Practical Software Estimation Function Point Methods for Insourced and Outsourced Projects

by Parthasarathy, M. A.

• ISBN13: 9780321439109
• ISBN10: 0321439104
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-02-26
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional

Summary

"A clearly written book that is a useful primer for a very complicated set of topics." --Capers Jones, Chief Scientist Emeritus, Software Productivity Research LLC Practical Software Estimationbrings together today's most valuable tips, techniques, and best practices for accurately estimating software project efforts, costs, and schedules. Written by a leading expert in the field, it addresses the full spectrum of real-world challenges faced by those who must develop reliable estimates. M. A. Parthasarathy draws on the immense experience of Infosys, one of the world's largest and most respected providers of IT-enabled business solutions, to bring you the only book with detailed guidance on estimating insourced and outsourced software projects, as well as projects that blend both approaches. He demonstrates how to successfully utilize Function Point (FP) methods, the industry's leading estimation model. Then, using real case studies, he systematically identifies pitfalls that can lead to inaccurate estimates--and offers proven solutions. Coverage includes How to estimate all types of software projects, including "fresh" development, reengineering, and maintenance How to incorporate the impact of core project elements on estimates: scope, environment, experience, and tools FP analysis from start to finish: data and transaction functions, general system characteristics, and more FP methods for any platform or business function Innovative re-estimation methods to track progress How to quote RFPs and prepare contracts: fixed price, time/material, and project execution lifecycle models Alternatives to FP: Delphi, COCOMO II, and COSMIC-FFP How to choose the right estimation tools Practical Software Estimationis the definitive reference for anyone who must estimate software projects accurately: project and IT managers, individual developers, system designers, architects, executives, consultants, and outsourcers alike. List of Figures List of Tables Foreword Preface Acknowledgments Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Role of Estimation in Software Projects Chapter 3: A Study of Function Point Analysis Chapter 4: Data Functions Chapter 5: Transactional Functions Chapter 6: General System Characteristics Chapter 7: Size, Effort, and Scheduling of Projects Chapter 8: Estimation Flavors Chapter 9: A Sense of Where You Are Chapter 10: Tips, Tricks, and Traps Chapter 11: Insourcing versus Outsourcing Chapter 12: Key Factors in Software Contracts Chapter 13: Project Estimation and Costing Chapter 14: Other Estimation Methods Chapter 15: Estimation Tools Chapter 16: Estimation Case Study Appendix A: Reference Tables: Transaction Function Counts Appendix B: Reference Tables: Data Function Points Bibliography Index

Author Biography

M. A. Parthasarathy, Associate Vice President at Infosys Technologies Ltd., has been actively involved in software development and delivery for more than twenty years. Parthasarathy heads the Outsourcing Academy under the Strategic Global Sourcing unit, and plays an active role in setting Infosys estimation strategies, supporting their deployment, and conducting estimation-related training. A Certified Quality Analyst (QAI), he has twice been honored with the prestigious Infosys Excellence Award.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	p. xvii
List of Tables	p. xix
Foreword	p. xxv
Preface	p. xxvii
Acknowledgments	p. xxxiii
Introduction	p. 1
What Is Software Estimation?	p. 1
Ingredients of a Good Estimation	p. 6
Software Project Estimation	p. 8
Continuous Improvement Cycle	p. 12
Why Software Estimation?	p. 15
Estimation--Who and How	p. 19
Conclusion	p. 21
References	p. 22
Other Interesting Reading Material	p. 23
Role of Estimation in Software Projects	p. 25
Software Projects and Estimation	p. 25
Estimation and Measurement	p. 31
Large Application Systems	p. 40
Conclusion	p. 42
References	p. 43
Other Interesting Reading Material	p. 43
A Study of Function Point Analysis	p. 45
Why Estimation?	p. 45
Function Points	p. 47
Function Point Analysis	p. 51
Conclusion	p. 70
References	p. 72
Data Functions	p. 73
Introduction	p. 73
Definition of Files	p. 74
Data Functions Defined by IFPUG	p. 75
Conclusion	p. 95
References	p. 96
Other Interesting Reading Material	p. 96
Transactional Functions	p. 97
Introduction	p. 97
Definition of Transactions	p. 98
Albrecht's Definition of Transactions	p. 100
Transactional Functions Defined by IFPUG	p. 102
EI, EO, and EQ	p. 104
Complexity and FP Count Contributions	p. 111
Invoice System--FP Counting Process	p. 116
Conclusion	p. 118
References	p. 119
Other Interesting Reading Material	p. 119
General System Characteristics	p. 121
Introduction	p. 121
Functional and Non-Functional Requirements	p. 122
Introduction to General System Characteristics	p. 123
Guidelines for General System Characteristics	p. 125
GSC and NFR	p. 137
Conclusion	p. 146
References	p. 147
Other Interesting Reading Material	p. 147
Size, Effort, and Scheduling of Projects	p. 149
Importance of Size	p. 149
Inputs to Sizing	p. 155
Impact of Delivery Rate	p. 159
Effort and Schedule	p. 163
Conclusion	p. 167
References	p. 168
Other Interesting Reading Material	p. 169
Estimation Flavors	p. 171
Change Forever	p. 171
Development Projects	p. 173
Reengineering Projects	p. 177
Migration Projects	p. 182
Maintenance Projects	p. 183
Conclusion	p. 192
References	p. 192
A Sense of Where You Are 193On the Right Track, On Time	p. 193
Pervasive Estimations	p. 196
Agile Software Projects	p. 199
Estimation Maturity	p. 208
Conclusion	p. 211
References	p. 212
Other Interesting Reading Material	p. 213
Tips, Tricks, and Traps	p. 215
Introduction	p. 215
Tricks	p. 221
Traps	p. 225
Conclusion	p. 230
References	p. 231
Other Interesting Reading Material	p. 231
Insourcing versus Outsourcing	p. 233
Introduction	p. 233
Environment--The Differentiator	p. 234
Estimation Approach	p. 239
Insourcing versus Outsourcing: Pros and Cons	p. 242
Conclusion	p. 247
References	p. 247
Key Factors in Software Contracts 249
Introduction	p. 249
Types of Contracts	p. 250
Project Execution Methods	p. 257
Conclusion	p. 263
References	p. 263
Project Estimation and Costing	p. 265
Introduction	p. 265
Project Lifecycle Phases and Cost	p. 266
Estimation and TCO	p. 272
Conclusion	p. 274
Other Interesting Reading Material	p. 275
Other Estimation Methods	p. 277
Introduction	p. 277
Estimation Methods	p. 277
Heuristic Approach	p. 279
Parametric Approach	p. 285
Estimation Models Pros and Cons	p. 291
Conclusion	p. 294
References	p. 294
Other Interesting Reading Material	p. 295
Estimation Tools	p. 297
Why Use Tools?	p. 297
List of Tools	p. 302
Conclusion	p. 305
References	p. 306
Other Interesting Reading Material	p. 306
Estimation Case Study	p. 307
Introduction	p. 307
Case Study: 1--Invoicing System	p. 312
Case Study 2: Enhanced Invoicing SystemCase Study	p. 350
Conclusion	p. 359
Referen
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

