Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Earned Value management can be explained at great length (it has). Let’s try two sentences.

Some people live by earned value project management. Some people, well, not so much. There are many books and chapters written on the topic (I am one guilty author).

Let’s cut it down a bit.

1. If it took 5 days to do a task estimated at 4 days and this is repeated several times, it will take 10 days to do tasks estimated at 8 days, 15 days to do tasks estimated at 12 days, and all multiples and qoutients we can imagine.
2. If you cannot explain how you’ll do “better” in the future than in the past, #1. holds.

Some folks will claim they can improve by working 12-hour days 7 days a week instead of 8-hour days five days a week. That is merely working unpaid overtime. That doesn’t “fix” anything.

Sorry folks. Past performance usually indicates future performance. Again, sorry folks.