Helps you plan, estimate, budget, schedule, purchase, design, build, test, deploy, operate, and maintain software-intensive systems. This book explains how to size software, identify cost components, calculate the associated costs, and set a competitive price. An accompanying CD-ROM contains templates, supplemental notes, and spreadsheets. Many software projects fail because their leaders don't know how to estimate, schedule, or measure them accurately. Fortunately, proven tools and techniques exist for every facet of software estimation. Estimating Software-Intensive Systems brings them together in a real-world guidebook that will help software managers, engineers, and customers immediately improve their estimates?and drive continuing improvements over time. Dick Stutzke presents here a disciplined and repeatable process that can produce accurate and complete estimates for any project, product, or process, no matter how new or unusual. Stutzke doesn't just describe formal techniques: He offers simple, easy-to-use templates, spreadsheets, and tools you can start using today to identify and estimate product size, performance, and quality?as well as project cost, schedule, and risk reserves. Stutzke shows how to quickly "get your arms around" users' problems and requirements, the structure of a solution, and the process needed to deliver it. You'll learn how to choose the most appropriate estimating techniques and tools; collect accurate data, track progress, and update estimates; and recalibrate estimating models to improve estimation accuracy. Stutzke's techniques apply whether you're creating custom in-house business software, purchasing or customizing "off-the-shelf" technology, or constructing complex, one-of-a-kind military, industrial, or commercial systems. These techniques apply to small and large projects, and to all project life cycles?from agile to plan-driven. This book will help you plan, estimate, budget, schedule, purchase, design, build, test, deploy, operate, and maintain software-intensive systems. It explains how to size software, identify all cost components, calculate the associated costs, and set a competitive price. A separate section covers topics of interest for large projects: designing an appropriate work breakdown structure, collecting data from cost accounting systems, and using earned value measurement. An accompanying CD-ROM contains templates, supplemental notes, and Microsoft Excel spreadsheets to estimate and track projects, product characteristics, and processes. It contains an extensive bibliography and links to web resources on software estimation, measurement, and related topics. You'll find updates and even more information on this book's companion web site, http://www.sw-estimation.com. © Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Dr. Richard D. Stutzke has more than 40 years experience with software development and project management in the military and industry, including scientific, embedded real time, and commercial systems. He has authored more than fifty papers and articles on software estimation and management. In 1989, he established Science Applications International Corporation's Corporate Software Process Group and led it for two years. Since then, he has focused on defining integrated processes for developing software-intensive systems and managing their development and operation. © Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Estimating Software-Intensive Systems Preface In-house systems for accounting, production control, and e-business - Applications sold commercially in the mass market ("shrink-wrapped products") - Large, complex, "one-of-a-kind" military, industrial, and commercial systems Projects to develop and maintain software-intensive systems can involve the following: Designing, building, testing, and distributing software components - Selecting and purchasing commercial software and hardware components - Configuring and, in some cases, designing hardware - Training and supporting users Practitioners who develop, manage, procure, or operate software-intensive systems need to estimate and measure the resources needed to perform such activities. They also need to calculate costs, set bid prices, and evaluate cost and price. Some practitioners also need to estimate and measure the usage of computer resources, product quality (defects), and the effectiveness and efficiency of production processes. The Book To meet these needs, this book describes practical, proven estimating techniques that are simple and easy to use. Numerous examples show how to apply the techniques correctly. One example shows how to construct, calibrate, and use a complete cost model for software maintenance. The book explains how to use Microsoft Excel to build estimating and tracking tools. It provides implementation guidance and aids (checklists, templates, and spreadsheets). Boxes in each chapter provide details on specific topics. A "Recomm