Workshop description

The COSMIC method provides a standardized way of measuring a functional size of software from the domains commonly referred to as ‘business application’ (or ‘MIS’), ‘real-time’ and infrastructure software, certain types of scientific/engineering software and hybrids of these.

In practice it is sometimes sufficient or necessary to measure a functional size approximately. Typical situations where such a need arises are:

• early in the life of a project, before the Functional User Requirements (FUR) have been specified down to the level of detail where the precise size measurement is possible;
• when a measurement is needed, but there is insufficient time or resources to measure the required size using the standard method;
• when the quality of the documentation of the actual requirements is not good enough for precise measurement.

Therefore COSMIC has produced a guideline for Early or Rapid COSMIC Functional Size Measurement by using approximation approaches. This guideline has undergone its final review by the MPC and will be published soon.

The workshop is organised by:
Frank Vogelezang, President of COSMIC and NESMA member

The workshop will cover the following topics:

General principles in early or rapid functional size measurement:

• Approaches to approximate functional size measurement
• The localization principle
• Scaling
• Classification
• Accuracy of approximate sizing
• Applicability of approximation approaches to functional sizes
• Levels of Granularity of Functional Requirements

Directly applicable methods:

• The average functional process approximation
• The fixed size class approximation
• The equal size bands approximation
• Average use case approximation
• Early & Quick COSMIC approximation
• Easy function point approximation

Emerging approximation approaches

• Approximation from informally written textual requirements
• Approximation using fuzzy logic
• Approximation of changes