38 Work Hours Calculator

Work Hours Calculator:

Use this tool to help calculate the length of your project. Use spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel so that calculation can be done. Consider the activity that you are doing and estimate how long it will take to complete if the interruptions were limited, that number is the most likely number to use in this table. Estimate the time it would take to complete the activity if things went exceptionally well and the work went much faster than you expected, that is the optimistic number and the pessimistic number is the time it takes if there are impediments that you did not anticipate.

 

Once you enter those numbers in the work hours calculator, a number is generated using a formula that balances those and gives more weight to the most likely number. The formula shown is a sample, formulas vary and another may work better with your specific project. Use the number that is generated in the “Work Hours Calculated” column to calculate your project duration. This is an educated guess of the duration of your project and the times should be evaluated as to their accuracy when the activities are actually completed, but it is a better way to estimate project times than just guessing. You can tweak the formula and the process after you have had some experience in estimating the times.

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Project Management Basics Copyright © by Sharon Blanchard is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.