Project Effort Estimate
Effort vs duration for Odoo 19 â range-aware estimates that learn from timesheets.
Free â LGPL-3
Separate productive effort from calendar duration. Enable estimation per project when you need it, score ten drivers, get an optimistic / expected / pessimistic range with confidence, apply whole-hour expected effort to Allocated Time, and calibrate against timesheets.
Why this module?
Allocated Time is effort â not a deadline. Waiting, capacity and uncertainty need a different model. This free addon gives project teams a transparent estimate with a realistic range, not a false single number. Small projects can leave it switched off.
Opt-in per Project
Disabled by default. Activate Effort Estimation only where structured scoring adds value.
Effort â Duration
Expected productive hours stay separate from working-day duration based on capacity, focus and waiting.
Ten Drivers
Volume, complexity, clarity, uncertainty, skill, familiarity, dependencies, integration, testing and reviews.
Learns from Actuals
Closed tasks compare estimates to timesheets and build a project calibration factor over time.
Key Features
- Per-project Effort Estimation switch (default off)
- Task tab Effort estimate / Aufwandschätzung
- Five-layer calculation: base â modifiers â extras â PERT â duration
- Optimistic, most likely, pessimistic and expected hours
- Expected Effort rounded to the nearest full hour
- Confidence: Low / Medium / High
- Apply Expected Effort to Odoo Allocated Time on demand
- Project settings for reference hours and capacity defaults
- Historical calibration from timesheet actuals
- German translations included
How the estimate works
- Base effort â project reference hours à work-volume multiplier
- Modifiers â multiplicative factors for complexity, clarity, uncertainty, skill, familiarity, dependency, integration and testing
- Explicit extras â review cycles, meetings, rework and analysis overhead
- PERT range â expected = (optimistic + 4 Ã most likely + pessimistic) / 6, then rounded to the nearest full hour
- Duration â rounded expected hours ÷ effective daily capacity + waiting days
The estimate is decision support â not a guarantee. Its value is transparency, uncertainty and continuous learning.
Configuration
On each projectâs Settings tab, turn on Effort Estimation (it is off by default for smaller projects). Then set reference effort hours, review-cycle hours, default daily capacity, focus factor and allocation. Optionally enable historical calibration so new estimates use the learned actual/estimate ratio from completed tasks.
Typical workflow
- Enable Effort Estimation on the project
- Configure project defaults
- Score drivers on the task tab
- Review expected hours (whole hours), range, confidence and duration
- Apply expected effort to Allocated Time when accepted
- Log timesheets and close the task â calibration updates automatically
Requirements
- Odoo 19.0 Community or Enterprise
- Dependencies: project, hr_timesheet
- License: LGPL-3 (free to download and use)
- No external Python libraries
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Project Effort Estimate free?
Yes. It is published free of charge under the LGPL-3 license. There is no purchase price on the Apps Store.
Do I have to use it on every project?
No. Effort Estimation is disabled by default. Enable it in project Settings only where you want the Effort estimate tab.
Does it overwrite Allocated Time automatically?
No. Expected Effort is a suggestion. Use Apply Expected Effort to Allocated Time when you accept it. The applied value is rounded to the nearest full hour.
What is the difference between effort and duration?
Effort is productive working hours. Duration is working days until completion, including capacity, focus and waiting for dependencies.
Does it use timesheets?
Yes. When a task is closed, actual hours from timesheets are stored for calibration against the final estimate.
Is German supported?
Yes. UI strings include German translations (e.g. Effort estimate â Aufwandschätzung).
How do I get support?
Email support@aries-software.net or visit aries-software.net.
Related Aries Software Apps
Need help or customisation?
Questions, feedback or custom estimation models â we are happy to help.
