Skip to Content

The IFPUG Guide to IT and Software Measurement

Edited by IFPUG

Published November 29th 2012 by Auerbach Publications – 848 pages

Purchasing Options:

eBook Ordering Options

Description

The widespread deployment of millions of current and emerging software applications has placed software economic studies among the most critical of any form of business analysis. Unfortunately, a lack of an integrated suite of metrics makes software economic analysis extremely difficult.

The International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG), a nonprofit and member-governed organization, has become the recognized leader in promoting the effective management of application software development and maintenance activities. The IFPUG Guide to IT and Software Measurement brings together 52 leading software measurement experts from 13 different countries who share their insights and expertise. Covering measurement programs, function points in measurement, new technologies, and metrics analysis, this volume:

  • Illustrates software measurement's role in new and emerging technologies
  • Addresses the impact of agile development on software measurement
  • Presents measurement as a powerful tool for auditing and accountability
  • Includes metrics for the CIO

Edited by IFPUG's Management and Reporting Committee, the text is useful for IT project managers, process improvement specialists, measurement professionals, and business professionals who need to interact with IT professionals and participate in IT decision-making. It includes coverage of cloud computing, agile development, quantitative project management, process improvement, measurement as a tool in accountability, project ROI measurement, metrics for the CIO, value stream mapping, and benchmarking.

Reviews

Without statistical evidence, we cannot make claims of the use of best practices. We must measure, we must apply appropriate and useful metrics, we must collect and analyze what we measure, and we must learn from the results of that analysis. This book is an important contributor to the promotion and application of software measurement.

When Allan Albrecht developed the idea of Function Points in the late 1970s, he probably did not envisage their use across the world thirty-plus years later. … the International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG), formed to administer and grow what he started, continues to find new ways to educate people about the importance and use of software measurement, metrics, and management. This book, IFPUG’s second, is a vital component in their education offensive.

Although the themes running through the chapters in this book are measurement and metrics, the application of these themes is to the practical issues faced by project managers, CIOs, sales people, testers, QA personnel, outsourcers, bid evaluators, and IT managers. This volume should be a close-at-hand reference for all these people.

—Peter R. Hill, CEO of the International Software Benchmarking Standards Group Limited

Contents

Insights from the Experts: Introduction; Janet Russac

A Proposed Suite of Thirteen Functional Metrics for Economic Analysis; Capers Jones

A Guide to Sizing and Estimating Projects Using International Function Point Users Group Function Points; David Garmus

Benchmarking: Introduction; Pierre Almén

Acquiring External Benchmark Data; Heidi Malkiewicz and Lori Mayer

Effective Applications Development and Maintenance and Support Benchmarking; Pam Morris

Benchmarking Techniques and Their Applications in IT and Software Measurement; Nishant Pandey

Estimation: Introduction; Luigi Buglione

Effort Estimation for Software Projects; Murali Chemuturi

Software and Web Effort Estimation via Predictive and Diagnostic Reasoning; Emilia Mendes

An Experience in Estimating Software Testing Effort; Luiz Flávio Santos Ribeiro

Producing Reliable Estimates through Quantitative Uncertainty Assessment; Luca Santillo

Optimism in Cost Estimation; Ricardo Valerdi

Function Points: Introduction; Sivasubramanyam Balasubramanyam

The 13 Mistakes of Function Point Counting; Claudia Hazan

Facilitating Function Point Counts: How to Ask the "Right" Questions and Get the "Right" Answers for an Accurate Count in an Efficient Manner; Lori Holmes

Measurement Programs: Introduction; Dawn Coley

Measurement of Business Intelligence; Jan-Paul Fillié

Case Studies in Measurement Based Decision Making; Scott Goldfarb

Measurement and Motivation; Tara Kelly

Achieving Business Objectives: Building a Software Metrics Support Structure; Jim Mayes

Metrics for the CIO—Business Value: Introduction; Pierre Almén

Maximizing Value: Understanding Metrics Paradoxes through Use of Transformation; Paul Below

