International Software Measurement & Analysis Conference
Presented by IFPUG

KeyNote featured Presentation Abstracts

Keynote Address

Using Function Points for Economic Analysis of Software Methodologies
Capers Jones, President and CEO of Capers Jones & Associates LLC

Standard IFPUG function points have more data than all other metrics combined. As a result, function points can be used to evaluate many software development and maintenance methods. This presentation shows how standard “test beds” using function points can be used to evaluate a selection of software methods. This presentation uses a standard analytic approach for evaluating the effectiveness of new and emerging technologies on software development productivity, software maintenance productivity, and software quality. The current version of this presentation uses recent data to analyze Agile development, extreme programming, the ITIL library, SCRUM sessions, Watts Humphrey’s Team Software Process (TSP) and Personal Software Process (PSP), Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), and Six-Sigma for Software. These technologies are evaluated on the basis of the 12 known ways that software projects can be improved.

Statement of purpose:

• Show how function points provide a method for evaluating new technologies
• Demonstrate the evaluation method against new technologies such as TSP/PSP
• Discuss the pros and cons of new software technologies
• Provide latest productivity and quality data based on new technologies

Featured Speaker

Bill Phifer, an EDS Fellow, is a Software Engineering Institute (SEI) Authorized Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Lead Appraiser

More and more organizations are electing to turn over some or all of their IT-related activities to third party service providers, in an effort to keep pace with and leverage emerging technology trends and reduce costs of non-core business processes. Success for both service providers and their clients depends on setting, managing and achieving measurable client expectations.

The IT Services Qualification Center at Carnegie Mellon University developed the eSourcing Capability Maturity Model for Service Providers (eSCM-SP) to allow IT-enabled sourcing service providers to appraise and improve their capability to provide consistently high quality services. This also enables service providers (including those with insourcing arrangements) to establish and manage continually improving relationships with their clients.

A complementary eSourcing Capability model for Client Organizations (eSCM-CL) is a best practices capability model designed to give client organizations guidance that will help them improve their capability across the sourcing life cycle while providing an objective means of evaluating progress.

These two models promote process capability and reduce risks in outsourcing relationships. But at the same time, accountability demands goal-based measurement across the sourcing life cycle to ensure success. Major challenges include defining appropriate service delivery measures and matching performance targets that truly reflect business value received in a way that also allows both sides to each achieve their own business objectives rather than a zero-sum result.

The presentation will discuss the role of measurement and analysis within sourcing relationships. We will review best practices from these two models as a foundation for improving both service provider and client (business) capabilities.

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