Break down the project
Identify the user journeys, business rules and components to build.
Our service
IT Project Estimation: A Budget Built on Clear Assumptions
IT project estimation is there to support decisions: what to build, in what order and under which constraints. We make dependencies and uncertainties explicit, including those specific to AI projects, and we price a delivery we are ready to carry out.
For
Decision-makers budgeting an application, an MVP, a rebuild, or a data, DevOps or AI project
Deliverables
Documented assumptions, estimate by work package, schedule, scenarios, proposed team and risks
Formats
Quick estimate, detailed estimate, or estimate plus sprint 0
Next step
A basis for a fixed-price or dedicated-team engagement, also usable by another provider
What we build
A scope tied to your business.
A useful estimate explains what is included, what remains hypothetical and what could change the budget. It is used to compare delivery scenarios, not just to produce a total. We start from user journeys and business rules rather than from a number of screens.
Assess dependencies
Integrations, data migration, security, quality and operations are included in the estimate.
Compare scenarios
Tie priorities to scope, schedule and budget options.
Why estimate
What a good IT project estimate makes possible.
Validate feasibility and scope
Choose between a reduced first version and a more complete version, knowing what each implies.
Make explicit trade-offs
Budget, timeline and quality level are weighed against each other, with trade-offs that are visible rather than endured.
Anticipate risks
Integrations, security, data and existing systems are identified before committing.
Size the delivery team
The skills, seniority and organization needed to deliver the chosen scope.
Secure the kickoff
An explicit scope limits drift during the project.
Cost drivers
What makes an IT project estimate vary.
Functional scope
Number of user journeys, screens and business rules.
Integrations
ERP, CRM, single sign-on, payment, third-party APIs and synchronizations.
Expected quality
Automated tests, acceptance testing, robustness and service commitments.
Security & compliance
Role management, audit log, GDPR and traceability.
Data & reporting
Dashboards, data history and data model.
Performance & operations
Expected load, architecture, deployment pipeline, monitoring and support.
For which projects
The projects we estimate.
Custom applications
Web or mobile applications or business software tailored to your processes and technical constraints. See custom software development.
MVP
A first SaaS product, internal tool or advanced prototype, with a scope chosen to validate value.
Redesigns and modernization
Stack modernization and gradual migrations without disrupting operations.
Data and BI
Dashboards, data warehouse and pipelines.
DevOps and cloud
Deployment industrialization, cloud migration, monitoring.
AI projects
An assistant, an agent or an AI feature integrated into a product, or taking an existing POC all the way to production.
Estimation and AI
Estimating an AI project without underestimating production.
In an AI project, the visible part (the model call) is rarely the most expensive. The budget is driven by data access, permissions, evaluation datasets, error handling, monitoring and model usage costs. We price these items separately and flag the uncertainties that justify a prototype before a full commitment.
When a POC already exists, the estimate covers what is missing to run it in production. See our AI solutions for businesses and our AI agents and chatbots.
From work to deliverables
How the engagement unfolds.
The project is broken down into work packages: design, development, integrations, data, testing and go-live. We identify external dependencies and areas to explore. Several scopes can then be compared along with their consequences. The assumptions are shared so that you can decide what should take priority.
Understand
Workshop on objectives, users, information system constraints, integrations, security and data volumes.
Break down
Modules, user journeys and user stories, prioritized by value.
Identify risks
Existing systems, uncertain APIs, data, performance, compliance.
Propose scenarios
A reduced first version, a more complete version or a roadmap in successive phases.
Present and adjust
Presentation of the estimate and assumptions, then adjustment with you until the plan is realistic.
What your team receives
- Documented assumptions, with what is included and excluded
- estimate by scope, by batch or by module
- schedule, milestones and dependencies
- delivery scenarios and proposed team
- risks and options to reduce them
Estimation formats
Three levels of estimation.
Quick estimate
A ballpark budget and timeline, a recommended first-version scope and the main risks.
Detailed estimate
Functional and technical breakdown, structured schedule, proposed team, assumptions and dependencies, ahead of kickoff.
Estimate and sprint 0
In-depth scoping, architecture choices, prototype or POC, and a prioritized backlog ready for development.
The choices that matter
The points to decide with your team.
A timeline also depends on the availability of the people who approve, on access and on third-party providers. Major unknowns may call for scoping or a prototype before committing. The estimate must be revisited when a change alters the rules, the volumes or the expected interfaces.
If the need is still unclear, IT project scoping is a useful step before the estimate.
The collaboration framework
Preparing the first conversation.
You can present how things currently work, the users involved and the difficulties you face. The documents, examples and access required are specified afterwards, depending on the chosen scope. The first objective is to understand the work to be done and the dependencies that may affect how it unfolds.
Frequently asked questions
IT project estimation: your questions.
Can you estimate an IT project without detailed specifications?
Yes. The estimate can be based on a description of the need, an existing product, a prototype or exploratory discussions. We then structure a scope, a backlog and technical assumptions that serve as the basis for pricing.
Why propose several scenarios?
To inform trade-offs. A first-version scenario focuses on the essentials to validate an idea; a more complete version adds features and robustness. Comparing the two aligns budget, timeline and objectives from the start.
Is an estimate fixed or does it evolve?
It is based on assumptions made at a given point in time and is refined as the scope becomes clearer. The more detailed the scoping, the more reliable it is. In an agile context, it deliberately remains open to change.
Can an estimate be turned into a fixed-price commitment?
Yes, provided the scope is clearly defined and stable. This generally requires additional scoping to reduce areas of uncertainty. See the fixed-price IT project.
When should you ask for an estimate?
As soon as the broad outlines of the project are identified, even if not all the details are known. An early estimate validates feasibility, anticipates budgets and informs key decisions before development begins.
How do you estimate an AI project?
By pricing separately the model integration, data access, evaluations, monitoring and usage costs. Uncertainty about achievable quality often justifies a short prototype before committing to the whole project.
Does the estimate commit you to the delivery?
The estimate is a deliverable your teams or another provider can use. If you entrust us with the delivery, it serves as the basis for the commitment, as a fixed-price project or with a dedicated team.
Let’s talk about your project.
Tell us what you want to build, the users involved and your technical environment. Together we will define the scope to estimate.