Objective-Driven Process Improvement: Connecting Improvement with Business Objectives; Christof Ebert

A Framework for Implementing an Effective Software Development and Maintenance Metrics Program; Miranda L. Mason

Deriving Business Value Measures for Business Initiatives; Stavros Pechlivanidis

New Technologies and Environments: Introduction; Sivasubramanyam Balasubramanyam

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Function Point Analysis: A Possible Approach and a Practical Experience; Loredana Frallicciardi

Mobile Applications, Functional Analysis, and the Customer Experience; Tammy Preuss

Cloud Computing Solution Measurement; Steven Woodward

Non-Functional and Agile: Introduction; Luigi Buglione

Software Measurement and Agile Development; Raymond Boehm

Agile Estimation Using Functional Metrics; Thomas M. Cagley Jr.

Software Non-Functional Assessment Process; Christine Green, Dan Bradley, Talmon Ben-Cnaan, Wendy Bloomfield, David Garmus, Jalaja Venkat, Steve Chizar, and Luca Santillo

Outsourcing: Introduction; Sivasubramanyam Balasubramanyam

SOS —Application Quality Issues!; Pierre Almén

Software Measurement and Service Levels; Barbara Beech

Software Measurement in Procurement Contracts; Roberto Meli

Request for Proposal Management: Answering Metrics-Based Bids; Harold van Heeringen

Process Improvement: Introduction; Pierre Almén

Software Measurements: Effective Utilization of Software Testing Measurements; Talmon Ben-Cnaan

A Framework to Implement Statistical Process Control; Márcio Silveira

Human Performance Improvement: Measuring the Real Change of Process Improvement; Sheila P. Dennis and Patricia A. Eglin

Understanding Your Organization’s Best Software Development Practices; David Herron

Process Improvement; Steve Neuendorf

Defects: Perspective on Prevalence and Prevention; Joseph R. Schofield, Jr.

Productivity: Introduction; Dawn Coley

How to Improve Your Development Process Using the Indicator of Productivity; Eduardo Alves de Oliveira

Monitoring Productivity Using Function Points in Various Phases; Radhika Srinivas

Project Management: Introduction; Dawn Coley

Project Management and Measurement: What Relationship?; Luigi Buglione

Project Scope Management with Function Points: Achieving Olympic Success on Software Intensive Projects with Scope Management; Carol A. Dekkers

Scope Management Technique Using Sizing Process; Christine Green

Quantitative Project Management—Measurement-Based Techniques for Managing Scope; Robyn Lawrie

Requirements: Building a Solid Foundation for a Successful Project; Janet Harris Russac

Index

Author Bio

The International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG) is a nonprofit, member-governed organization. The mission of IFPUG is to be a recognized leader in promoting and encouraging the effective management of application software development and maintenance activities through the use of Function Point Analysis (FPA) and other software measurement techniques. IFPUG endorses FPA as its standard methodology for software functional sizing. In support of this, IFPUG maintains the Function Point Counting Practices Manual (CPM), the recognized industry standard for FPA. In order to complement the functional aspect of measuring software size, in 2011 the Assessment Practices Manual (APM) was released by IFPUG. The APM provides a quantifiable measure for the non-functional size of software development by means of documented guidance, definitions, and practices about non-functional software features and related sizing criteria. The chapter within this book titled "Software Non-functional Assessment Process (SNAP)" introduces the concept.

IFPUG also provides a forum for networking and information exchange that promotes and encourages the use of software product and process metrics. For further information on IFPUG, please visit www.ifpug.org

Name: The IFPUG Guide to IT and Software Measurement (eBook) – Auerbach Publications 
Description: Edited by IFPUG. The widespread deployment of millions of current and emerging software applications has placed software economic studies among the most critical of any form of business analysis. Unfortunately, a lack of an integrated suite of metrics makes software...
Categories: Management of IT, Engineering Project Management, Software Engineering & Systems Development