68 lines
2.3 KiB
Markdown
68 lines
2.3 KiB
Markdown
---
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id:
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aliases: []
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tags:
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- topic/estimating
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- topic/organization
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- type/philosophy
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title: Estimating Culture
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---
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# Estimating Culture
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The nature of relationships between [[construction-estimating|estimators]]
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and between estimators and adjacent professions,
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is a difficult concept to navigate
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for an estimator who is purely interested in improving their skills.
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## Transparency
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Because of the persistent myth of estimate accuracy,
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estimators are highly guarded of their personal processes,
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because detailed analysis of these processes
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would reveal that every one of us is a "bad" estimator.
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## Accountability
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Estimators have a reputation for causing problems others have to solve.
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Because of the nature of the bid process,
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estimators work on projects for a while,
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and then never look at them again until trouble arises.
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Because they are not expected to ever look at their work again,
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they have no incentive to reveal errors
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as they can simply plead ignorance if the error is discovered.
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## Collaboration
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Estimation is a profession ripe for productive collaboration.
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With intelligent work breakdown, jobs can be cleanly segmented for work in parallel.
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Estimators working in the same room can be an invaluable resource
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for brainstorming ideas and beneficial conversation.
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It is the failure of [[estimating-culture]]
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and of [[construction-estimating-software]]
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that so many estimators are wary of collaboration.
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The value of a second set of eyes can not be overstated.
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It can be impossible for one estimator to parse the work of another;
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the strategies enjoyed by some may seem counterintuitive to others.
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It is not practical to mandate a single methodology
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for all estimators of a nationwide company,
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nor is it wise to accept all methodologies as equally valid.
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Compromising, a small group of estimators with direct communication
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can be expected to develop and maintain a consistent methodology,
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such that any member can independently verify the work of another.
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This is best enforced with an expectation of collaboration on all projects,
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even those that could be done by one person.
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## Kaizen
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* Be competent with every tool available to you.
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* Always assume there is a better way to complete a given task.
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Making estimation more efficient and enjoyable
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requires a unified effort by estimators
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to embrace the statistical aspects of our field.
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