Estimation by Analogy

Approach

• The effort of a job is estimated by comparing it to one ormore similar jobs.


• Collect or maintain project data: job attributes and actualoutcomes
  
  • May be as simple as a spreadsheet. If a database is used, canexplore it with queries.
  
  

Advantages: Accurate if project data available. Canbe applied at the task level.

Requirements: Depends on finding similar jobs.Must also assess the degree of similarity.

Recommended use: When you have or can gatherdata on similar jobs.

Procedure:

• Choose variables for characterizing projects.
  • Examples are application domain, development phasesincluded, libraries employed, number of dialogs, number ofdrawing elements, number of tables, and critical productcharacteristic (performance, ease of data entry, etc.)
• Gather data on completed projects and comparetheir variables.
• Judge the confidence that can be placed in theanalogies found.
  • Are there other important variables in these projects thataffected the outcomes?
• Estimate the effort for the new project.
  • Consider a weighted average, where weights are based onhow well each analogy project relates to the project beingestimated.
    
  
  
  
  

Thought Process Map

TMAP is A TEAM Problem solving tool:

• Graphical representation of thoughts.
• Questions asked and the Answers found.
• Encourages critical thinking.
• It is the strategies developed or being developed.
• It is the paths and avenues that are being evaluated.
• Documentation of the thought and process knowledge
• Problems or issues

Dos and Don’ts Of TMap

DOs

• Identify and expand the vital few
• Categorize the thoughts
• Let Everybody participate
• Capture the complete discussions
• Let everybody understand the goal

DON’Ts

• Judge , evaluate the questions in the initial stage
• Capture the questions partially
• Dominate the meeting by few participants
• Try to answer all the questions raised immediately
• Distract from the Goal

FMEA - Failure Modes and Effects Analysis

FMEA is a structured approach to

• identifying the ways in which a product or process can fail
• estimating the risk of specific causes with regard to these failures
• prioritizing the actions that should be taken to reduce the chanceof failure
• evaluating the design validation plan (Product) or the currentcontrol plan (Process) for preventing these failures from occurring

Purpose

• identify potential failure modes and rate the severity of their effects
• to rank order potential deficiencies
• to help focus on prevention