How to best educate non IT people how time intensive it is?

[zazou]

This might be an oddball but a serious question in reality.

When faced with non IT clients that have asked you to build a complex system that is just an idea in their mind and they really believe that you can deliver in two weeks, what do you find working best educating them?

Please keep this on topic.


Client has his education from films and genuinely thinks software development looks like this

[jamesbrown]

Ask them to articulate the reasons they believe this can be done in two weeks and then systematically dismantle their beliefs, as professionally as possible (if you like them) Seriously, though, you need to understand the origins of their beliefs before you can address them.

Ordinarily, the reason someone brings in an expert is to get their expert advice. If you don't have their trust or they are a type A that knows enough to be dangerous, it's going to be harder, but the starting point is to understand why they think something complex is simple (vs. waiting for you to educate them about the level of complexity).

[NotAllThere]

I was in a meeting once where I was asked for an estimate. Five months I said. Some manager (non-IT) said - "really? I thought it would be about 4 weeks? Where do you get your figure from?".

"Same place you got yours".

He shut up after that. This wasn't a client as such - we were all working for the client - so maybe a little more politeness would be in order.

[SueEllen]

Client has his education from films and genuinely thinks software development looks like this

The graphics on films like that take longer than 2 weeks to do.

Anyway ask them politely to explain where they got their timescale from. Then explain using an example or two, preferably famous examples, why it will take months or even years.

[cojak]

Or ask them what they think happens in film post-production, then ask them to estimate how long films are in post-production.

http://www.raindance.org/the-13-step...st-production/

[Old Greg]

Show them this: http://forums.contractoruk.com/searc...archid=3199493

[LondonManc]

I was in a meeting once where I was asked for an estimate. Five months I said. Some manager (non-IT) said - "really? I thought it would be about 4 weeks? Where do you get your figure from?".

"Same place you got yours".

He shut up after that. This wasn't a client as such - we were all working for the client - so maybe a little more politeness would be in order.

Ah, so it's not just on here that you're like that! Are you short?

[DimPrawn]

When faced with non IT clients that have asked you to build a complex system that is just an idea in their mind and they really believe that you can deliver in two weeks, what do you find working best educating them?

[Bee]

This might be an oddball but a serious question in reality.

When faced with non IT clients that have asked you to build a complex system that is just an idea in their mind and they really believe that you can deliver in two weeks, what do you find working best educating them?

Please keep this on topic.


Client has his education from films and genuinely thinks software development looks like this

If you are a PM, it's important to develop skills in order to be able to spoke with non IT people.

Show and explain them the scope, general design and the project plan. It's also very important to keep them updated in each phase, with is, they will learn that it's not like in the movies.
Be very patient.

[VectraMan]

I saw one recently in the form "How long would it take to add a menu option to do [extremely complicated process]?". It was very tempting to reply with "2 minutes".