The ability to accurately estimate the time/cost taken for a project to come in to its successful conclusion is a serious problem for software engineers. The use of repeatable, clearly defined and well understood software development process has in recent years shown itself to be the most effective method of gaining useful historical data that can be used for statistical estimation. In particular, the act of sampling more frequently, coupled with the loosening of constraints between parts of a project, has allowed more accurate estimation and more rapid development times.
Methods
Popular methods for estimation in software engineering include:
- Parametric Estimating
- Wideband Delphi
- Cocomo
- SLIM
- SEER-SEM Parametric Estimation of Effort, Schedule, Cost, Risk. Mimimum time and staffing concepts based on Brooks's law
- Function Point Analysis
- Proxy-based estimating (PROBE) (from the Personal Software Process)
- The Planning Game (from Extreme Programming)
- Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
- Analysis Effort method
- TruePlanning Software Model Parametric model that estimates the scope, cost, effort and schedule for software projects.