be provided by vendors, the cost of those services can be determined by issuing a request for proposal (RFP). The RFP describes the work, service, or product to be provided by the vendor and the quality level required. The RFP is sent to a list of vendors who are qualified—meet standards of reliability and capability—to perform
  • 33. this type of work. They respond with a proposal for completing the work described in the RFP, including an estimate of the cost. Some government organizations are required to use the qualified vendor with the lowest bid. Other organizations are not bound to take the lowest bid but are usually required to justify their reasons for not doing so. Using RFPs to Make Estimates on John’s Move John wants to find out how much it would cost to hire a skilled crew to load and secure the furniture in the truck and then have another crew from the same company meet him in Atlanta to unload the truck and help him unpack. He is not sure if any companies offer this option, so he decides to ask three moving companies for bids. He also decides to ask for bids on a standard move that includes all phases of packing, loading, transportation, and unloading as a comparison to see if his cost-saving plan is worth the extra effort. The project management team can review the responses by several vendors to the RFP to
  • 34. determine if their estimate of the cost of that aspect of the project is close to the estimate made during the project selection stage. If the estimates by the vendors are much higher than expected, and if the project cannot be completed for the cost that was used to select the project, the selection decision might have to be reconsidered. Reconsidering the selection of the project should take into consideration the economic ratings of the competing projects that were not chosen and who the project champions are for the projects that would be affected. 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 5/26 Some vendors may suggest an alternative way to meet the objective of the RFP in a more cost-effective manner that does not match the specifics of the RFP. Such alternatives can reduce costs if they are acceptable.
  • 35. Bottom-Up Estimating The most accurate and time-consuming estimating method is to identify the cost of each item in each activity of the schedule, including labor and materials. If you view the project schedule as a hierarchy where the general descriptions of tasks are at the top and the lower levels become more detailed, finding the price of each item at the lowest level and then summing them to determine the cost of higher levels is called bottom-up estimating. 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 6/26 Bottom-Up Estimate for John’s Move After evaluating the bids by the moving companies, John decides the savings are worth his time if he can get the packing done with the help of his friends. He decides to prepare a detailed estimate of costs for packing materials and use of a
  • 36. rental truck. He looks up the prices for packing materials and truck rental costs on company Web sites and prepares a detailed list of items, quantities, and costs, as shown below. Detailed Cost Estimate Category Description Quantit y Unit price Cost Packing materials Small boxes 10 $1.70 $17.00 Packing materials Medium boxes 15 $2.35 $35.25 Packing materials Large boxes 7 $3.00 $21.00 Packing materials
  • 37. Extra large boxes 7 $3.75 $26.25 Packing materials Short hanger boxes 3 $7.95 $23.85 Packing materials Box tape 2 $3.85 $7.70 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 7/26 Category Description Quantit y Unit price Cost Packing materials Markers 2 $1.50 $3.00 Packing materials Mattress/Spring
  • 38. bags 2 $2.95 $5.90 Packing materials Lift straps per pair 1 $24.95 $24.95 Packing materials Bubble wrap 1 $19.95 $19.95 Packing materials Furniture pads 4 $7.95 $31.80 Truck Rental $400.0 0 Truck Gas at 10mpg 200 $2.25 $45.00 This type of estimate is typically more accurate than an analogous or parametric estimate. In this example, the sum of packing materials and truck expenses is estimated to be $661.25. The detail can be rolled up—subtotaled—to display less detail. This process is made easier using computer software. On projects with low complexity, the
  • 39. cost estimates can be done on spreadsheet software. 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 8/26 For example, the subtotal feature could be used in Excel and collapsed to show the subtotals for the two categories of costs.On larger projects, software that manages schedules can also manage costs and display costs by activity and by category. Activity-Based Estimates An activity can have costs from more than one vendor plus costs for labor and materials from internal sources. Detailed estimates from all sources can be reorganized so those costs that are associated with a particular activity can be grouped by adding the activity code to the detailed estimate, as shown in the table below. Detailed Costs Associated with Activities
