On Thursday, June 7 at 1:00 PM EDT, QSM will host Estimating Before Requirements with Function Points and other Metrics, presented by industry expert Carol Dekkers.
It is well known that project estimating based on parametric models has reached a sophistication where realistic estimates, schedules and predictable outcomes are indeed possible given a set of software and systems requirements. However, increasingly with the fast pace of Agile and other development methods is the requirement for estimates much earlier in the life cycle. What happens when project estimating moves back a full phase – before requirements, and acquisition managers, contractors, auditors and financial analysts are forced to develop and analyze estimates based on unknown requirements? Presented by industry expert Carol Dekkers, this presentation examines how to identify and document assumptions, create a logical and traceable project map including locations of potential “landmines” (calculated risks) that accompany this preliminary estimating. Experienced estimating professionals and contract managers will find a basis for common ground in this presentation – as the advice presented will create the basis for dialog and discussion of early estimates.
A longtime teaming partner of QSM, Carol Dekkers recently joined our team as a part-time Consultant and Trainer. Carol is a recognized international expert in the software metrics and IT Project Management industries. A former President of the International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG), Carol has been project editor of the U.S. delegation to ISO software and systems engineering standards in function points and benchmarking (ISO/IEC JTC1 SC7) since 1994. She is a Certified Function Point Specialist (CFPS), a Project Management Professional (PMP) and a Professional Engineer (P.Eng. Canada). She is the author of Function Points – tools for project management metrics (Cutter, 2001), and the co-author of at an additional six ICT industry books including The IT Measurement Compendium – Estimating and benchmarking success with functional size measurement (Springer, 2008); The Program Management Toolkit for software and systems development (Talentum, 2008), Practical Software Project Estimation, 2nd and 3rd editions (ISBSG, 2008, 2010), and several others including the previous IFPUG textbook and The Certified Software Quality Engineer (CSQE) Handbook. Carol is widely known for her leadership abilities and her in-depth knowledge of software estimation and Function Point Analysis. She has taught workshops and delivered keynote presentations to professional audiences in over 27 countries.