Trying to improve our project estimates. How do you break down time allocation for different audit phases? Like what percentage goes to data gathering vs analysis vs report writing? I'm consistently underestimating and want to get more realistic.
Time tracking for audit phases - what's realistic?
Eugene, this varies a lot by client organization and utility cooperation, but roughly: Data gathering 40%, Analysis 35%, Report writing 15%, Client communications/follow-up 10%. The data gathering phase kills you if the client is disorganized or the utility is unresponsive.
Don't forget about utility follow-up time after you submit refund requests. That's often another 10-15% of total project time that clients don't see but you still have to do. Some utilities drag their feet for months on processing refunds and you'll be fielding client questions the whole time.
Tony makes a good point about utility follow-up. I track that as a separate phase now. Eugene, I'd also suggest keeping detailed time logs for a few months so you can see where your estimates are off. You might find you're faster at analysis than you think but slower at data gathering, or vice versa.
Mike's percentages seem about right for typical audits. But I'd budget extra time for report writing if you're dealing with complex industrial accounts or multiple rate schedules. Those reports can get really detailed and clients want everything explained clearly. Also factor in revision time - first drafts are rarely final drafts.