  • 40. Category Description Activi ty Quanti ty Unit price Cost Packing materials Small boxes 2.1 10 $1.70 $17.00 Packing materials Medium boxes 2.1 15 $2.35 $35.25 Packing materials Large boxes 2.1 7 $3.00 $21.00 Packing materials Extra large boxes 2.1 7 $3.75 $26.25 Packing materials Short hanger boxes
  • 41. 2.1 3 $7.95 $23.85 Packing materials Box tape 2.1 2 $3.85 $7.70 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 9/26 Category Description Activi ty Quanti ty Unit price Cost Packing materials Markers 2.1 2 $1.50 $3.00 Packing materials Mattress/Spring bags
  • 42. 2.1 2 $2.95 $5.90 Packing materials Lift straps per pair 2.1 1 $24.95 $24.95 Packing materials Bubble wrap 2.1 1 $19.95 $19.95 Packing materials Furniture pads 2.1 4 $7.95 $31.80 Truck Rental 2.2 $400.0 0 Truck Gas at 10mpg 2.2 200 $2.25 $45.00 The detailed cost estimates can be sorted by activity and then subtotaled by activity to determine the cost for each activity. Establishing a Budget Once the cost of each activity is estimated, it is possible to determine how much money is needed for each group of tasks and for the whole project.
  • 43. 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 10/26 Cost of Tasks The cost of each group of activities of the project can be estimated by summing the costs of the components of each activity in the group. This process of subtotaling costs by category or activity is called cost aggregation. Budget Timeline Because the costs are associated with activities and each activity has a start date and a duration, it is possible to calculate how much money needs to be spent by any particular date during the project. The money needed to pay for a project is usually transferred to the project account shortly before it is needed. These transfers must be timed so that the money is there to pay for each activity without causing a delay in the start of the activity. If the money is transferred too far in advance, the organization will lose the opportunity
  • 44. to use the money somewhere else, or they will have to pay unnecessary interest charges if the money is borrowed. A schedule of money transfers is created that should match the need to pay for the activities. The process of matching the schedule of transfers with the schedule of activity payments is called reconciliation. Refer to the table below, which shows the costs of ten major activities in a project. Funds are transferred into the project account four times. Notice that during most of the project, there were more funds available than were spent except at Activity 6 when all the available funds were spent. Fund Transfers and Expenditures Activity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cost 5 0 2 0 0 5 0 30
  • 46. 1,3 00 1,4 00 1,8 00 2,1 00 2,6 00 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 11/26 Transfers 4 0 0 90 0 70 0 60 0
  • 49. In the project budget profile shown in the table above, there is no margin for error if the total of the first six activities exceeds the amount of funding at that point in the project. Contractual agreements with vendors often require partial payment of their costs during the project. Those contracts can be managed more conveniently if the unit of measure for partial completion is the same as that used for cost budgeting. For example, if a contractor 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 12/26 is pouring concrete for a large project, their contract may call for partial payment after 25 percent of the total volume of concrete is poured as determined by cubic yards of concrete. Analogous estimating scales an estimate from a similar project to match the current project. Parametric estimating multiplies a
  • 50. standard cost-per-unit value by the number of units in the project. Bids from contractors can be compared to estimate costs. Bottom- up estimating determines the cost of each detail and aggregates them to determine activity cost estimates. During the project selection and approval stage, rough estimates are used that are usually obtained using analogous and parametric methods. Vendor bid analysis and detailed bottom-up estimates are used in the initiation phase to estimate project costs. Detailed estimates are associated with activities and aggregated during the planning phase to create an activity-based budget. Funding transfers are arranged to reconcile money spent to money from funding sources in a timely manner. Managing the Budget Managing Cash Flow If the total amount spent on a project is equal to or less than the amount budgeted, the
  • 51. project can still be in trouble if the funding for the project is not available when it is needed. There is a natural tension between the financial people in an organization, who do not want to pay for the use of money that is just sitting in a checking account, and the project manager, who wants to be sure that there is enough money available to pay for project expenses. The financial people prefer to keep the company’s money working in other investments until the last moment before transferring it to the project account. The contractors and vendors have similar concerns, and they want to get paid as soon as possible so they can put the money to work in their own organizations. The project manager would like to have as much cash available as possible to use if activities exceed budget expectations. Key Points 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211
