Project Estimation

Without an accurate project estimate, projects that waste money are run. Without an accurate project estimate, projects that save money are not run. By understanding how much your project will cost based on how much similar projects have cost, you learn from history, giving an objective basis for your decisions about whether to launch projects.

Total Metrics specialises in estimating software development projects early in their life-cycle and creating estimates of effort, cost, team size and schedule. We use a variety of industry project data, for example from ISBSG, combined with parametric analysis tools (like KnowledgePLAN™) to determine the likely cost of your project.

Our project estimates use an independent 'top down' method of estimating (based on international standard functional sizing), which complements the standard 'bottom up' work breakdown methodologies, which are constructed by software developers. Functional size based estimates (like ours) are the easiest and most accurate way to estimate early life-cycle projects.

Our estimation techniques are proven to be accurate and provide an independent estimate of a project's budget and schedule.

Effective cost estimation for software development projects is one of the most important software development activities. However, it is also one of the most difficult. Under-estimation allows projects with unsound business cases to launch. Over-estimation prevents projects with sound business cases from launching. An accurate estimate is a critical part of the foundation of project's success.

What is an Estimate?	We will use objective, quantitative ISO/IEC standardised methods to functionally size your project and industry productivity and cost data to develop estimates of the projected effort, costs and duration to deliver the project.
What are the business benefits?	The estimates provide you with a level of confidence that the cost and duration estimates for your software project align with industry experience. The estimates are derived independently and ensure that your business case is based on sound reasoning and historical data, rather than guesswork.
How much will it cost?	Our charges vary depending on the size of your project, and the completeness of its specification.
How is it developed?	How long will it take?	Typically 3 weeks in duration.
	What lead time is required?	We endeavor to fit within your time frames but we prefer two weeks' notice.
	What are the prerequisites?	Documented Business Requirement, and ideally Functional Requirements, for the project. Access to interview personnel knowledgeable in the functionality of the planned project and the environments for the project's proposed solution.
	How much of my time will be required?	Between 1 and 3 days depending on the size of the project and the quality of the documentation available.
	When is the best time to do it?	As soon as the Business Requirements are documented and prior to making any project decisions as to how the software should be acquired.
	What is the method used to develop the estimate?	ISO/IEC 20296 Functional Size Measurement Methodology. Industry Data - sourced from the International Software Benchmarking Groups data
What will I get (deliverables)?	What is the delivered outcome?	A preliminary Functional Model which documents the assumptions of project size used in the estimate A Project Estimate report detailing the project's likely effort, cost and schedule along with our confidence of these estimates Additional reports may also be provided.