Path: utzoo!utgpu!cunews!software.mitel.com!taylord
From: taylord@Software.Mitel.COM (Don Taylor)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Software Cost Estimation
Message-ID: <5676@taylord>
Date: 8 Dec 90 19:23:23 GMT
Organization: Mitel. Kanata (Ontario). Canada.
Lines: 57

What is the current thinking on software cost estimation models?

A few years ago Barry Boehm's COCOMO models seemed to be the definitive
work of the day, and I was wondering where things had gone in this arena
since then.  I have a few questions:

Is COCOMO still used?  

The databases used to derive the models were not huge (although they were
not tiny either), has anyone systematically validated the models with
much larger databases?  (I am particularly interested in the Maintenance
Models rather than the new development models).

Are there software packages available that implement the COCOMO models?

One of the problems that I have with COCOMO and other LOC-based models
is that it is based upon a program parameter (lines of code) that is not
known until the latter phases of a project.  Is there a useful cost
estimation model around that is based upon an early phase deliverable,
say the requirements specification, that has been shown to work for a
significant number of projects?

COCOMO assumes that a waterfall model of sw. development is used.
Although this is still widely used for large projects, it is falling
out of fashion.  Are there any cost estimation models available for the
newer development models, eg. spiral development, rapid prototyping?  

As I said earlier my main interest at this time is in the maintenance
models, it seems to me that one way to view these new development
techniques is that they consist of a very truncated new program
development phase and an earlier and longer maintenance phase.
(Maintenance includes the addition of new functionality to an existing,
delivered base as well as defect repair.)  Has anyone tried to use the
COCOMO maintenance models in this fashion? 

Are there any alternative models around for the maintenance phase?



Thank you in advance,


Don.

Don Taylor (613)-592-2122 x 3007	 mitel!taylord@uunet.uu.net
Mitel Corp.				 ...!uunet!mitel!taylord    
350 Legget Drive, Kanata		
Ontario, Canada, K2K 1X3		




-- 
Don Taylor (613)-592-2122 x 3007	 mitel!taylord@uunet.uu.net
Mitel Corp.				 ...!uunet!mitel!taylord    
350 Legget Drive, Kanata		
Ontario, Canada, K2K 1X3