  • 52. /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 13/26 Contingency Reserves Most projects have something unexpected occur that increases costs above the original estimates. If estimates are rarely exceeded, the estimating method should be reviewed because the estimates are too high. It is not possible to predict which activities cost more than expected, but it is reasonable to assume that some of them will be. Estimating the likelihood of such events is part of risk analysis, which is discussed in more detail in a later chapter. Instead of overestimating each cost, money is budgeted for dealing with unplanned but statistically predictable cost increases. Funds allocated for this purpose are called contingency reserves (Project Management Institute, Inc., 2008). Because it is likely that this money will be spent, it is part of the total budget for the project. If this fund is adequate to meet the unplanned expenses, then the project will complete within the
  • 53. budget. Management Reserves If something occurs during the project that requires a change in the project scope, money may be needed to deal with the situation before a change in scope can be negotiated with the project sponsor or client. It could be an opportunity as well as a challenge. Money can be made available to the project to be used at the discretion of the manager to meet needs that would change the scope of the project. These funds are called management reserves. Unlike contingency reserves, they are not likely to be spent and are not part of the project’s budget baseline, but they can be included in the total project budget (Project Management Institute, Inc., 2008). Evaluating the Budget During the Project A project manager must regularly compare the amount of money spent with the budgeted amount and report this information to managers and stakeholders. It is necessary to
  • 54. establish an understanding of how this progress will be measured and reported. 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 14/26 Reporting Budget Progress on John’s Move In the John’s move example, he estimated that the move would cost about $1,500 and take about sixteen days. Eight days into the project, John has spent $300. John tells his friends that the project is going well because he is halfway through the project but has only spent a fifth of his budget. John’s friend Carlita points out that his report is not sufficient because he did not compare the amount spent to the budgeted amount for the activities that should be done by the eighth day. As John’s friend points out, a budget report must compare the amount spent with the amount that is expected to be spent by that point in the project. Basic measures such as
  • 55. percentage of activities completed, percentage of measurement units completed, and percentage of budget spent are adequate for less complex projects, but more sophisticated techniques are used for projects with higher complexity. Earned Value Management A method that is widely used for medium- and high-complexity projects is the earned value management (EVM) method. EVM is a method of comparing the budgeted and actual costs of a project periodically during the project. It combines the scheduled activities with detailed cost estimates of each activity. It allows for partial completion of an activity if some of the detailed costs associated with the activity have been paid but others have not. The earned value analysis method compares the anticipated cost of work that is scheduled to be done at a given point in time against what has been done and how much it actually cost. The Budgeted Cost of Work and Planned Value
  • 56. The budgeted cost of work scheduled (BCWS) comprises the detailed cost estimates for each activity in the project. The amount of work that should have been done by a particular date is the planned value (PV). These terms are used interchangeably by some sources, but the planned value term is used in formulas to refer to the sum of the budgeted cost of work up to a particular point in the project, so we will make that distinction in the definitions in this text for clarity. 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 15/26 Planned Value on Day Six of John’s Move On day six of the project, John should have taken his friends to lunch and purchased the packing materials. The portion of the BCWS that should have been done by that date (the planned value) is listed in the table below. This is the planned value for day
  • 57. six of the project. Planned Value for Lunch and Packing Materials Description Quantity Cost Lunch 3 $45.00 Small boxes 10 $17.00 Medium boxes 15 $35.25 Large boxes 7 $21.00 Extra large boxes 7 $26.25 Short hanger boxes 3 $23.85 Box tape 2 $7.70 Markers 2 $3.00 Mattress/Spring bags 2 $5.90 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 16/26 Description Quantity Cost Lift straps per pair 1 $24.95
