Fast Estimate for Jira

Project effort estimation made easy — fast, transparent, and lightweight for teams.

User guide Installation FAQ Support

What you get

Quick Min / Max / Guess + Unknown% input for each work package
Immediate calculation of implementation effort and total project effort
Activity breakdown (testing, documentation, management, …) as adjustable factors
Multiple calculation methods (Arithmetic / Geometric / PERT) and time units
Export to PDF for sharing and documentation

Data & security (summary)

Built on Atlassian Forge
No third-party tracking
No external network calls (except opening links you click)
Data stored within Forge storage for your Jira site

Note: Your Marketplace listing also includes dedicated “Privacy & Security” and “Support” sections.

User guide

1) Create or load work packages

Type titles directly into the Implementation table (Excel-style).
If Jira issues already exist, use Load Jira Issues to import Epics (Level 1) and/or Stories/Tasks/Bugs (Level 0).

2) Enter your estimate (Min / Max / Guess / Unknown%)

Min: optimistic effort
Max: pessimistic effort
Guess: most likely effort (your current best guess)
Unknown%: uncertainty buffer for what you do not know yet

Tip

You can enter values with units (e.g., 3h, 2d, 1.5w, 0.5m, 0.1y) or Points (p) if enabled. If you enter only a number, Fast Estimate interprets it using your selected default input unit.

3) Understand the calculated results

Calculated: probable effort derived from Min/Max/Guess (method selectable: Arithmetic / Geometric / PERT).
Unknown: uncertainty effort derived from Calculated × Unknown%.
The Activities table shows a breakdown per activity and the overall total — both without and with uncertainty.

4) Adjust activity factors

Activities (Testing, Documentation, Management, …) are calculated as a % of the base activity (often Implementation).
Change the % values to fit your context (e.g., Testing 50% → 30%).
You can rename activities to match your organization’s terminology.

5) Export and share

Use Export PDF to share the estimate with stakeholders.
Store the PDF alongside proposals, project documentation, or decision logs.

Installation guide

In Jira Cloud, open Apps → Find new apps (or open Marketplace in your browser).
Search for Fast Estimate and click Get it now.
Approve requested permissions.
Open a project and navigate to Fast Estimate in the project menu.

Admin notes

Fast Estimate is a Forge app and runs inside Atlassian’s cloud infrastructure.
Data is stored per Jira site in Forge storage.
To uninstall: Apps → Manage apps → Fast Estimate → Uninstall.

FAQ

Which calculation method should we use?

Arithmetic: simple midpoint (Min+Max)/2
Geometric: emphasizes the lower bound when uncertainty is high (sqrt(Min×Max))
PERT: weights the most likely value (Min + 4×Guess + Max)/6

If you're unsure, start with Geometric or PERT and compare results.

What does “Unknown%” mean?

Unknown% is your uncertainty buffer. It represents additional effort you might need once requirements and technical details become clearer. It helps communicate risk transparently without hiding it inside Min/Max.

Can we use it for presales?

Yes. Fast Estimate is designed for early-stage estimates when information is incomplete. It gives you a quick baseline plus an explicit uncertainty buffer.

Does Fast Estimate send data outside Atlassian?

No. The app does not make external network calls. Data stays within Forge storage for your Jira site. (External links open only when you click them.)

How can we compare estimates vs. actuals?

Advanced reporting (planned vs. done, historical baselines, and similar) can be added as an enhanced feature set. If you want guidance or custom solutions for your context, see Support.

Support

Need help with Fast Estimate, want to tailor the approach to your organization, or want guidance on advanced estimation topics?

Email: fastestimate@itc-sandhorst.de
Website: www.itc-sandhorst.de/fast-estimate-jira.html
Here you see the Help center, where you can report a bug, suggest a new feature and get technical support: Help Center
Here you can report a bug and track issues: Issue Tracker
You find the Service Level Agreement here : www.itc-sandhorst.de/fast-estimate-sla.html
Response time: typically within 2 business days
Business Hours are from Mo-Fr between 9:00 and 18:00 Berlin Time (GMT+1:00). On the Atlassian Marketplace Listing is given 10:00-18:00 with Athens Time (GMT-2:00)) This is the same Time.

Optional services

Optional Workshops and Consulting - Onboarding and rollout - Adapting/Customizing to your organisation and project - Integrating results with your project governance - Best Practices for estimation coaching - Comparing estimates with actuals - Other advanced topics (This is optional — Fast Estimate is fully usable without any additional services.)