1-800-THE-TREE (1-800-843-8733)
TRAINING YOU CAN TRUST
 
 

Developing Effective Software Estimation Techniques

 
Course: 930   Type: RealityPlus   Duration: 3 Days
 
 

You Will Learn How To

  • Prepare a software project estimate through an iterative process
  • Develop an initial estimate using the expert judgment method
  • Apply historical data for greater precision in an estimate
  • Refine the size or scope estimate using a component-based method
  • Perform calculations to determine the magnitude of a project
  • Translate a size or scope estimate into a time, schedule and cost estimate

Course Benefits

Effective software development estimates reduce the risks of increased development costs, late delivery, and missed features and functionality. Throughout this course, you develop your estimation skills, implement new processes and use proven techniques to estimate software projects. You learn to estimate the size, cost, effort and schedule of a project, and improve estimate accuracy.

Who Should Attend

Software development professionals who need to create estimates or establish an estimation process in their organization.

Course Workshop

A media-rich business simulation immerses you in a challenging and realistic software development environment. Experiential and PC-based activities include:
  • Generating questions that clarify the scope of the project
  • Interviewing consulting experts using video simulation
  • Producing an estimate based on expert judgment
  • Gathering historical data from a meeting with the manager of a previous, similar project
  • Improving your estimate based on historical data
  • Analyzing the work breakdown structure
  • Interviewing virtual team members to gather estimates for specific activities using single-point and PERT techniques
  • Estimating the effort and producing a schedule, time and cost estimate
  • Leading a management briefing to present your results

Related Courses

 
The PMI R.E.P. logo is a registered mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc. RealityPlus is a trademark of Learning Tree International. 		 

Upcoming Dates

Dec 10 - 12, 2008
 Ottawa
Jan 21 - 23, 2009
 Toronto
Mar 11 - 13, 2009
 Ottawa
May 20 - 22, 2009
 Toronto
Jun 10 - 12, 2009
 Ottawa

For complete schedule, please visit www.learningtree.com
 
http://www.learningtree.com/courses/930pf.htm
 
 
1-800-THE-TREE (1-800-843-8733)
TRAINING YOU CAN TRUST
 
 

Developing Effective Software Estimation Techniques

 
Course: 930   Type: RealityPlus   Duration: 3 Days
 
 
Course 930 Content
 

The Art of Software Estimation

What is estimation?

  • Size and scope
  • Effort
  • Time
  • Schedule
  • Cost

Elements of an estimate

  • Source Lines of Code and Function Points
  • Effort and efficiency metrics

Establishing the estimation process

  • Balancing exactness and predictions
  • Iterating for greater precision

Defining the software environment

  • Identifying the software project phases: define, design, code, test and implement
  • Considering varying software development methodologies
  • Factoring in the development environment: programming language, skill levels and resources

Delivering Expert Judgment Estimates

Analyzing project documents

  • Determining information gaps
  • Identifying assumptions, constraints and risks

Acquiring expert perspectives

  • Conducting an interview with an expert
  • Asking clarifying questions
  • Incorporating the information into estimates

Developing the estimate

  • Synthesizing the estimate from gathered input
  • Evaluating your confidence in the estimate

Calibrating Estimates with Historical Data

Analyzing historical data

  • Evaluating similarities and differences between current and previous projects
  • Extracting relevant metrics

Refining the initial estimate

  • Calculating the estimate using appropriate measures
  • Incorporating all software life cycle activities in the estimate
  • Checking your estimate against historical data

Fine Tuning with Component Methods

Interpreting the work breakdown structure (WBS)

  • Identifying the elemental components
  • Recognizing omissions in the WBS

Evaluating components and activities

  • Choosing estimation metrics
  • Applying metrics systematically
  • Consulting with team members
  • Eliciting single-point estimates
  • Performing the PERT (three-point) methodology

Pulling it all together

  • Adding up the component estimate
  • Factoring in project complexities
  • Comparing with the previous iterations

Improving the Estimate Using Software Metrics

Determining what to count

  • Lines of code
  • Function Points
  • Use case points
  • Story points
  • Calculating simple probability statistics and standard deviation

Converting metrics into effort

  • Deriving metrics from internal historical data
  • Computing effort using industry standard formulas

Developing Effective Time, Schedule and Cost Estimates

Estimating productivity

  • Deriving common conversion metrics
  • Determining productivity metrics

Calculating time and cost

  • Applying productivity metrics to the project
  • Building a schedule
  • Producing a time estimate
  • Generating the project cost estimate

Communicating the estimate to management

  • Documenting the estimate according to the size and complexity of the project
  • Presenting and defending the estimate
 
http://www.learningtree.com/courses/930pf.htm
 
 
1-800-THE-TREE (1-800-843-8733)
TRAINING YOU CAN TRUST
 
 

Developing Effective Software Estimation Techniques Tuition

 
Course: 930   Type: RealityPlus   Duration: 3 Days
 
 

Course Tuition
$ 2,390 Standard Tuition
Tuition with a Savings Plan
$ 1,350 10-Day Pass
$ 1,670 Training Passport
$ 1,700 Premium-Pass
$ 2,200 Voucher 10-Pack
$ 2,155 Alumni Gold Discount
$ 2,124 Government Discount
 

 

Your Course Tuition Entitles You To...

  • Class participation
  • Team workshops
  • Use of in-class hands-on equipment
  • Comprehensive course materials
  • Morning and afternoon refreshments
  • Course Completion Certificate awarding Continuing Education Units
  • FREE participation in Professional Certification
  • FREE participation in College Credit programs (including related exams)
  
 

Tuition Savings Plans

Training Passport
  • 3 courses in 12 months
  • As little as $1,670 per course
  • Savings as much as 40%
  • Only $5,000
Flex Pass
  • 3 courses in 24 months
  • As little as $na per course
  • Save as much as na%
10-Day Pass
  • A NEW way to save on training
  • 10 days of training for one person
  • Save as much as $990 per course
  • Only $4,500
Training Vouchers
  • Save as much as $990 per course
  • Fully transferable
  • As low as $2,200 per course
Alumni Gold Discount Attend your first course and you'll receive a personalized Alumni Gold Discount card, entitling you to save as much as $305 on each course you take within the following 12 months. Take just one course each year and you'll be entitled to ongoing discounts...year after year!

Your Guarantee of Satisfaction

Unless you feel 100% satisfied that Learning Tree delivered even more than you expected, there is no fee for your course attendance. Our Guarantee of Quality lets you experience the value of the course--and then pay only if you feel the course was well worth the tuition.

Enrolling is Easy and Flexible!

Enroll by phone or online. If your plans change, just let us know and, without a fee, you can transfer to another course or cancel your enrollment. Pay after you've taken the course, and then only if you are 100% satisfied.
 
http://www.learningtree.com/courses/930pf.htm