I never imagined that writing a book would be such an exhausting but exciting experience. Originally I only had a mental picture of how the book would evolve, with certain key aspects of software estimation I intended to write down. But as the chapters unfolded one after another, the thoughts poured out more freely. The difficult part was organizing the thoughts into a structured way of presentation, adding tables and diagrams to enhance the enumeration, and tying up other loose ends to make the whole discussion complete in all respects (almost all). I hope I have been successful in doing this. Although I had fairly deep knowledge and experience in software estimation techniques from my early years as an IT professional, it was at Infosys that I had the extraordinary experience of doing a deep dive into a huge variety of estimation-related interactions. Having personally trained more than 500 software professionals at Infosys on Function Points and other estimations methods, the amount of knowledge I acquired during these sessions was huge. Added to this was the visibility I gained as an estimation expert, which brought another storehouse of enriched knowledge. This enrichment happened through a regular stream of queries and issues that the project managers, programmers, and architects brought to me. Analyzing and solving these issues was exciting, although challenging. But the biggest benefit was to me, that of improving my estimation skills. Every situation was unique and needed interpretation and application of a variant of standard estimation methods. IT professionals who have been working with large outsourcing organizations similar to Infosys across the globe have likely experienced a fairly wide variety of project execution situations during their service. The experience takes various forms, including project execution, technical challenges, customer interactions, testing and debugging issues, and to some extent estimation-related challenges. I have been quite fortunate to have received the maximum experience of estimation-related challenges across a wide variety of projects, either directly or through issues and challenges posed to me by project teams. It is this experience that I have hoped to put together in the form of this book and share with a global community of IT professionals. Quite frequently I have seen IT professionals in need of assistance to arrive at a good estimation figure for a complex or unique project. I have tried to provide that assistance, realistically and practically, throughout this book. I would receive the ultimate satisfaction from knowing that IT professionals have been able to resolve the majority of estimation-related issues through the examples and instruction in this book! Layout of Chapters Having been actively involved in software project management and software estimation-related activities for a long time, direct interaction with software project managers, architects, and programmers was among the many benefits I received. The layout of the chapters of this book has been designed to start with general software estimation topics, including an introduction to basic estimation concepts, followed by a discussion of the function point estimation method and, finally, in later chapters, coverage of a variety of other software project estimation needs. Chapter 1, "Introduction," has been written as an introduction to estimation concepts for project managers and programmers who have had very little exposure to estimation principles and the ingredients that constitute estimation. This chapter broadly covers basic aspects of how estimations are done in different project execution situations and how these estimates can be refined through continuous improvement cycles. Chapter 2, "Role of Estimation in Software Projects," takes you forward toward establishing a link between estimation and software project execution. The intention is to explain vari