  • 58. Bubble wrap 1 $19.95 Furniture pads 4 $31.80 Total $261.65 Budgeted Cost of Work Performed and Earned Value The budgeted cost of work performed (BCWP) is the budgeted cost of work scheduled that has been done. If you sum the BCWP values up to that point in the project schedule, you have the earned value (EV). Actual Cost The amount spent on an item is often more or less than the estimated amount that was budgeted for that item. The actual cost (AC) is the sum of the amounts actually spent on the items. 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 17/26 Comparing PV, EV, and AC in John’s Move on Day Six
  • 59. Dion and Carlita were both trying to lose weight and just wanted a nice salad. Consequently, the lunch cost less than expected. John makes a stop at a store that sells moving supplies at discount rates. They do not have all the items he needs, but the prices are lower than those quoted by the moving company. They have a very good price on lifting straps so he decides to buy an extra pair. He returns with some of the items on his list, but this phase of the job is not complete by the end of day six. John bought half of the small boxes, all of five other items, twice as many lifting straps, and none of four other items. John is only six days into his project, and his costs and performance are starting to vary from the plan. Earned value analysis gives us a method for reporting that progress. Refer to the figure below. Planned Value, Earned Value, and Actual Cost Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled
  • 60. (BCWS) Budgeted Cost of Work Performed (BCWS) Actual Cost (AC) Descripti on Quantity Cost Quantity Cost Quant ity Co st Lunch 3 $45. 00 3 $45. 00 3 $4 5. 00 Small boxes 10 $17. 00 5 $17. 00
  • 61. 5 $1 7. 00 Note: The original schedule called for spending $261.65 (PV) by day six. The amount of work done was worth $162.10 (EV) according to the estimates, but the actual cost was only $154.50 (AC). 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 18/26 Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled (BCWS) Budgeted Cost of Work Performed (BCWS) Actual Cost (AC) Medium boxes 15 $35. 25
  • 62. 15 $35. 25 15 $3 5. 25 Large boxes 7 $21. 00 Extra large 7 $26. 25 Short hanger 3 $23. 85 Box tape 2 $7.7 0 2 $7.7 0 2 $7
  • 63. .7 0 Markers 2 $3.0 0 2 $3.0 0 2 $3 .0 0 Note: The original schedule called for spending $261.65 (PV) by day six. The amount of work done was worth $162.10 (EV) according to the estimates, but the actual cost was only $154.50 (AC). 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 19/26 Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled (BCWS) Budgeted Cost of Work Performed (BCWS)
  • 64. Actual Cost (AC) Mattress /Spring bags 2 $5.9 0 2 $5.9 0 2 $5 .9 0 Lift straps per pair 1 $24. 95 1 $24. 95 2 $2 4. 95 Bubble wrap 1 $19. 95
  • 65. Furniture pads 4 $31. 80 4 $31. 80 4 $2 8. 50 Planned Value (PV) $26 1.65 Earned Value (EV) $16 2.10 Actual cost (AC) $1 54 .5 0
  • 66. Note: The original schedule called for spending $261.65 (PV) by day six. The amount of work done was worth $162.10 (EV) according to the estimates, but the actual cost was only $154.50 (AC). Schedule Variance The project manager must know if the project is on schedule and within the budget. The difference between planned and actual progress is the variance. The schedule variance (SV) is the difference between the earned value (EV) and the planned value (PV). 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/u muc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 20/26 Expressed as a formula, SV = EV − PV. If less value has been earned than was planned, the schedule variance is negative, which means the project is behind schedule. Schedule Variance on John’s Move Planning for John’s move calls for spending $261.65 by day six, which is the planned
  • 67. value (PV). The difference between the planned value and the earned value is the scheduled variance (SV). The formula is SV = EV − PV. In this example, SV = $162.10 − $261.65 = $(99.55) A negative SV indicates the project is behind schedule. The difference between the earned value (EV) and the actual cost (AC) is the cost variance (CV). Expressed as a formula, CV = EV − AC Cost Variance on John’s Move The difference between the earned value of $162.10 and the actual cost of $154.50 is the cost variance (CV). The formula is CV = EV − AC. In this example, CV = $162.10 − $154.50 = $7.60. A positive CV indicates the project is under budget. Variance Indexes for Schedule and Cost The schedule variance and the cost variance provide the amount by which the spending is behind (or ahead of) schedule and the amount by which a project is exceeding (or less than) its budget. They do not give an idea of how these amounts compare with the total
