Metrics News

Software Metrics News as it happens


	In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 75 (SPaMCAST), Tom Cagley interviewed Bonnie Brown. The updated IFPUG Function Point Counting Practice Manual (release 4.3), that went into effect January 1,2010, was discussed. While the new manual includes minimal rule changes, it does include a new section on conversions, more definitions and is generally a cleaner and therefore more usable format. Bonnie provided great insight into the contents and construction of the manual. Hear the interview on ITunes or go to www.spamcast.net and click on the category IFPUG Function Points.

	SCOPE Project Sizing Software^TM Version 2.2 SCOPE Project Sizing Software^TMVersion 2.2 has been released in June 2009. An evaluation copy of SCOPE Project Sizing Software^TM Version 2.2 can be provided to you and a summary of SCOPE'S new and exciting features can be read online or be downloaded to read at your leisure.

	Release 11 of the ISBSG Estimating, Benchmarking & Research Suite is now available This latest release contains project history data for more than 5,000 projects in the ISBSG Development & Enhancement repository, with close to 1,000 projects added to the repository since Release 10. This industry data can be used to estimate, benchmark and improve the planning and management of projects. Many of the new projects in Release 11 have been completed in the last three years and include projects developed using .Net; C#; C++; Java; ASP; and SAP ABAP languages. The new projects come from a broad range of industries. There are many web projects and projects that have used Prototyping; RAD; and JAD. To view details of the various project data types that are included in Release 11, download the free Demographics document (PDF) from www.isbsg.org/developmentandenhancement Release 11 also includes the latest version of the Early Estimate Checker tool which utilises the ISBSG Repository data and regression analysis to quickly generate estimates of the work effort and elapsed time, (duration), required to carry out and complete a software development project, plus project delivery rate and speed of delivery. To purchase visit www.isbsg.org/products Receive 10% discount by using the ISBSG Online Order Form and selecting QESP in the Professional Membership drop down list. Special upgrade prices are available for R10 and R9 licensees. Email admin@isbsg.org for more information.

	Pam Morris CEO of Total Metrics is presenting at the IFPUG Chicago ISMA conference September 13-16, 2009. Where She will discuss one of the latest innovations to assist in software project governance and managing investment risk across the entire life of a software investment. Managing software projects as a financial investment In the past project management tools have been used to manage investment in software developments. These tools focus primarily on whether the project is on time and on budget and are not designed to nor are they effective in determining the validity of the investment for making decisions on which projects should be funded. Project Management reports concentrate on the delivery of the project rather than the delivery of the investment. Whereas the Investment Management process described in this presentation monitors, manages and reports the project from the Investor�s perspective � whose concerns,priorities and terminology are different. The Investment Management Standard (IMS) is a structured technique enabling an �Investor� to clearly define the need for an investment, shape the solution and quantitatively track the delivery of benefits throughout the �investment� lifecycle from the initial Business Case project planning to software decommissioning. These practices have recently been adopted by an Australian State Government and have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of software �investment� failure.

	Call for Paper Software�Benchmarking � is software too expensive? SwiSMA�Event 22 September Part 1: Morning Tutorials (at SwissICT Headquarters) We offer two tutorials: Introduction to Functional Sizing and Benchmarking (introductory level) The participants learn about the relevant ISO/IEC standards such as 19761 and about the respective methods and tools. In particular, we present using the ISBSG repository for planning and managing ICT Projects �northernSCOPE� for Scope Management Practice (advanced level) the term Scope Management has been introduced in the PMBOK. The northernSCOPE concept itself is just over a decade old. northernSCOPE consists of several different measurement methods, reporting standards, tools and training modules in a comprehensive program aimed at improving the customer/supplier relationship and committed involvement of the customer � in an appropriate productive manner Part 2: Afternoon Conference (at ifa School for Professional Development) National and international experts present their experiences in using Software Benchmarking for ICT Projects, with a focus on the following topics: Success Factors for Software Benchmarking Experiences with Measurements Methods and Processes Learnings � how can we measure true savings in the ICT business? Software�Benchmarking and CMMI / SPiCE / Six Sigma Software�Benchmarking for planning ICT projects and acquiring software Software�Benchmarking for testing software Acceptance of Software Benchmarking with Management and team members etc. Call for Exhibitors Vendors have the opportunity to present their methods and tools for software metrics in Poster Sessions. Please contact the expert group chairman Thomas Fehlmann thomas.fehlmann@swissict.ch for details. Paper Submissions For the conference and the poster sessions, please send your suggestions and proposals to the conference organiser Thomas Fehlmann thomas.fehlmann@swissict.ch

	Prometric Test Drive The IFPUG CFPS certification exam is now automated and to help candidates feel more at ease with the new format Prometric are offering participants the ability to "Test Drive" their services. The �Test Drive� provides candidates with a real 30minute testing experience to help them feel more at ease by taking them through the following steps: The scheduling and registration process The complete check-in process Introduction to test center staff and surroundings A live 15-minute sample test demonstrating the testing process Full preparation for the real test Visit the Prometric site for full details and the updated IFPUG-Prometric site for the locations, availability and registration.

	COSMIC/ISBSG Benchmarking Initiative COSMIC together with ISBSG,are launching a new initiative to get COSMIC users to gather data for their software projects, for submission to the ISBSG database. Click here for the 'invitation letter' and a new 'Concise Data Collection Questionnaire' (or CDCQ).

	ISBSG Web Subscription ISBSG Web Subscription Special Offer Take out an ISBSG Web Subscription before 14 February 2009 and receive a free copy of The Software Metrics Compendium book (the ultimate software project metrics reference book) valued at �110.

