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The Effectiveness of Business Software Systems Functional Size Measurement

Authors:
Beata Czarnacka-Chrobot

Keywords: business software systems development and enhancement projects; functional size measurement; IFPUG method; COSMIC method; software engineering

Abstract:
Execution of software Development and Enhancement Projects (D&EP), particularly those delivering Business Software Systems (BSS) as a product, encounters many problems, which still makes fulfilling of client requirements appear a big challenge for BSS providers. This may be proved by numerous analyses indicating exceptionally low effectiveness of BSS D&EP as compared to other types of IT projects, what - with their significant costs being considered - leads to the substantial financial losses. Author’s analysis of fundamental BSS D&EP success factors indicates that one of the most important of them is objective and reliable measurement of such projects’ product size, with particular consideration given to client’s perspective. Further analyses led author to the conclusion that these conditions are only met by the software product size measure based on its functionality, what is confirmed by the acknowledgement of the so-called software Functional Size Measurement (FSM) concept along with several FSM methods by the ISO and IEC. The paper analyzes and evaluates the potential of effective usage of FSM with regard to BSS, with particular consideration given to the two most popular normalized FSM approaches, namely International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG) method and Common Software Measurement International Consortium (COSMIC) method. This issue is important not only for practical, but also for theoretical reasons, which are caused by the need to satisfy requirements of software engineering as a knowledge discipline having scientific grounds.

Pages: 63 to 71

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2011

Publication date: June 19, 2011

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-4529

ISBN: 978-1-61208-139-7

Location: Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

Dates: from June 19, 2011 to June 24, 2011