Software Quality Flashcards
1
Q
Explain the estimation technique ‘expert judgement’.
A
The estimate of future effort requirements is based on the manager’s experience of past projects and the application domain.
Disadvantage: no better than expertise and objectivity of the estimator who may be biased.
2
Q
Explain what top down and bottom up estimation techniques are?
A
Top Down:
- Estimate the overall cost from global properties of the product.
- Low level problems are not identified
Bottom Up:
- Estimate made for each component by developer.
- Costs summed.
- Can overlook system costs such as integration.
3
Q
Explain ‘Algorithmic cost modelling’ as an estimation technique?
A
A formulaic approach is used to compute the project effort based on estimates of product attributes such as:
- Precedentedness (similar to previous projects)
- Dev Flexibility (are reqs flexible)
- Architecture/Risk resolution
- Team cohesion
- Process Maturity
4
Q
Give some key causes of inaccurate estimations?
A
- Frequent request for change by users
- Overlooked tasks
- User’s lack of understanding of the requirements
- Insufficient analysis when developing estimates
- Lack of coordination of system development, technical services, operations, data administration, and other functions during development
- Lack of an adequate method or guidelines for estimating
- Complexity of the proposed application system
- Capabilities of the project team members/ number of project team members
- Project team’s experience with the application, the programming language, and hardware
- Extent of programming and documentation standards
5
Q
How can the risk in cost estimation be reduced?
A
- Develop prototypes for those parts of the system which are hard to estimate.
- Reuse software to reduce the amount of estimation required and to reduce over all costs.
- Partitioning of requirements in critical, desirable etc.
6
Q
What are the 5 levels of the Capability Maturity Model (CMM)?
A
- Initial
- Managed
- Defined
- Quantitively managed
- Optimising
