The size of the software needs to be estimated to figure out the time needed in terms of calendar and man months as well as the number and type of resources required carrying out the job. The time and resources estimation eventually plays a significant role in determining the cost of the project.

software engineering ii Software Size Estimation:

Most organizations use their previous experience to estimate the size and hence the resource and time requirements for the project. If not quantified, this estimate is subjective and is as good as the person who is conducting this exercise. At times this makes it highly contentious.

It is therefore imperative for a government organization to adopt an estimation mechanism that is:

  1. Objective in nature.
  2. It should be an acceptable standard with wide spread use and acceptance level.
  3. It should serve as a single yardstick to measure and make comparisons.
  4. Must be based upon a deliverable that is meaningful to the intended audience.
  5. It should be independent of the tool and technology used for the developing the software.

A number of techniques and tools can be used in estimating the size of the software. These include:

  1. Lines of code (LOC)
  2. Number of objects
  3. Number of GUIs
  4. Number of document pages
  5. Functional points (FP)
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