Costing Software Development
Project Aim
Optimising value for money in software development through standardised cost metrics in the procurement, development and project management phases.Project Summary
Mission critical and complex software projects habitually exceed budget expectations significantly. Regular outsourcing of software development means that procurement specialists, project managers and software engineers require a common understanding of individual system requirement costs to facilitate accord on price. Contemporary techniques for describing and costing requirements fail to directly map into project management structures, leading to ongoing value comparisons that are subjective and unrepeatable. This research will develop the principles to be used by both clients and suppliers to compute earned value from requirements, leading to more accurate assessments and calculations of Value for Money in software projects.Partners
There are four industry partners for this project, representing large and small suppliers of software development, a large customer of software development and an organisation specialising in software costing metrics.- ADI Limited, IS3
- Defence Materiel Organisation, Standardisation Branch
- Total Metrics Pty Ltd
- Praetorium Pty Ltd
Murdoch University and Edith Cowan University are also represented within this project.
ADI Limited, IS3
ADI Limited is one of Australia's leading defence, systems and engineering companies employing a highly skilled workforce of approximately 2,500 people across the country. Established in 1991 ADI's specialist software business unit is located in Perth, WA and has delivered some of the most complex software projects undertaken within Australia, including command support systems and real-time combat systems for defence. These world-class deliveries are in operation throughout the Australasian region deployed on thousands of computers in hundreds of locations.
From original systems developed in Ada ADI Limited has matured into aleading Java and C/C++ development house using modern techniques throughout the entire project lifecycle from design to final delivery. In the non-defence arena ADI Limited has delivered distributed, web-based software using advanced Java and XML technologies to swiftly meet customers' requirements.
With more than 100 software specialists based in Perth ADI Limited is a software organisation poised to continue delivering value for money to clients through the intelligent adoption of emerging technologies to realise future tailored system solutions.
Visit the ADI Limited website.
Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO), Standardisation Branch
The Defence Materiel Organisation brings together acquisition of capital equipment and systems and through life support of material for the Australian Defence Force. Over the last three years, the Defence Materiel Organisation has been changing the way it does Defence business to become a truly whole of life acquisition, support and logistics operation.
Defence Materiel Organisation is a modern Defence materiel business with a strong and close relationship with government and our other customers.
Standardisation Branch within the Deputy CEO DMO Division has established the Cost Estimation Cell within the Directorate of Supportability. Standardisation Branch has a Defence-wide responsibility for Life Cycle Cost/ Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCC/LCCA) policy and procedures as well as the DMO responsibility for Cost Estimation. The primary objective of the Cost Estimation Cell is to bring together cost estimation, software estimation and LCCA under one unified cost estimation program. The aim of this is to ensure consistency of approach across the DMO in developing and analysing cost estimates.
The responsibilities of the Cost Estimation Cell include:
- DMO wide implementation of the Cost Estimation Methodology
- Supporting projects through the development of their LCC Models
- Supporting Software Intensive Projects in the implementation of the Software Estimation Policy, Procedure and Guidance
- Identifying the need for support products such as training, tools and templates in respect to the disciplines embraced by cost estimation as a whole
- Establishment of a Cost Estimation Network throughout Defence
Visit the Defence Materiel Organisation website.
Total Metrics Pty Ltd
Total Metrics is an established, Australian owned company, based in three states which has earned a strong international reputation for delivering quality software measurement related services worldwide, since 1994, on time and on budget. Total Metrics consultants have an extensive breadth of experience in function point analysis and software measurement gained from working with a wide range of applications across a variety of organisations in the public and private sector. All consultants are officially accredited by the International Function Point Counting Group, as certified function point counting specialists (CFPS).
Visit the Total Metrics website.
Praetorium Pty Ltd
Praetorium is a Western Australian consultancy that undertakes a wide range of IT projects, including infrastructure management, software and web site development, It management support and IT consulting. Praetorium has specialist capability in software engineering and can demonstrate high productivity through internationally bench-marked development projects.