Estimating Software-Intensive Systems: Projects, Products, and Processes

Book description

Many software projects fail because their leaders don't know how to estimate, schedule, or measure them accurately. Fortunately, proven tools and techniques exist for every facet of software estimation. Estimating Software-Intensive Systems brings them together in a real-world guidebook that will help software managers, engineers, and customers immediately improve their estimates—and drive continuing improvements over time.

Dick Stutzke presents here a disciplined and repeatable process that can produce accurate and complete

estimates for any project, product, or process, no matter how new or unusual. Stutzke doesn't just describe formal techniques: He offers simple, easy-to-use templates, spreadsheets, and tools you can start using today to identify and estimate product size, performance, and quality—as well as project cost, schedule, and risk reserves.

Stutzke shows how to quickly "get your arms around" users' problems and requirements, the structure of a solution, and the process needed to deliver it. You'll learn how to choose the most appropriate estimating techniques and tools; collect accurate data, track progress, and update estimates; and recalibrate estimating models to improve estimation accuracy.

Stutzke's techniques apply whether you're creating custom in-house business software, purchasing or customizing "off-the-shelf" technology, or constructing complex, one-of-a-kind military, industrial, or commercial systems. These techniques apply to small and large projects, and to all project life cycles—from agile to plan-driven. This book will help you plan, estimate, budget, schedule, purchase, design, build, test, deploy, operate, and maintain software-intensive systems. It explains how to size software, identify all cost components, calculate the associated costs, and set a competitive price.

A separate section covers topics of interest for large projects: designing an appropriate work breakdown structure, collecting data from cost accounting systems, and using earned value measurement.

An accompanying CD-ROM contains templates, supplemental notes, and Microsoft Excel spreadsheets to estimate and track projects, product characteristics, and processes. It contains an extensive bibliography and links to web resources on software estimation, measurement, and related topics. You'll find updates and even more information on this book's companion web site, http://www.sw-estimation.com.

© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Table of contents

  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Contents
  4. Dedication
  5. Preface
  6. Acknowledgements
  7. About the Author
  8. Part 1 The Essentials
    1. Chapter 1 Introduction
    2. Chapter 2 Planning a Warehouse Inventory System
    3. Chapter 3 A Basic Estimating Process: The Linear Method
    4. Chapter 4 Measurement and Estimation
    5. Chapter 5 Estimating Techniques
    6. Chapter 6 Estimating Annual Maintenance Costs
  9. Part 2 The Details
    1. Chapter 7 Preparing to Estimate (Precursors of Estimation)
    2. Chapter 8 Estimating Software Size: The Basics
    3. Chapter 9 Estimating Software Size: The Details
    4. Chapter 10 Production Processes (Project Life Cycles)
    5. Chapter 11 Bottom-Up Estimating and Scheduling
    6. Chapter 12 Top-Down Estimating and Allocation
    7. Chapter 13 Parametric Models
    8. Chapter 14 Estimating Risk Reserves
    9. Chapter 15 Calculating Cost and Price: The Basics
  10. Part 3 Closing the Feedback Loop
    1. Chapter 16 Collecting Data: Basics
    2. Chapter 17 Tracking Status
    3. Chapter 18 Updating Estimates
    4. Chapter 19 Consolidating and Applying Your Knowledge
  11. Part 4 Handling Large Projects
    1. Chapter 20 Crafting a WBS
    2. Chapter 21 Earned Value Measurement
    3. Chapter 22 Collecting Data: Details
    4. Chapter 23 Calculating Costs and Bid Price
  12. Part 5 Estimating Products and Processes
    1. Chapter 24 Determining Product Performance
    2. Chapter 25 Determining Product Quality
    3. Chapter 26 Measuring and Estimating Process Performance
    4. Chapter 27 Ranking and Selecting Items
  13. Appendix A Roles and Responsibilities for Estimation
  14. Appendix B Measurement Theory and Statistics
  15. Appendix C Measures of Estimation Accuracy
  16. Appendix D Summation Formulas for Series
  17. Appendix E Excel for Estimators
  18. Acronyms
  19. Glossary
  20. Bibliography
  21. Index
  22. End Sheet

Product information

  • Title: Estimating Software-Intensive Systems: Projects, Products, and Processes
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: April 2005
  • Publisher(s): Addison-Wesley Professional
  • ISBN: 9780201703122