Course Overview

Estimation is Money and yet.... 
“The same work under the same conditions will be estimated differently by ten different estimators or by one estimator at ten different times.” 

Software estimation is one of the most difficult, the most important as well as the most misunderstood and most sidelined discipline in the software circles today. Getting the sizing and estimation wrong would result in most other problems in IT projects like “improper budgeting, improper resourcing, improper scheduling, impractical commitments, impractical productivity understanding and unreliable historical data. This engagement takes the most popular and the most scientific methodology of software sizing and estimation viz., Function point counting and also its variant Full Function Point counting for the embedded software sizing. This engagement is replete with “Real to life” case studies and exercises to put the knowledge to the test in a group work environment. The training is conducted in a casual and humorous environment and delivery style to ensure retention and dispel any kind of topical stress.

 

Who should attend?

• Business development managers
• IT Business heads and cost heads
• IT Managers, IT Project Leaders, and IT Project/Program Managers
• Business Analysts, Systems Analysts, and other IT professionals who are responsible for estimating and / or validating estimates
• IT PMO and other such central project management bodies
• Quality professionals in the IT environment

 

Performance Focus

• Debunk the misconceptions that abound in the IT world concerning Function Point and FFP
• Debunk the general misconceptions and misunderstanding surrounding the concept of software sizing and productivity concepts
• Relating requirements with sizing
• Using productivity data for converting sizing into effort estimation
• Understanding the various popular but irrelevant and dangerous estimation methods in use even today
• Complete understanding of FP and FFP sizing and estimation method
• Eye opening statistics and trends so as to get your “Software Estimation” feat firmly attached to the ground realities

 

What You Will Learn

• The common mistakes of software estimation
• Various methods of legitimate software estimation
• Software sizing using Function Points and Full Function Points
• Converting sizing to effort estimation
• Converting effort estimation to scheduling
• FP for new development
• FP for enhancement
• FP for maintenance
• FP for application count and inventory
• Platform based organizational productivity calculation methodology

 

Training Content and Basic Outline of the course

Introduction 

• Reasons for Software Estimation
• Where do we go wrong with Software Estimation
• Estimation – Stumbling Blocks 
• Estimation – Common Omissions 

 Software Estimation Methodology Overview

• Sizing Vs. Effort Calculations
• Overall Method of Software Estimation
• Function Point Basics 
• Function Point Kinds 

 Function Point – Details

• Function Point – Development Projects
• Detailed Case Exercises
•  Function Point – Enhancement Projects
• Detailed Case Exercises 

Full Function Point - Details

• Function Point Variant – Full Function Point 
• Detailed Case Exercises

 Detailed Case Study

• Detailed Case Study
• Case Study Debrief

 Function Points To Efforts and Schedule

• Productivity and effort calculations
• Efforts allocation to Scheduling

 Parting Shots

• Function Point - Templates 
• When Not To Use Function Points 
• COCOMO – II – Curtain Raiser

 Engagement End and Recap