Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art (Best Practices (Microsoft))

14.4 Summary of Available Tools

Numerous effective software estimation tools are available. Prices range from free to $20,000 per seat per year and up. Here are some of the more popular tools:

• Angel, http://dec.bournemouth.ac.uk/ESERG/ANGEL/ The Analogy Software Tool is an interesting tool that supports estimating future projects by analogy to past projects.

• Construx Estimate, www.construx.com/estimate This is a freeware tool used to generate the estimation tool screen shots shown in this book. The underlying estimation methodology is based on the Putnam Estimation model (Putnam and Myers 1992). The tool also contains some functionality based on Cocomo II. I worked as the lead programmer on the first 2 versions of this tool.

• Cocomo II, http://sunset.usc.edu/research/COCOMOII/ Several implementations of Cocomo II can be found on the Internet by searching for Cocomo II. The official versions can be found at the University of Southern California Web site listed above and are available for free.

• Costar, www.softstarsystems.com Costar is a low-priced, full implementation of Cocomo II offered by Softstar Systems.

• KnowledgePLAN, www.spr.com This tool is developed and sold by Software Productivity Research (Capers Jones's company) and emphasizes a high degree of integration with Microsoft Project.

• Price-S, www.pricesystems.com Price-S was originally developed by RCA and now consists of a suite of estimation products.

• SEER, www.galorath.com Like Price-S, SEER consists of several related products: SEER-SEM for estimation, planning, and control; SEER-SSM for in-depth software sizing; and SEER-AccuScope for simple software sizing.

• SLIM-Estimate and Estimate Express, www.qsm.com Quantitative Software Management's family of tools includes SLIM-Estimate, which is a full-featured and powerful estimation tool, and Estimate Express, which is less fully featured but still powerful. Both tools are based on the Putnam estimation model. QSM is founded by Lawrence Putnam.