Outcomes at a Glance

• $400K budget gap identified (initial internal estimate: $600K → SLIM estimate: >$1M)
• Successful negotiation of a higher, industry‑aligned budget
• Client awarded Phase 1 of the project
• Improved credibility through evidence‑based estimation
• Organization avoided underbidding and risking missed deadlines 

Context

Heuristic Solutions, a custom software development firm, was pursuing a major new opportunity.

Based solely on expert intuition, the team believed the project would cost approximately $600,000. Because the opportunity was significant, they needed to validate whether their assumption was realistic. Their existing estimation process relied on manual spreadsheets created

Barriers

• Heavy reliance on intuitive, undocumented estimation practices
• Complicated spreadsheets with no standard methodology
• No way to compare assumptions against industry benchmarks or historical data
• High risk of underbidding and committing to unachievable cost and schedule targets 

What QSM Delivered

Heuristic business analyst Vaughan Moore implemented SLIM‑Estimate after attending QSM training and learning how to size and model the project using proven parametric methods. SLIM‑Estimate revealed the project would actually exceed $1 million, far above the team’s original $600K assumption.

During the final client presentation, Moore used SLIM‑Estimate to show:

• Industry productivity trends from the QSM database
• Heuristic Solutions’ own historical productivity data
• A clear, evidence‑based calculation of true project cost

This transparency gave the client confidence and enabled them to request a board‑approved budget including a management reserve. Heuristic Solutions won Phase 1 of the project, avoided underbidding, and secured the resources needed to deliver on schedule.