Software Estimation Best Practices, Tools, & Techniques A Complete Guide for Software Project Estimators

by Chemuturi, Murali

• ISBN13: 9781604270242
• ISBN10: 1604270241
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-07-01
• Publisher: J. Ross Publishing

Summary

Software Estimation Best Practices, Tools & Techniques covers all facets of software estimation. It provides a detailed explanation of the various methods for estimating software size, development effort, cost, and schedule, including a comprehensive explanation of test effort estimation. This unique desk reference, for the novice to expert, also offers direction on which methods are most appropriate for each of the different software project types commonly executed and criteria for selecting software estimation tools.

Author Biography

Murali Chemuturi is an information technology and software development subject matter expert, author, consultant and trainer. He has more than 23 years of information technology and software development experience and several years of academic experience teaching a variety of computer & IT courses. In 2001, he formed his own IT consulting, training and software development firm known as Chemuturi Consultants. Mr. Chemuturi's undergraduate degrees and diplomas are in Electrical and Industrial Engineering and he holds a MBA and a Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Methods & Programming. He is a published author in professional journals, a member of IEEE, a senior member of the Computer Society of India and a Fellow at the Indian Institute of Industrial Engineering.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xi
Preface	p. xiii
About the Author	p. xvii
Acknowledgments	p. xix
Web Added Value TM	p. xxi
Software Estimation	p. 1
Background	p. 1
What Is Software Estimation?	p. 2
Why Is Software Estimation Important?	p. 4
When Is Software Estimation Carried Out?	p. 4
Traditional Cost Estimation	p. 5
Summary	p. 8
Paradoxes of Software Estimation	p. 9
The Paradox of Why Software Estimation Is Performed	p. 10
The Paradox of Software Size	p. 11
The Paradox of Software Productivity	p. 12
The Paradox of Offering Fixed Bids	p. 14
The Paradox of Actual versus Estimated Values	p. 15
The Paradox of Uncertainty	p. 17
Summary	p. 19
Software Estimation from Scratch	p. 21
Breaking the Project Down into Components and Constructing the Work Breakdown Structure	p. 22
Complexity of Components	p. 25
Appropriate Software-Sizing Technique	p. 26
Applying the Productivity Figure	p. 26
Uncertainty in Estimation	p. 27
The Impact of Project Execution on Estimation	p. 29
Summary	p. 29
Software Estimation by Project Type	p. 31
Classification of Software Projects	p. 32
Projects Based on the Software Development Life Cycle	p. 33
Full Life Cycle Projects	p. 33
Partial Life Cycle Projects	p. 33
Projects Based on How a Software Solution Is Arrived at	p. 35
Fresh Development of Entire Software from Scratch	p. 35
Software Implementation and Customization of a Commercial Off-the-Shelf Product	p. 35
Porting of Software	p. 36
Migration of Software	p. 37
Conversion Projects	p. 39
Software Maintenance Projects	p. 39
Defect Fixing	p. 40
Operational Support	p. 41
Fixing Odd Behavior	p. 42
Software Modification	p. 42
Functional Expansion	p. 43
Agile Software Development Projects	p. 44
Web Projects	p. 45
Summary	p. 47
Approaches to Software Estimation	p. 49
Ad Hoc Approach	p. 50
Process-Driven Approach	p. 50
Gross Estimates Approach	p. 51
Detailed Estimates Approach	p. 52
Software Size Estimates	p. 52
Software Development Effort Estimates	p. 53
The Delphi Technique for Software Estimation	p. 54
Selection of Experts	p. 54
Briefing the Experts	p. 55
Collation of Estimates Received from the Experts	p. 55
Convergence of Estimates and Finalization	p. 56
Merits and Demerits of the Delphi Technique	p. 56
Analogy-Based Software Estimation	p. 57
Selection of Similar Past Projects	p. 58
Shortlisting of Past Projects	p. 60
Analogy-Based Estimation in Software Maintenance	p. 64
Merits and Demerits of Analogy-Based Estimation	p. 64
Summary	p. 65
Software Size Estimation	p. 67
Measuring the Size of What, Exactly?	p. 67
Approaches to Software Size Measurement	p. 68
Concerns with Software Size Estimation	p. 70
Lines of Code	p. 71
Merits and Demerits of Lines of Code	p. 73
Function Points	p. 73
External Input	p. 75
External Output	p. 76
External Inquiry	p. 77
Internal Logical File	p. 78
External Interface File	p. 78
Obtaining the Unadjusted Function Point Count	p. 79
Value Adjustment Factor	p. 80
Obtaining the Adjusted Function Point Count	p. 82