  • 68. budget. The ratio of earned value to planned value gives an indication of how much of the project is completed. This ratio is the schedule performance index (SPI). The formula is SPI = EV/PV. In the John’s move example, the SPI equals 0.62 (SPI = $162.10/$261.65 = 0.62) A SPI value less than one indicates the project is behind schedule. The ratio of the earned value to the actual cost is the cost performance index (CPI). The formula is CPI = EV/AC. 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 21/26 Cost Performance Index of John’s Move In the John’s move example, CPI = $162.10 / $154.50 = 1.05 A value greater than 1 indicates the project is under budget. Schedule Variance and Cost Variance on Day Six
  • 69. The cost variance of positive $7.60 and the CPI value of 1.05 tell John that he is getting more value for his money than planned for the tasks scheduled by day six. The schedule variance (SV) of negative $99.55 and the schedule performance index (SPI) of 0.62 tell him that he is behind schedule in adding value to the project. During the project, the manager can evaluate the schedule using the schedule variance (SV) and the schedule performance index (SPI) and the budget using the cost variance (CV) and the cost performance index (CPI). Estimated Cost to Complete the Project Partway through the project, the manager evaluates the accuracy of the cost estimates for the activities that have taken place and uses that experience to predict how much money it will take to complete the unfinished activities of the project— the estimate to complete (ETC). Atypical Cost Variance
  • 70. 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 22/26 To calculate the ETC, the manager must decide if the cost variance observed in the estimates to that point are representative of the future. For example, if unusually bad weather causes increased cost during the first part of the project, it is not likely to have the same effect on the rest of the project. If the manager decides that the cost variance up to this point in the project is atypical—not typical—then the estimate to complete is the difference between the original budget for the entire project— the budget at completion (BAC)—and the earned value (EV) up to that point. Expressed as a formula, ETC = BAC − EV. Estimate to Complete John’s Move In John’s move, John was able to buy most of the items at a discount house that did not have a complete inventory and, he chose to buy an extra pair
  • 71. of lift straps. He knows that the planned values for packing materials were obtained from the price list at the moving company where he will have to buy the rest of the items, so those two factors are not likely to be typical of the remaining purchases. The reduced cost of lunch is unrelated to the future costs of packing materials, truck rentals, and hotel fees. John decides that the factors that caused the variances are atypical. He calculates that the estimate to complete (ETC) is the budget at completion ($1,534) minus the earned value at that point ($162.10), which equals $1,371.90. Expressed as a formula, ETC = $1,534 − $162.10 = $1,371.90. Typical Cost Variance If the manager decides that the cost variance is caused by factors that will affect the remaining activities, such as higher labor and material costs, then the estimate to complete (ETC) needs to be adjusted by dividing it by the cost performance index (CPI). For
  • 72. example, if labor costs on the first part of a project are estimated at $80,000 (EV) and they actually cost $85,000 (AC), the cost variance will be 0.94. (Recall that the cost variance = EV – AC). To calculate the estimate to complete (ETC) assuming the cost variance on known activities is typical of future cost, the formula is ETC = (BAC – EV)/CPI. If the budget at completion (BAC) of the project is $800,000, the estimate to complete is ($800,000 – $80,000) / 0.94 = $766,000. Estimate Final Project Cost 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 23/26 If the costs of the activities up to the present vary from the original estimates, it will affect the total estimate for the project cost. The new estimate of the project cost is the estimate at completion (EAC). To calculate the EAC, the
  • 73. estimate to complete (ETC) is added to the actual cost (AC) of the activities already performed. Expressed as a formula, EAC = AC + ETC. Estimate at Completion for John’s Move The revised estimate at completion (EAC) for John’s move at this point in the process is EAC = $154.50 + $1,371.90 = $1,526.40. Refer to the table below for a summary of terms and formulas. Summary of Terms and Formulas for Earned Value Analysis Term Ac ro ny m Description Formula John’ s Mov e Actual cost AC The money actually spent on projects up to the present $154 .50
  • 74. Budget at completion BA C Original budget for the project (same as BCWS) $1,5 34.0 0 Cost performance index CP I Ratio of earned value to actual cost CPI = EV / AC 1.05 Cost variance CV Difference between earned value and actual cost CV = EV - AC $7.6 0
