QSM provides unparalleled support throughout the product acquisition, installation, and implementation process.
For nearly five decades, QSM has helped organizations bring data-driven discipline to software project estimation, tracking, and benchmarking. Our methodology and tools turn project complexity into measurable, defensible outcomes.
Designed For: Executives responsible for submitting annual IT budgets.
All too often, annual IT budgets rely on guesswork, wishful thinking, and imprecise placeholders.
Then, later in the year, when execution reality sets in–well, so does the red ink.
Fortunately, QSM is here to help you quantify your project plans, identify high-risk projects, and adjust for reality. Then, we’ll help you optimize your portfolio to provide the best possible value with the lowest possible risk.
And that means no more year-end surprises.
We'll collect existing project estimates, or build new ones for you–quick feasibility estimates or detailed estimates alike. We’ll focus our collection activities around scope, schedule, effort and staffing.
We'll reverse-engineer any estimates you provide and check them against industry trend lines. High-risk projects will be flagged for later adjustment. We'll combine all these estimates to create an "as planned" budget scenario. Then, we'll provide the schedule, resources and skills, staffing, cash flow, cumulative cost, and a probability of achieving these budget goals.
Next, we'll adjust the high-risk programs for realism and show how this impacts our \"as planned\" budget. We’ll build multiple scenarios, selectively optimizing individual projects that result in significant cost savings and speed to market. Then, we’ll present these budgeting alternatives so that executive managers can make informed decisions and realize the best value for their IT investments.
Both developers and business stakeholders will have a realistic appreciation of the requirements–leading to a better understanding of feasibility.
Identify the development scenario that provides the best value from a cost, schedule and risk perspective. This will help you save money and get to market as quickly as possible.
By smoking out unrealistic estimates early in the budgeting process, we can eliminate surprises later on.
Quickly explore the impact of budget cuts or increases, and use this knowledge to more effectively negotiate with business stakeholders.
A major utility company's IT department used QSM's software productivity benchmarking and IT portfolio budget analysis services, which identified $2.5M in probable overruns plus $5M in savings, and implements dramatically improved software estimation processes.
Case Study · Major Electric Utility Company
US Federal agency leverages QSM Consulting and SLIM® estimation software to evaluate vendor bid for mission critical project. Analysis showed that the vendor proposal was unattainable; alternative plan reduced software project costs by $600K.
Case Study · US Federal Government Agency
One of the largest US financial institutions IT department implements Estimation Center of Excellence to stop software project cost overruns and saves over $1.2M.
Case Study · Financial services company with over 30,000 employees