Merits and Demerits of Function Points	p. 82
Use Case Points	p. 84
Merits and Demerits of Use Case Points	p. 87
Object Points	p. 88
Merits and Demerits of Object Points	p. 89
Mark II Function Point Analysis	p. 90
Merits and Demerits of Mark II Function Point Analysis	p. 94
Summary	p. 94
Software Size Units	p. 97
Definition of Software Size Unit	p. 98
Procedure for Software Size Estimation Using Software Size Units	p. 99
Software Development Effort Estimation from Software Size Units	p. 100
How to Obtain Productivity Figures	p. 103
Frequently Asked Questions about Software Size Units Computation	p. 104
Merits and Demerits of Software Size Units	p. 105
Summary	p. 105
Software Estimation-Complexity or Density?	p. 107
The Paradox of Complexity vis-a-vis Size	p. 108
Density, Not Complexity	p. 112
Summary	p. 113
Software Development Effort Estimation	p. 115
Effort Estimation Using Software Size	p. 115
The Present Scenario	p. 115
The Suggested Scenario	p. 117
Influence of Software Development Methodologies on Software Estimation	p. 118
Constructive Cost Model (COCOMO)	p. 120
Basic COCOMO	p. 120
Intermediate COCOMO	p. 121
Advanced COCOMO	p. 122
COCOMO II	p. 123
Merits and Demerits of COCOMO	p. 123
Task-Based Estimation	p. 124
Arriving at Software Development Effort Using Task-Based Estimation	p. 128
Merits and Demerits of Task-Based Estimation	p. 133
Summary	p. 133
Productivity for Software Estimators	p. 135
Productivity	p. 135
Concerns with Productivity	p. 136
Standard Time	p. 137
The Productivity Path	p. 140
Classification of Software Development Activities	p. 142
How Do We Arrive at Productivity?	p. 144
Empirical Methods	p. 144
Work Measurement	p. 145
Capacity vis-a-vis Productivity	p. 149
My Recommendation for How to Determine Productivity	p. 150
Summary	p. 150
Schedule Estimation for Software Development Projects	p. 153
Initial Work Breakdown Structure	p. 154
Work Breakdown Structure with Predecessors Defined	p. 155
Work Breakdown Structure with Initial Dates	p. 157
Work Breakdown Structure with Resource Allocation	p. 159
Scheduling in Practice	p. 161
Graphic Representation of Schedules	p. 161
Summary	p. 162
Software Development Cost Estimation	p. 165
Pricing Models	p. 165
Cost of Effort	p. 169
Summary	p. 172
Test Size and Effort Estimation	p. 173
Testing Basics	p. 173
Testing Scenarios	p. 174
Project Testing/Embedded Testing	p. 174
Product Testing	p. 175
The "How" of Testing	p. 177
Test Strategy	p. 179
Test Estimation	p. 180
Approaches to Test Effort Estimation	p. 181
Software-Size-Based Estimation	p. 181
Test-Case-Enumeration-Based Estimation	p. 183
Task (Activity)-Based Estimation	p. 184
Issues in Sizing Testing Projects	p. 186
Who Needs Test Size Estimation?	p. 188
Sizing a Testing Project	p. 189
Weights	p. 189
Merits and Demerits of Software Test Unit Estimation	p. 191
Final Words about Test Effort Estimation	p. 192
Summary	p. 193
Pitfalls and Best Practices in Software Estimation	p. 195
Pitfalls in Software Estimation	p. 196
Inexperienced Estimators	p. 196
Lack of Training	p. 197
Lack of Historical Data	p. 198
Inadequate Duration for Estimation	p. 199
Nonconformance to Reviews	p. 199
Not Measuring the Software Size of the Software Product Delivered	p. 200
Lack of Causal Analysis of Variances	p. 200
Usage of a Single Productivity Figure	p. 201
Absence of Software Estimation Tools	p. 201
Over- or Underestimation	p. 202
Best Practices in Software Estimation	p. 203
Organizational Support for Software Estimation	p. 204
Software Estimation Process	p. 208
Process	p. 208
Final Words on the Software Estimation Process	p. 213
Presentation of Software Estimates	p. 213
Summary	p. 216
Criteria for Selecting a Software Estimation Tool	p. 217
Units of Measure for Software Size	p. 217
A Common Unit of Measure for Software Size	p. 218
Software Cost Estimation	p. 218
Scheduling the Software Project	p. 219
Estimation for Partial Life Cycle Projects	p. 220
Usability	p. 220
Usage of Popular Techniques	p. 221
Auditability	p. 221
Reporting Capability	p. 222
Estimator Productivity	p. 222
Summary	p. 222
Variance Analysis between Actual and Estimated Values	p. 225
Project Types and Suitable Software Estimation Techniques	p. 237
Estimation Sheet for Delphi Technique	p. 239
Deriving Productivity from Past Projects	p. 243
Suggested Phases and Tasks for Task-Based Estimation	p. 251
Sample Process Definition for Software Estimation	p. 259
Estimation Presentation Template	p. 265
Estimation Request Note Template	p. 269
Quick Reference	p. 273
Abbreviations	p. 281
Index	p. 285
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