Refining estimates as a project becomes clearer

Project Overview

SMW Music Academy needed to plan a modernization project before every requirement and technical dependency was known. A detailed delivery estimate at that stage would have hidden important assumptions.

The team used three levels of estimation. An early estimate supported investment and prioritization decisions. A high-level estimate organized the roadmap around major components. Detailed estimates examined the work, dependencies, testing, and delivery requirements for an agreed phase.

Each estimate served a different decision and could be revised as the project developed. The useful outcome was a visible basis for discussing scope, timing, and cost, with uncertainties kept alongside the plan.