  • 75. 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/ 2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 24/26 Term Ac ro ny m Description Formula John’ s Mov e Earned value EV Sum of estimates for work actually done up to the present $162 .10 Estimate at completion EA C Revised estimate of total project cost
  • 76. EAC = AC + ETC $1,5 26.4 0 Estimate to complete ET C Money to complete the project if early cost variance is typical ETC = BAC - EV $1,3 71.9 0 Estimate to complete ET C Money to complete the project if early cost variance is atypical ETC = (BAC- EV) / CPI
  • 77. N/A Planned value PV Sum of the estimates for work done up to the present $261 .65 Schedule performance index SPI Ratio of earned value to planned value SPI = EV / PV .62 Schedule variance SV Difference between earned value and planned value SV = EV - PV $(99. 55) 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs
  • 78. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 25/26 Extra money is allocated in a contingency fund to deal with activities where costs exceed estimates. Funds are allocated in a management reserves in case a significant opportunity or challenge occurs that requires change of scope but funds are needed immediately before a scope change can typically be negotiated. Schedule variance is the difference between the part of the budget that has been done so far (EV) versus the part that was planned to be completed by now (PV). Similarly, the cost variance is the difference between the EV and the actual cost (AC). The schedule performance index (SPI) is the ratio of the earned value and the planned value. The cost performance index (CPI) is the ratio of the earned value (EV) to the actual cost (AC). The formula used to calculate the amount of money needed to complete the project (ETC) depends on whether or not the cost
  • 79. variance to this point is expected to continue (typical) or not (atypical). If the cost variance is atypical, the ETC is simply the original total budget (BAC) minus the earned value (EV). If they are typical of future cost variances, the ETC is adjusted by dividing the difference between BAC and EV by the CPI. The final budget is the actual cost (AC) to this point plus the estimate to complete (ETC). References Project Management Institute, Inc., A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 4th ed. (Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute, Inc., 2008), 173. Licenses and Attributions Chapter 9: Estimating and Managing Costs (http://open.lib.umn.edu/projectmanagement/part/chapter-9- estimating-and-managing- costs/) from Project Management from Simple to Complex by the University of
  • 80. Minnesota Libraries Publishing is an adaptation of a work whose original author and Key Points http://open.lib.umn.edu/projectmanagement/part/chapter-9- estimating-and-managing-costs/ 1/31/2021 Estimating and Managing Costs https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-resourcelist/estimating-and-managing- costs.html?ou=541222 26/26 publisher request anonymity and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by- nc-sa/4.0/) license. UMUC has modified this work and it is available under the original license. © 2021 University of Maryland Global Campus All links to external sites were verified at the time of publication. UMGC is not responsible for the validity or integrity of information located at external sites. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
  • 81. 1/31/2021 Project Statement of Work https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-topic-list/project-statement-of-work.html?ou=541222 1/2 Project Statement of Work By Adrienne Watt and bpayne The statement of work (SOW), sometimes called the scope of work, is a definition of a project’s parameters—factors that define a system and determine its behavior—and describes the work done within the boundaries of the project, and the work that is outside the project boundaries. The SOW is typically a written document that defines what work will be accomplished by the end of the project—the deliverables of the project. The project scope defines what will be done, and the project management plan defines how the work will be accomplished. No template works for all projects. Some projects have a detailed scope of work, and some have a short summary document. The quality of the scope
  • 82. is measured by the ability of the project manager and project stakeholders to develop and maintain a common understanding of the products or services the project will deliver. The size and detail of the project scope is related to the complexity profile of the project. A more complex project often requires a more detailed and comprehensive scope document. According to the Project Management Institute (2008), the scope statement should include the following components: description of the scope product acceptance criteria project deliverables project exclusions project constraints project assumptions Learning Topic
