Do you have a good worker, whose only problem is that they can't seem to deliver on time? This is actually very typical in many industries. For example, the Standish Group found that there is a 75% chance that any software project will not be delivered in the time estimated, and other industries are similar.

The good news is that there are ways to manage this. By completing the vWorker.com requirements wizard, you can greatly increase the chances of on-time delivery.  But even this is not enough, because a competent worker can still estimate incorrectly despite this.

     To avoid an unpleasant surprise, we highly recommend that you take the delivery date that your worker estimated and calculate a realistic delivery date. That date will be either 5x or 2x longer than the worker estimated.  You will not reveal this date to the worker, nor will you enter it into the site as an official date (since that would defeat the purpose).  Instead, if the worker misses a milestone deadline and is still doing a good job, you will dole out some of the extra slack time that you have.  And if they are not doing a good job, then you can still hold them accountable to the original date, and take the project into arbitration for a refund (via your money-back guarantee).  This puts you in the driver seat.

• Unforeseeable problems:
  
  Many of the problems that come up during development are unforeseeable.  If you have ever started a "simple" home improvement project and later found it was much more complicated than you realized, then you know first hand how programming can be...even for the experts.
   
• Misunderstood/unclear requirements:
  
  When the requirements are unclear, the worker usually underestimates what it takes to build your project.  To use an analogy, they may estimate your project as if you wanted a comfortable house.  Only mid-project do they realize that you were expecting the Taj Mahal, and realize that they under estimated. 
   
  

1. The Realistic Estimate:
   
       Take the worker's estimate and secretly calculate a more realistic estimate by multiplying their estimated time by 5.  If the worker has given you the estimate after all of the requirements have been fully documented in a formal document (and/or prototype) and finalized, then you only need to multiply it by 2. (Click here to learn where these numbers come from.)   Then, use this realistic estimate in your planning, rather than the worker's estimate. 
   
        It's important that you NEVER share your realistic estimate with the worker.  If they feel they have too time to spare, they will not work as hard on your project and it will defeat the whole purpose of this technique.  Do NOT enter the date into the vWorker.com web site or put it anywhere where the worker might learn about it. Instead keep it like a secret in your "back pocket".
    
2. Managing a missed deadline:
   
      Managing missed deadlines properly actually begins before the worker starts your project. If you wait until the end of your project to start managing them, your options will be much more limited than if you did it earlier. To do this, tell the worker that before they start, they must list out all of the tasks in the project and how long they will take to reach each milestone.  Each task length should be 2 days or less.  If it comes out to be more, then they should split into smaller sub tasks that are 2 days or less. This method has been proven to produce more accurate estimates. 
   
       Then let them start the work and have them report to you when each task is complete.  If they finish every task as planned, then that is great.  But if they don't (which is more likely), then the minute they miss one, tell them to re-estimate it (and the remaining items, as described below).  Remember, the slippage won't cause you a problem, because you will have accounted for it in your realistic estimate. 
    
3. How a worker should re-estimate tasks:
   
       It's important that the worker re-estimate properly. First, to ensure that they are doing a good job, require them to increase their commitment to your project (see "commitment terms" for more details").  Once they do, then tell them to re-estimate the time for the current task.  Software estimation experts have found that if a milestones was missed by an amount (say 20%), then the worker should add at least 20% to all other milestones as well.  Workers are often tempted to gloss over this, but you should insist on them doing this.
    
4. Stay in the driver's seat:
   
       It's important to understand that as long as you DO NOT reveal your secret delivery date to the worker, you are in the driver's seat.  You can decide to dole them more time from your secret estimate.  Or you can decide not to and take them to arbitration for a refund.  However if you make the mistake of telling the worker that your realistic deadline is their "real" deadline, then you no longer have that option, and MUST give them ALL of that time.  So it is always better to keep it hidden "in your back pocket".