Why Cosmic Full Function Points Will Beat Classic Methods

Predicting Development Costs

Why Cosmic Full Function Points will Beat Classic Methods

The prediction of project costs is a vital step to realising value from IT investments. Ton Dekkers, Senior Project Consultant with Sogeti, explains how Cosmic Full Function Points enables this to be done in complex IT environments

It’s obvious that sound decisions on the return of your IT investments can only be made if costs are predicted correctly. The costs to build or modify an information system are obtained by requesting a proposal from different system developers. Most of the time the prediction of time and resources is based on measuring the (functional) size of the system. Function Point Analysis (FPA) is the most used standardised method. But it is an old fashioned one that doesn’t fit with new architectures. In theory the prediction of the costs of a project should equal the realisation, but this is not always the case. And that is an understatement. The classic measurement method, FPA, is no guarantee for success. Information systems have moved on to next generations. Cosmic Full Function Points (CFFP) is far better equipped to deal with these contemporary environments, e.g. multi-tier and component based architectures that are focussed on the Web. Traditional Function Point Analysis fits pretty well for the old way systems were designed. New methods are needed for the contemporary IT architecture. A new method can only work well if it is accepted as a standard, since comparison of the outcomes between certain providers is of essential use. CFFP is a contemporary sizing method that already has achieved a certified status. Contemporary Environments FPA originates from a period where only a mainframe environment was available. The past proved that FPA is applicable in many situations and various environments. The only viewpoint supported by FPA is the end-user viewpoint; the application is seen as a black box, designed as a monolithic entity. Within modern...