No 项目经理 wants to tell a client that their project is going over budget. 然而,, 许多人发现自己处于这种情况:最近的研究表明，项目大多或总是仅按预算交付 43% 的组织.

预算总是一个棘手的过程——最终的数字需要在不超支的情况下考虑缓冲因素——但在敏捷环境中这样做可能更棘手. 敏捷预算和预测需要一种不同于传统瀑布式项目管理的方法，在传统瀑布式项目管理中，范围是预先确定和固定的. One of the great strengths of 敏捷 is its emphasis on adaptability, 因为一个项目可能会快速而频繁地发展, 而且目标可能会改变. So, 如果最终目标改变了, how can you deliver results within a budget that was agreed upon at the outset?

减少超支的风险, it is essential to develop a realistic yet flexible budget, 保持一个可持续和透明的时间表, 不断调整功能的优先级. 塑造客户对敏捷预算流程的概念的能力也很重要. In addition to boosting your chances of delivering the project on budget, meeting these challenges will also enhance the quality of your final product. 以下来自经验丰富的敏捷项目经理的指导可以帮助您实现这些结果.

建立环境，设定期望

在项目中与任何客户接触时，第一步应该不仅是确定并同意“是什么”，而且是什么, 更重要的是, “为什么.”

阿达塔, 他是一名项目主管和业务管理顾问，在大型金融服务公司的敏捷项目预算方面有丰富的经验, always establishes why a client is creating a product or service. 他说，这是必要的，因为客户想要的可能不是他们真正需要的. “比如说他们想要一辆法拉利, 例如, 但如果它们只需要从A点到达B点, then it would be cheaper and easier to build a scooter.”

You also need to know who the client’s end users are, he says. Knowing what they are trying to achieve by using the product, 以及他们为什么要努力实现这个目标, 会帮助你关注价值吗, 指定项目优先级, 引导利益相关者实现共同目标.

如果客户一开始对成本有一个固定的想法，问问他们为什么会有一个特定的预算. 如果他们的预算是基于竞争对手的, 例如, you can point out the ways in which the two companies’ resources may differ. 如果是基于过去的项目，考虑可能造成成本差异的因素. 这将使你能够确定在客户的财务框架内是否可以实现预期的结果，并允许你与他们一起根据需要进行调整.

更好地指导客户进行成本设定, 你应该根据他们想要创造的产品提供几个选项，并基于两到三个选项提出一个范围: MVP, a scalable product, and one option that is exactly what they are trying to achieve.

Lastly, set expectations by ensuring that your client has a clear 对敏捷价值的理解. 在这个过程中，改变是一个可以期待和受欢迎的部分，这将创造灵活性. If there is uncertainty around a feature that may incur additional costs, try to be as transparent as possible about this upfront, says project management expert and experienced 敏捷 strategist 安德鲁。莱斯特“你需要自己了解所有的变量，并能够与客户提出和讨论这些变量.”

计算出你能做什么，并在你做的时候进行调整

It is impossible to know exactly how a project will play out. 作为敏捷项目经理, 然而, 你掌握的信息可以帮助你提高预测成本的准确性.

当开始一个项目时, and once all client requirements have been understood, 敏捷团队使用各种 评估技术 to understand the scale, 风险, and complexity of each requirement. 一旦所有的任务都被评估完, 项目经理 can estimate the overall time and budget required for the project, 基于冲刺的持续时间和次数, 以及团队的规模和成本.

Datta解释说:“敏捷的一个重要特点是，你通常——尽管并不总是——会有一个固定的团队, 所以你可以, 在某种程度上, forecast how much each sprint will cost in staff resources. 在一些项目上, 人们在不同的冲刺阶段之间来回移动, 但确保你不会失去控制的一个好方法是将你的资源投入到一个项目中.”

Use your team’s day rate to work out costs for each stage of the project. 例如, 如果一个商店的登陆页面需要4周的时间才能完成，你的团队需要花费10美元,000元/周, 然后你可以预测消费为40美元,000创建登陆页. 跟踪 速度 as the project develops is key to maintaining control of your budget. 这将帮助你确定你的估计是准确的还是需要调整 乔恩·麦高文, an 敏捷 transformation specialist who has led projects for several major banks.

莱斯特表示同意:“如果, 经过几次冲刺, 你的速度不符合你最初的假设, 你可以和客户一起做出决定:缩小范围并保持预算不变，或者增加开发人员以提高速度，但增加预算.”

“随着项目的推进，敏捷计划变得越来越现实，”他继续说道. “大约三分之一到一半, you should be able to see exactly how you’re going to hit the endpoint. To keep on budget from there, your run rate really just has to remain constant.”

让客户参与整个过程

Once you have agreed upon the budget and outcomes with the client, it is vital to continue communicating as the project progresses. Client collaboration is a core pillar of 敏捷 practices, 但有些团队没有定期征求客户的意见. 特别是如果他们是敏捷的新手, 团队可能默认采用瀑布思维, 相信他们知道客户想要什么，因此只需要在项目结束时再次与他们接触，以展示成品. 由于范围蔓延等因素，这种沟通的缺乏极大地增加了超出预算的风险.

通过定期与客户接触——最好是在每次冲刺之后——你可以确保项目与他们的期望保持一致. You can accommodate changes to requirements as they arise, rather than trying to integrate them toward the end of the project, 当预算耗尽的时候.

“随着时间的推移，客户看到已经交付的东西，以及其他因素继续在幕后发挥作用，他们想要的东西可能会发生变化,达塔说. “When you demonstrate back to the client at the end of each sprint, their feedback can help you prioritize the backlog and add or remove features.”

Input on prioritization is especially important if you are adjusting the scope, says Lester: “If you’ve made the choice to fix the budget but adjust the scope, then you should only be doing the highest-priority tasks.”

Adjustments to a project’s scope may be necessary even if your 速度 is as predicted. 一些产品功能可能比预期的更复杂，需要更多的努力, time, 和成本. To prevent overspend, project goals and deliverables need to be revisited.

Your client should also understand that there needs to be variability in the scope, 麦高恩说:“这可能意味着删减某些故事, but it will allow you to keep your project on time and on budget. This is a big change from waterfall projects, where the scope is fixed. 在敏捷团队中强加固定范围的项目章程是一个常见的陷阱，并且会消除所有的灵活性.”

One way to keep your client in the loop is to offer them access to a burndown chart, 他们可以在哪里查看项目进度, including what has been achieved and how many sprints remain. This will give them a better idea of how their money is being spent.

平衡预算

敏捷预算管理的关键是使用你知道的，同时承认你不知道的，并为你不知道的留出空间. Make use of the information you have to identify what is achievable with the time, 技能, 还有可用的资金, but adopt a flexible mindset and open communication to allow for true agility. 通过适当地设定期望, 指导你的客户和团队, 并根据需要调整目标, 你可以掌握这种平衡.

这张信息图结合了我们专家的敏捷项目预算方法，创建了一个有效的过程，在项目开始时就清楚地设定了期望. Doing so will ensure that the end product aligns with client demands, 用户需求, 财政资源.