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Software estimation is a skill where the estimator has to have a talent for estimating, some of the key stakeholders who need estimates include as listed below
Over the years Estimation techniques have matured along with the branch of Software Engineering. There are various ways to estimate the size of the software an innovative approach by Albrecht defined a new thought process that all software applications could be measured uniformly based on five key attributes:
These five attributes were easily identifiable for a majority of software applications and they were truly platform independent. As Software project grew in size and Complexity, some of the rigid estimation methods could not keep pace with the scale, except for a few that kept improvising and managed to survive the increasing demands on software project estimations.
Estimation Approaches
Expertise based: Experts who believed in their own past experience rather than using estimation methods.
Bottom up Method: This method adopts the bottom up approach by first identifying each and every component of activity at a very granular level, then the method estimates each component of the software project separately and combines the result to produce an estimate for the entire project.
Top Down method: This method allows the top down order of working through main modules, sub modules and the individual functions. This method is also referred as to the Work break Down Structure (WBS) method.
Parametric Approach: In which well-known models like COCOMO II, Functions Point based on the model developed by Allan Albrecht and later by international Function Point Users Group (IFPUG) and Knowledge plan from Software productivity Research.
In Today’s highly Competitive and technology moving at a fast pace, estimators of Software use a Mix of the above mentioned Estimation Approaches or go along with Expertise method because the organization is under tremendous pressure from the client to deliver the project on time.
The Author Suresh V. Menon is a Subject Matter Expert on ERP and has worked in various capacities as Project Manager, Test Manager, ERP Consultant, Principal Consultant & implementation Manager, he can be contacted at testconsultants@outlook.com for comments and queries.