	IFPUG Automated CFPS Exam The CSMS Exam will be held at the ISMA Conference in DC, on September 16, 2008. (To register, visit www.ifpug.org The CSMS certification truly separates qualified experienced Professionals from journeymen and apprentices. Details are available at IFPUG.org/certification For more information on the what Certification provides you

	ISBSGS : eNews ISBSGS : eNews Volume 7 Number 5 Oct 2008 - Outsourced, Offshored, In-house software development - How do theycompare? The attraction of low cost development resources has seen an increase in projects being developed offshore. But what are the ramifications of offshoring and outsourcing? Do distance, cultural differences and language differences have an impact on these projects? The ISBSG has just released a Special Report that investigates the impact of developing software offshore, in-house or via outsourcing. This report compares the performance of projects developed in these different environments. It contains many interesting findings, including the much greater use of tools in projects that are ursourced and the higher rate of delivered defects in projects that are outsourced and/or developed offshore. The report provides details of project delivery rates, speed of delivery and defect densities, plus data about the use of techniques & tools and team member experience for outsourced; in-house; offshore and onshore project development. It is essential reading for CIOs, ITManagers and Project Managers. ISBSG subscribers can download the report free. Or it can be purchased from: http://cts.vresp.com/c/?InternationalSoftwar/4f318647de/30fec50452/da18964f25 ISBSG Subscriptions To learn about the benefits of subscribing to the ISBSG visit:http://cts.vresp.com/c/?InternationalSoftwar/4f318647de/30fec50452/dfe120995e

	Online webinar library Now all ITMPI weekly webinar's will be available for download and can be viewed at your convenience. If you did not get a chance to view Pam Morris' Webinar on Metrics Based Project Governance it is also now available for download, Visit http://www.itmpi.org/default.aspx?pageid=841 The Standish Group found that only 35% of projects are completed successfully. In response to this, the Australian government adopted a rigorous approach to project control that made use of an independent Scope Manager. This webinar by Pam Morris will describe the role of the Scope Manager and the benefits that solid metrics based project governance can bring. For more webinar's visit http://www.itmpi.org/library

	IFPUG CMCS EXAM The CSMS Exam will be held at the ISMA Conference in DC, on September 16, 2008. (To register, visit www.ifpug.org) The CSMS certification truly separates qualified experienced Professionals from journeymen and apprentices. Details are available at IFPUG.org/certification/csms For more information on the what Certification provides you

	IFPUG Exam Automation The IFPUG Certification Committee announced that the CFPS automated exam is scheduled to be available in July. The exam will be available in English only at first and translated into other languages in the future. The rules for references allowed in the automated exam are different than those allowed for the paper based exams. The CFPS Overview is being updated and will be posted on the IFPUG website soon. There will be tips and hints on taking the new automated exam and an FAQ available as well. Keep an eye out for announcements and visit the IFPUG website for the latest information.For more information on the format of the exam

	COSMIC Entry-Level Exam Version 3.0 A COSMIC Entry-Level Exam has been updated to version 3.0 the content of the Certification exam (based on the version 3.0 of the COSMIC measurement manual). Our web Certification section on 'Preparation material' has been updated to mention this. You can now select to take your certification on either version 2.2 or version 3.0. A COSMIC Entry-Level Exam has been planned for June 23, 2008 in Bangalore, India.For more information please contact Mr. Sriram K. at sriram@amitysoft.com Phone: 24328688, 42867588. Fax: 24329005.Fees INR. 7000 approximately US$ 180.

	Benchmark Release 10 Book

	IFPUG CFPS 2008 Practice Exam Total Metrics has used the experience of six of its certified FP practitioners who have recently sat the IFPUG exams to devise this latest IFPUG 4.2.1 CFPS 2008 Practice Exam. Our latest �Practice� exam incorporates the format changes introduced by IFPUG in 2007 to their exam. These changes particularly targeted the Case Study section. Invest in maximizing your chance of CFPS exam success by being fully aware of what to expect in the real exam. Don�t risk surprises, complete our 2008 Practice Exam first. All parts of the Practice exam include solutions. The Case Study answers include full details on how each process and data group is counted and why. The 2008 Practice Exam Questions and Answers for CPM version 4.2.1 can be purchased by completing the request form from the CFPS Exam section in the LHS menu of our Home Page. You also have the option to purchase the 2006 Practice Exam which has been written to include the new guidelines introduced in IFPUG 4.2 and specifically examined in the IFPUG 4.2 CFPS Exams or you can download the 2000 and 2001 Practice Exams which are now available free to our clients. click here to download the exam

	SEVOCAB Systems Engineering Vocabulary SEVOCAB is an online vocabulary of standardized terminology for software and system engineering. The dictionary is intended to serve as a useful reference for those in the Information Technology field, and to encourage the use of software and systems engineering standards prepared by IEEE, ISO/IEC and its liaison organization Project Management Institute. The goal is to provide definitions that are rigorous, uncomplicated, and which can be understood by all concerned. The SEVOCAB database is issued periodically as a formal published International Standard (ISO/IEC 24765) reflecting a "snapshot" of the database.Find authoritative definitions for software and systems engineering terms in SEVOCAB. A project of the IEEE Computer Society and ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC7, SEVOCAB includes definitions from international standards. You can search for a term as defined in the standards, or for all the definitions in a source standard. To give you an understanding of related concepts, SEVOCAB will return any definition for the term, as well as all the definitions that use the term. The vocabulary database can be accessed through http://pascal.computer.org/sev_display/index.action

	COSMIC Version 3.0 download

	Pam Morris awarded ITP Lifetime Achievement Award Pam Morris CEO of Total Metrics and Ted Smillie were recognised for their lifetimes' contribution to the IT Industry and were each awarded the ITP Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2006 Consensus IT Professional Awards. Pam Morris has long played an important role in the international software metrics industry, promoting the importance and application of software measurement for business and IT professionals.