The company I work for is made up of many functional groups located around the world. The information technology group is responsible for providing a reliable and robust computer environment through which the company can run its global operations. The information technology group manages changes to the computer environment primarily through projects. Some of the projects are operational (upgrades to the network operating system), while other projects support the strategic initiatives of the business (providing the technology needed to open and support a new sales office). As part of the project approval process, the information technology group must estimate the time and cost needed to complete a project. Using project estimating techniques allows the information technology group to create time and cost estimates more accurately and more efficiently.
