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Total Metrics  >  Consulting  >  Software Project Estimates - What will it cost? How long will it take?

Project Cost Estimation

"Reduce the risk of Project cancellation or failure - get early accurate cost estimates!"

Total Metrics specialises quantifying software development projects early in their lifecycle and using their functional size as input into software project resource estimates of effort, cost, team size and schedule. We use industry project data sourced from ISBSG combined with the expert knowledge base of KnowledgePLAN™ to determine the likely productivity and quality of the project.

Functional size can be determined as soon as the Business Requirements are identified. Our project estimates use an independent 'top down' method of estimating, which complement the standard 'bottom up' work breakdown methodologies. However industry experience shows that functional size based estimates are much more accurate early in the lifecycle of a project and can be completed in under 3 days of effort as compared to work breakdown estimates which need detailed project information and take weeks to develop.

Our estimation techniques have been proven to be accurate and provide an independent estimate of project budget and schedule requirements.



Why Estimate?

The accuracy of project estimates can have a dramatic impact on profitability. Software development projects are characterised by regularly over running their budgets and rarely meeting deadlines.
Effective software estimation is one of the most important software development activities however it is also one of the most difficult. Under estimating a project will lead to under staffing it, under scoping the quality assurance effort and setting too short a schedule. That in turn can lead to staff burnout , low quality , loss of credibility, as deadlines are missed an ultimately to inefficient development effort that takes longer than nominal. Overestimating a project can be almost as bad. Parkinson's Law is that work expands until available time comes into play. Which means that the project will take as long as estimated even if the project was over estimated. An accurate estimate is a critical part of the foundation of efficient software development.


Total Metrics uses Functional Size Measures and Industry data to develop Project Estimates :

Size is a major driver of effort, duration and risk. Once Total Metrics can measure teh functional size is of your project then the estimates of cost, duration, effort and defects can be created.
Estimating is a critical business process, especially at the early stages of the project.

Enterprises have limited resources of personnel, time and budget, and proper estimating will allow the leaders of the enterprise to properly allocate these limited resources to achieve the highest benefits.

There are detailed estimating processes in many different industry sectors. In the building industry, there are standard books with detailed methodologies for all of the craftsmen required to build a home or building In engineering, there are similar guidelines based on physics and chemistry If these disciplines have strong estimating practices, then why is software estimation's track record so abysmal?

The information technology (IT) trade magazines are constantly filled with stories of runaway projects which have exceeded their original budgets by multiples of two and higher, projects which failed to meet the users' requirements, time of delivery, or projects, which were cancelled after substantial financial Investments These failed projects seem to have some consistent elements:

  • Inadequate project definition
  • Lack of scope control
  • Poor or non-existent estimating process
  • Misapplication of metrics
  • Lack of project management


The Total Metrics consulting effort charged for our Project Estimation activities is determined by:



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