Software Cost Estimation, Benchmarking, and Risk Assessment

Adam Trendowicz is a senior consultant at the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering (IESE) in Kaiserslautern, Germany.  He has led software cost estimation and software measurement improvement activities in software companies of different sizes and from various domains (e.g., in Germany, Japan, and India), and he has been involved in functional software size estimation (Function Points Analysis) and productivity benchmarking in organizations from both the industry and the public sector. His research interests include measurement-based controlling of software products and processes, software quality modeling and evaluation, and technology validation by means of empirical methods.

Part I Predictable Software Development.-Why Software Effort Estimation?.- What is a Good Estimate?.- Why the CoBRA Method?.- Part II The CoBRA Method.- Principles of the CoBRA Method.- Model Development and Validation.- Model Application.- Usage Scenarios of a CoBRA Model.- Part III Industrial Applications.- Software design & management, Germany.- Allette Systems, Australia.- Oki Electric, Japan.- Siemens Information Systems, India.- Japan Manned Space Systems, Japan.- Bibliography.

From the reviews:

"The scope of the book is the cost estimation, benchmarking, and risk assessment (CoBRA) method, launched in 1998. ... The author thoroughly explains the basics and presents real practical cases throughout the book, in a way that any metrics engineer will be able to understand. Readers who finish the book will be able to set up a CoBRA method easily." (Jair Merlo, Computing Reviews, September, 2013)

"The CoBRA method is a way of integrating the "Art" and the "Science" of software estimation, which is usually believed to be a "Black Art". The CoBRA method demystifies the Black Art of software estimation." Yasushi Ishigai, Research Director at Research Center for Information Technology, Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc., Japan

"We had not been able to imagine building our own software estimation models until we encountered the CoBRA method. As far as combining project data and expert judgment for the purpose of software effort estimation is concerned, we can definitely say that there are no other methods that are comparable to CoBRA." Morihiko Shinoda, Deputy Department Manager, Yutaka Masaoka, Senior Engineer, Government, Public Sector Systems Division, Hitachi Solutions, Ltd., Japan

"We used the CoBRA method for early-stage estimation of system integration projects. We were very satisfied with CoBRA because we could easily model relevant cost drivers that are specific to our own context as well as base development productivity. From limited use in one group, we have now expanded its use to department-wide activities." Yasushi Aizaki, Manager at Systems Development Division, NTT Data Sekisui Systems, Japan

"I am convinced that the CoBRA method has a high potential of resolving "acquisition issues" related to the accountability of software costs in IT business, which enduringly persist on the side of IT customers. That's because the models arevery simple and easy to build and can be understood even by non-IT professionals." Hiroshi Iwakiri, General Manager, Information Systems Business Unit, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

"We had not been able to imagine building our own software estimation models until we encountered the CoBRA method. As far as combining project data and expert judgment for the purpose of software effort estimation is concerned, we can definitely say that there are no other methods that are comparable to CoBRA." Morihiko Shinoda, Deputy Department Manager, Yutaka Masaoka, Senior Engineer, Government, Public Sector Systems Division, Hitachi Solutions, Ltd., Japan

"We used the CoBRA method for early-stage estimation of system integration projects. We were very satisfied with CoBRA because we could easily model relevant cost drivers that are specific to our own context as well as base development productivity. From limited use in one group, we have now expanded its use to department-wide activities." Yasushi Aizaki, Manager at Systems Development Division, NTT Data Sekisui Systems, Japan

"I am convinced that the CoBRA method has a high potential of resolving "acquisition issues" related to the accountability of software costs in IT business, which enduringly persist on the side of IT customers. That's because the models are very simple and easy to build and can be understood even by non-IT professionals." Hiroshi Iwakiri, General Manager, Information Systems Business Unit, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

From the reviews:“The scope of the book is the cost estimation, benchmarking, and risk assessment (CoBRA) method, launched in 1998. … The author thoroughly explains the basics and presents real practical cases throughout the book, in a way that any metrics engineer will be able to understand. Readers who finish the book will be able to set up a CoBRA method easily.” (Jair Merlo, Computing Reviews, September, 2013)“The CoBRA method is a way of integrating the "Art" and the "Science" of software estimation, which is usually believed to be a "Black Art". The CoBRA method demystifies the Black Art of software estimation.” Yasushi Ishigai, Research Director at Research Center for Information Technology, Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc., Japan“We had not been able to imagine building our own software estimation models until we encountered the CoBRA method. As far as combining project data and expert judgment for the purpose of software effort estimation is concerned, we can definitely say that there are no other methods that are comparable to CoBRA.” Morihiko Shinoda, Deputy Department Manager, Yutaka Masaoka, Senior Engineer, Government, Public Sector Systems Division, Hitachi Solutions, Ltd., Japan“We used the CoBRA method for early-stage estimation of system integration projects. We were very satisfied with CoBRA because we could easily model relevant cost drivers that are specific to our own context as well as base development productivity. From limited use in one group, we have now expanded its use to department-wide activities.” Yasushi Aizaki, Manager at Systems Development Division, NTT Data Sekisui Systems, Japan“I am convinced that the CoBRA method has a high potential of resolving "acquisition issues" related to the accountability of software costs in IT business, which enduringly persist on the side of IT customers. That's because the models arevery simple and easy to build and can be understood even by non-IT professionals.” Hiroshi Iwakiri, General Manager, Information Systems Business Unit, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation“We had not been able to imagine building our own software estimation models until we encountered the CoBRA method. As far as combining project data and expert judgment for the purpose of software effort estimation is concerned, we can definitely say that there are no other methods that are comparable to CoBRA.” Morihiko Shinoda, Deputy Department Manager, Yutaka Masaoka, Senior Engineer, Government, Public Sector Systems Division, Hitachi Solutions, Ltd., Japan“We used the CoBRA method for early-stage estimation of system integration projects. We were very satisfied with CoBRA because we could easily model relevant cost drivers that are specific to our own context as well as base development productivity. From limited use in one group, we have now expanded its use to department-wide activities.” Yasushi Aizaki, Manager at Systems Development Division, NTT Data Sekisui Systems, Japan“I am convinced that the CoBRA method has a high potential of resolving "acquisition issues" related to the accountability of software costs in IT business, which enduringly persist on the side of IT customers. That's because the models are very simple and easy to build and can be understood even by non-IT professionals.” Hiroshi Iwakiri, General Manager, Information Systems Business Unit, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation