Spectre Task Realisation Estimator

...is an estimating tool for IT tasks.

It generates a number of indicators for a proposed task of which the critical one is Development Effort expressed in days.

It also provides an at-a-glance view:

For each project: the developers assigned, the tasks allocated to them, the estimated effort for each task and the total for the project.
For each developer: the allocated tasks and the estimated effort for each, the project to which each task has been assigned and the total task effort required.

Account is taken of:

the programming language in which the task will be realised
its functionality
its complexity
the extent to which existing code and design can be utilised
(optionally) the experience and knowledge of the task assignee

Other indicators include:

the suitability of the task to its assignee
an evaluation of the task’s functional content
an assessment of the task’s complexity

The general design principles underlying this product could also accommodate non-IT specific operations where a task-within-project approach is employed. For example, law and engineering come to mind. Operation-specific customisation would apply to the questions that SPECTRE asks, but the answers would be handled more or less exactly as they are at present. The future beckons…