Estimating Software Costs: Bringing Realism to Estimating

Deliver bug–free software projects on schedule and within budget

Get a clear, complete understanding of how to estimate software costs, schedules, and quality using the real–world information contained in this comprehensive volume. Find out how to choose the correct hardware and software tools, develop an appraisal strategy, deploy tests and prototypes, and produce accurate software cost estimates. Plus, you‘ll get full coverage of cutting–edge estimating approaches using Java, object–oriented methods, and reusable components.

• Plan for and execute project–, phase–, and activity–level cost estimations
• Estimate regression, component, integration, and stress tests
• Compensate for inaccuracies in data collection, calculation, and analysis
• Assess software deliverables and data complexity
• Test design principles and operational characteristics using software prototyping
• Handle configuration change, research, quality control, and documentation costs  

"Capers Jones‘ work offers a unique contribution to the understanding of the economics of software production. It provides deep insights into why our advances in computing are not matched with corresponding improvements in the software that drives it. This book is absolutely required reading for an understanding of the limitations of our technological advances." ––Paul A. Strassmann, former CIO of Xerox, the Department of Defense, and NASA

From the back cover:

Get a handle on skyrocketing software costs. Are your software costs spiraling out of control? Do your projects chronically run late, exceed budget, and go out the door bug–laden, if at all? Have you discovered a commercial software cost estimating tool that works for your situation? Are you even familiar with how these increasingly sophisticated tools operate? Capers Jones, a pioneer and innovator in the field, probes the fundamental issues involved with the notoriously tough task of software cost estimation. Rather than provide simplistic manual formulas that lack the accuracy needed for contracts and serious business purposes, he explores in great detail the mutifaceted variables that cause estimates to be higher or lower than average. The result for you: A clear, complete understanding of how to estimate software costs, schedules, and quality far more effectively than you may have thought possible. You‘ll learn the technical details of how software cost estimates are produced...what kinds of commercial tools are available...how these tools work within various project management suites...and how to troubleshoot and solve typical problems, such as: sizing the project before requirements are firm; dealing with creeping requirements; handling excessive schedule pressure; taking international factors into account; planning for contractual and legal concerns. ––This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author:

Capers Jones is a leading authority in the world of software estimating. He was the founder and chairman of Software Productivity Research, where he currently serves as chief scientist emeritus.