Software Project Management

14

Software Measurement, Metrics and Estimations

14.1 Introduction

Nothing can be more true than the saying, ‘which can’t be measured can’t be controlled’. Metrics and measurement are crucial parts for executing software projects successfully. The topic of Software Measurement and Metrics has created a lot of interest over the last two decades. In 1960s and 1970s, the main focus of IT was on product evaluation. In 1980s and 1990s, the focus shifted to process evaluation as it was understood that only an efficient process can create an effective product. In the late 1990s, the integration of measurement process with the software life-cycle began, because it was evident that to create an efficient process the measurement of ‘how the process is ...