Lauren met with the marketing $($Connor$),$ production $($Kim$),$ and design $($Gage$)$ managers, who yielded some ideas for cutting costs, but nothing significant enough to have a large impact. Gage remarked, $$I wouldn$$t want to be the one to deliver the message to top management that their cost estimate is $$1,250,000$ off! Good luck, Lauren.$$

$1.$ At this point, what would you do if you were the project manager?

$2.$ Was top management acting correctly in developing an estimate?

$3.$ What estimating techniques should be used for a mission$-$critical project such as this?