Factors affecting in the Estimation of projects.

usharaniA · New User Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 85 Location: India

Hi,
I want the usage of calculating the size of working storage section in Cobol program, in what means they help in Estimation of projects.

Steve Davies · New User Joined: 15 Oct 2009 Posts: 32 Location: UK

usharaniA · New User Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 85 Location: India

Then can you please tel me what are the factors in cobol program will be helpful in the estimation.

Steve Davies · New User Joined: 15 Oct 2009 Posts: 32 Location: UK

Any estimate I give is based on my own experience of how long I think it will take to do what is being asked of me. If I'm asked to amend or create a new program I need to understand what needs to be done, then based on experience I can tell the project manager how long I think it will take. The project manager will then create the project plan based on estimates they receive.

However, I've also worked in places where you get told how long you have to fix a program or write a new one, which is usually never long enough to do it properly!

dick scherrer · Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:24 pm

Hello,

Robert Sample · Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:58 pm

What you are asking is generally known as software metrics. There are many ways to estimate the work involved in making a change, but it is not wise to blindly apply any of them without understanding the metric and the factors that can affect it. In general, there is no simple formula for saying that a program with X lines of WORKING-STORAGE will take Y days to make change Z -- usually you must also take into account the complexity of the PROCEDURE DIVISION, whether or not calls to external interfaces are involved, the size of the desired change, and so forth -- the amount of "and so forth" depends upon the metric being used and the desired accuracy of the estimate.

Anuj Dhawan · Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 7:52 pm

And such estimations would vary shop to shop (and person to person, even in same shop). Suggest you get familiar with the methods used at your shop for this or ,may be, search in google on "project cost estimation methods".

Debabrata Pruseth · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 12:56 am

I have been using different estimation tools in my organization as a part of project sizing and scoping activity . In general these are the few main points that any estimation tool will cover while calculating the man hours required for the project.

1. Complexity : That depends upon a number of factor like , weather it is a pure COBOL or pure CICS program ( or it uses other applications like DB2 tables ) ; number of files or database to be processed ; the complexity of pseudo code etc.

2. Resource Allocation : How many resources will work on the project , what is the experience of the resource in doing similar type of project earlier

3. Testing Consideration : How much time will take for testing the code . This inturn will depend on the availability of test environment infrastructure and the complexity of code determined in point 1.

4. Buffer :An additional overall buffer ( say 10% of total man hour calculated ) for unforseen circumstances like associates fall sick or there are a number of holidays in between .

It is always a good practise to define and use standard processes for project estimation instead of relying everytime on the instinct of the developer to say in how much time he will be able to finish it .

ksk · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 11:09 am

And also we used to give based on the below points.

If you are developing entirely new program from the scratch or already in developed format e.g., comparing 2 programs.

If it's complex program takes more time and if it's a report to make in client desired format by using data from the different files takes less time.