  • 83. 1/31/2021 Project Statement of Work https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/mba/mba670/2211 /learning-topic-list/project-statement-of-work.html?ou=541222 2/2 The scope document is the basis for agreement by all parties. A clear project scope document is also critical to managing change on a project. Since the project scope reflects what work will be accomplished on the project, any change in expectations that is not captured and documented creates an opportunity for confusion. One of the most common trends in project management is the incremental expansion in the project scope. This trend is labeled scope creep. Scope creep threatens the success of a project because the small increases in scope require additional resources that were not in the plan. Increasing the scope of the project is a common occurrence, and adjustments are made to the project budget and schedule to account for these changes. Scope creep occurs when these changes are not recognized or not managed. The ability of
  • 84. a project manager to identify potential changes is often related to the quality of the scope documents. References Project Management Institute, Inc. (2008). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK guide) (4th ed.). Project Management Institute, Inc. Licenses and Attributions Chapter 4: Framework for Project Management (https://opentextbc.ca/projectmanagement/chapter/chapter -4- framework-for-project- management-project-management/) by bpayne and Adrienne Watt from Project Management is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en) license. © 2014, Adrienne Watt. UMUC has modified this work and it is available under the original license. Download this book for free at http://open.bccampus.ca (http://open.bccampus.ca) .
  • 85. © 2021 University of Maryland Global Campus All links to external sites were verified at the time of publication. UMGC is not responsible for the validity or integrity of information located at external sites. https://opentextbc.ca/projectmanagement/chapter/chapter -4- framework-for-project-management-project-management/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en http://open.bccampus.ca/ Introduction In this two-week project, you will work with a project team made up of your fellow students using basic project management skills to plan for the design, construction, outfitting, and stocking of a new retail store in Brazi l for your US-based home improvement company. As this is the first time the company has opened a store in an international market, your team will blaze a new trail for the company and set the example for future international expansion. This project will require you and your team to create several deliverables using templates provided in the steps below to ensure that the new store is fully operational by the target date. You will have two weeks to complete all nine steps. Recall that by the end of Week 2 in Project 1, you should have completed several tasks in preparation for this project: (1) joined a team, (2) posted your team agreement to your group discussion area, (3) posted your project work plan to your group discussion area, (4) downloaded and installed Microsoft Project on your personal computer, or have access to it, and (5) completed MS Project Practice Exercise. To get started, click Step 1: Become Familiar with Project Scope. Competencies
  • 86. Your work will be evaluated using the competencies listed below. · 1.1: Organize document or presentation clearly in a manner that promotes understanding and meets the requirements of the assignment. · 1.2: Develop coherent paragraphs or points so that each is internally unified and so that each functions as part of the whole document or presentation. · 1.3: Provide sufficient, correctly cited support that substantiates the writer's ideas. · 1.6: Follow conventions of Standard Written English. · 1.7: Create neat and professional looking documents appropriate for the project or presentation. · 2.2: Locate and access sufficient information to investigate the issue or problem. · 2.4: Consider and analyze information in context to the issue or problem. · 3.1: Identify numerical or mathematical information that is relevant in a problem or situation. · 3.4: Employ software applications and analytic tools to analyze, visualize, and present data to inform decision-making. · 4.1: Lead and/or participate in a diverse group to accomplish projects and assignments. · 4.2: Demonstrate the ability to plan and execute a project, articulating clear objectives and goals for the team. · 4.3: Contribute to team projects, assignments, or organizational goals as an engaged member of a team. · 4.4: Demonstrate diversity and inclusiveness in a team setting. · 5.4: Resolve workplace conflicts using the optimal approaches and techniques for the situation and involved parties. · 6.1: Identify the general (external) environment in which an organization operates and discuss the implications for enterprise success. · 7.4: Analyze the impact of international and foreign laws on US organizations acting domestically and abroad. · 9.2: Evaluate how human capital serves as a source of
  • 87. competitive advantage. · 9.3: Apply the principles of employment law for ethical practices and risk mitigation.