Target Audience:
Software Project Managers, Software Engineering Managers, Software Engineers, Business Analysts

Level: Beginning / Intermediate

What will you learn :

The course provides an introduction and overview of software cost estimating, and cost estimating methodologies.  Specific course objectives include:

• Realize the criticality of effective software cost estimating

• Know the purpose of software cost estimating

• Recognize the different types of estimates and how estimates are used

• Be aware of the fundamental problems of software cost estimating

• Understand software cost drivers

• Know the software life cycle, including the difference between development and maintenance costs

• Recognize commonly used software terms and the multitude of software programming languages

• Understand the different software estimation methods and each of their advantages and disadvantages

• Know how to use software development metrics (both size and quality) to support estimation

• Understand the basic principles of the various software sizing techniques

• Recognize the various software development processes, understand how they differ, and know how the best approach/technique to estimate each

• Understand the Software Cost Estimating Process, including the six steps to complete an estimate

• Understand how a Work or Product Breakdown Structure (WBS/PBS) is employed to estimate software costs and schedule

• Recognize the common errors in software estimate and understand the key considerations in a software estimate

• Understand software support (its categories ands the factors influencing cost) and know how to estimate support costs

Description:
Many software development projects are delivered late and over budget. These projects often do not meet the original requirements, have an unacceptable number of defects, and may not even function properly. This three-day course is designed to show participants how to estimate the costs and schedules of software development projects in order to avoid large overruns. This course presents practical techniques and tools to estimate, plan, and complete high quality projects that are on budget and schedule.

Outline:

This course covers the following general topic areas:

• Software Cost Drivers

• Software Estimating Methodologies

• Software Development Cost Estimation Steps

• Software Project Breakdown

• Software Size Measurement and Estimation

• Phasing the Software Cost Estimate

• Software Productivity Metrics

• Software Support Estimation

• Sources for Software Cost and Schedule Estimation Information

Prerequisites:
Real life experiences working as part of a software development team

Presenter:
David Seaver,  Director, IT Practice
PRICE Systems, L.L.C. 

Subject matter expert for Software Estimation, with a specialty in generating Software Size estimates early in the life cycle. Technical lead software intensive life cycle cost estimates for Federal Agencies, the Department of Defense, State Governments and Commercial Organizations. Provide training in software size, efforts and schedule estimation. Subject matter expert for Information Technology measurement and benchmarking engagements.