Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art
Description
In this highly anticipated book, acclaimed author Steve McConnell unravels the mystery to successful software estimation-distilling academic information and real-world experience into a practical guide for working software professionals. Instead of arcane treatises and rigid modeling techniques, this guide highlights a proven set of procedures, understandable formulas, and heuristics that individuals and development teams can apply to their projects to help achieve estimation proficiency.
Table of Contents
Critical Estimation Concepts
· What Is an "Estimate"?
· How Good an Estimator Are You?
· Value of Accurate Estimates
· Where Does Estimation Error Come From?
· Estimate Influences
Fundamental Estimation Techniques
· Introduction to Estimation Techniques
· Count, Compute, Judge
· Calibration and Historical Data
· Individual Expert Judgment
· Decomposition and Recomposition
· Estimation by Analogy
· Proxy-Based Estimates
· Expert Judgment in Groups
· Software Estimation Tools
· Use of Multiple Approaches
· Flow of Software Estimates on a Well-Estimated Project
· Standardized Estimation Procedures
Specific Estimation Challenges
· Special Issues in Estimating Size
· Special Issues in Estimating Effort
· Special Issues in Estimating Schedule
· Estimating Planning Parameters
· Estimate Presentation Styles
· Politics, Negotiation, and Problem Solving
Appendix A Estimate Sanity Check
Scoring