Technical
Briefings
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interpreting and
Calibrating
Metrics
|
(71K)
|
|
|
Circa
arrives ready loaded with metric data to assist the estimation process. Circa provides a default set of productivity metrics and activity
profiles. This paper describes how these metrics are used in the calculations, how
you should interpret the results and how best to customise or refine these
metrics for your own project.
top
of page
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Risk
and Contingency Calculations
|
(38K)
|
|
|
Circa provides a mechanism for
specifying the risks associated with a software project. The user identifies and
documents a number of risks, each corresponding to a particular concern or issue
in the project. Each risk is a potential time-consuming problem that may delay
the project and incur additional cost. This paper describes the algorithms used
to calculate project contingency based on the likelihood of risks firing and
their potential impact on the project.
top
of page
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Project Delivery Date from a UML
Model in 60 Minutes!
|
(174K)
|
|
|
Scenario:
"Your organisation has standardised on the Unified Modeling Language
(UML) and you are using an iterative
software development process. You’re planning the first production iteration of
your software development project and now it’s time to publish a firm delivery
date."
This paper provides a simple step by
step guide to the estimation process, starting with a UML model in a UML CASE
tool and resulting with a detail project schedule in Circa
top
of page
|
|
|
Technical Papers
|
|
|
|
|
|
Software Estimation in an
Agile Environment
|
(192K)
|
|
|
Some say, there are no good software project
managers – only lucky ones. We find that the more you plan, estimate and track –
the luckier you get!
In an agile software development environment you
still need to plan and schedule what to do and when to do it, calculate
estimates of timescales, costs and resource requirements, and track progress
when development gets underway – this paper shows you how.top
of page
|
|
|
|
|
|
Estimating
the Effects of Project Risks |
(262K)
|
|
|
This
paper was published at the Metrikon conference in Germany in November 2006. Our
distributor Klaus Jantzen of K+K Jantzen Software Services made a presentation
at the conference about estimating the effects of project risks in software
development projects.
top
of page
|
|
|
The
Role of Risk in a Modern Software Development Process
|
(81K)
|
|
|
This
paper examines the role risk plays in software development and the significant
impact it can have on a project’s chance of success. It describes how a change
from a waterfall to iterative development process can have a dramatic effect on
the risk profile of a software project. Furthermore it postulates that a risk
driven scheduling policy leads to more accurate and confident project plans and
schedules.
top
of page
|
|
|
|
|
|
Software Project Risk
|
(81K)
|
|
|
There are many
potential risks and pitfalls facing IT projects. So many projects fail for one
reason or another – they deliver too late, run out of budget or just don’t
meet basic business requirements.
One of the primary reasons for so many project failures is that all too few
software projects undertake any risk assessment. Therefore no account is taken
of how risks might impact the project.
top
of page
|
|
|
|
|
|
Managing Software Project Risk
|
(48K)
|
|
|
The process of
developing a software solution based on plans and schedules containing
estimates, assumptions and other uncertainties, (not to mention the people
factor) is a risky business.
All software projects are exposed to some degree of risk, but it’s how we
manage risk that can make the difference between delivering a successful
solution and counting the cost of a failed project.
top
of page
|
|
|
|
|
|
ObjectMetrix
Process
|
(27K)
|
|
|
A
development process is fundamental to software engineering. Projects that are to
be managed and controlled effectively need appropriate mechanisms to ensure a
consistency of approach and to ensure the quality of the deliverables. The
purpose of the ObjectMetrix estimation process is to provide guidance on what
estimates need to be produced, when they should be produced, who should be
involved and how software development organisations can benefit from the
results.
top
of page
|
|
|
|
|
|
Estimating
Web-Based Application Development
|
(27K)
|
|
|
Web-based
applications represent the future of Information Technology. For those
businesses, large and small, with an established presence on the World Wide Web,
that future is already here. It is a connected world and few would argue that,
despite the recent dot.com collapse, the ‘e’ revolution is now unstoppable.
In this paper, we examine the issues specific to estimating web-based
application development and discuss extensions to ObjectMetrix, an emerging
standard for estimating and forecasting effort, duration and cost of UML-based
software development projects.
top
of page
|
|
|
|
|
|
Considerations
for Component Based Development
|
(27K)
|
|
|
In
this paper, we examine and discuss key issues facing major companies as they
assess their current information systems and prepare for the adoption of a new
approach to information technology.
top
of page
|
|
|
|
|
|
Software
Architecture
|
(27K)
|
|
|
This
paper examines the purpose and intent of producing a software architecture, and
reflects on its positive impact on software projects. We describe an approach
for developing a software architecture that has been implemented and proved at a
number of major organisations over a number of years.
top
of page
|
|
