What techniques can you use to estimate software requirements effort and cost?

1 Top-down vs bottom-up

One of the first decisions you need to make when estimating software requirements effort and cost is whether to use a top-down or a bottom-up approach. A top-down approach starts with a high-level view of the project, such as the overall goals, features, and resources, and then breaks it down into smaller and more detailed components. A bottom-up approach, on the other hand, starts with the lowest level of detail, such as the individual tasks, activities, and deliverables, and then aggregates them to form a complete picture of the project. Both approaches have their pros and cons, and you may need to combine them depending on the context and complexity of your project.

2 Expert judgment

Another technique that you can use to estimate software requirements effort and cost is expert judgment. This involves consulting with people who have relevant experience, knowledge, and skills in software engineering, such as project managers, developers, analysts, testers, and customers. Expert judgment can help you leverage the insights and lessons learned from previous projects, as well as the expectations and preferences of the stakeholders. However, expert judgment can also be subjective, biased, and inconsistent, so you need to apply it carefully and critically, and use multiple sources of expertise to cross-validate your estimates.

3 Analogous estimation

Analogous estimation is a technique that uses historical data from similar projects to estimate software requirements effort and cost. This technique assumes that the characteristics and complexity of the current project are comparable to those of the past projects, and that the same factors and variables affect the effort and cost. Analogous estimation can be useful when you have limited information or time to perform a detailed analysis of the software requirements, or when you want to provide a rough estimate at an early stage of the project. However, analogous estimation can also be inaccurate or misleading if the projects are not sufficiently similar, or if the historical data is outdated or unreliable.

5 Estimation tools

In addition to the techniques mentioned above, you can also use some tools to assist you in estimating software requirements effort and cost. These tools can range from simple spreadsheets and calculators to sophisticated software applications and platforms. Some examples of estimation tools are COCOMO, Function Point Analysis, Use Case Points, Story Points, and Planning Poker. Estimation tools can help you automate, standardize, and streamline the estimation process, as well as provide you with visual and interactive features to facilitate the communication and collaboration among the project team and stakeholders. However, estimation tools can also be costly or complicated to use, or require specific inputs and outputs that may not match your project needs or preferences.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?