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Software Estimation Without Guessing

Author : George Dinwiddie

Publisher : Pragmatic Bookshelf

Page : 325 pages

File Size : 31,84 MB

Release : 2019-12-19

Category : Computers

ISBN : 1680507419

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Book Description

Estimating software development often produces more angst than value, but it doesn't have to. Identify the needs behind estimate requests and determine how to meet those needs simply and easily. Choose estimation techniques based on current needs and available information, gaining benefit while reducing cost and effort. Detect bad assumptions that might sink your project if you don't adjust your plans. Discover what to do when an estimate is wrong, how to recover, and how to use that knowledge for future planning. Learn to communicate about estimates in a healthy and productive way, maximizing advantage to the organization and minimizing damage to the people. In a world where most developers hate estimation and most managers fear disappointment with the results, there is hope for both. It requires giving up some widely held misconceptions. Let go of the notion that "an estimate is an estimate" and estimate for the particular need you, and your organization, have. Realize that estimates have a limited shelf-life, and reestimate frequently if it's important. When reality differs from your estimate, don't lament; mine that disappointment for the gold that can be the longer-term jackpot. Estimate in comparison to past experience, by modeling the work mathematically, or a hybrid of both. Learn strategies for effective decomposition of work and aspects of the work that likely affect your estimates. Hedge your bets by comparing the results of different approaches. Find out what to do when an estimate proves wrong. And they will. They're estimates, after all. You'll discover that you can use estimates to warn you of danger so you can take appropriate action in time. Learn some crucial techniques to understand and communicate with those who need to understand. Address both the technical and sociological aspects of estimation, and you'll help your organization achieve its desired goals with less drama and more benefit. What You Need: No software needed, just your past experience and concern for the outcomes.



Software Project Effort Estimation

Author : Adam Trendowicz

Publisher : Springer

Page : 483 pages

File Size : 25,34 MB

Release : 2014-05-07

Category : Computers

ISBN : 3319036297

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Book Description

Software effort estimation is one of the oldest and most important problems in software project management, and thus today there are a large number of models, each with its own unique strengths and weaknesses in general, and even more importantly, in relation to the environment and context in which it is to be applied. Trendowicz and Jeffery present a comprehensive look at the principles of software effort estimation and support software practitioners in systematically selecting and applying the most suitable effort estimation approach. Their book not only presents what approach to take and how to apply and improve it, but also explains why certain approaches should be used in specific project situations. Moreover, it explains popular estimation methods, summarizes estimation best-practices, and provides guidelines for continuously improving estimation capability. Additionally, the book offers invaluable insights into project management in general, discussing issues including project trade-offs, risk assessment, and organizational learning. Overall, the authors deliver an essential reference work for software practitioners responsible for software effort estimation and planning in their daily work and who want to improve their estimation skills. At the same time, for lecturers and students the book can serve as the basis of a course in software processes, software estimation, or project management.



Agile Estimating and Planning

Author : Mike Cohn

Publisher : Pearson Education

Page : 526 pages

File Size : 10,20 MB

Release : 2005-11-01

Category : Computers

ISBN : 0132703106

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Book Description

Agile Estimating and Planning is the definitive, practical guide to estimating and planning agile projects. In this book, Agile Alliance cofounder Mike Cohn discusses the philosophy of agile estimating and planning and shows you exactly how to get the job done, with real-world examples and case studies. Concepts are clearly illustrated and readers are guided, step by step, toward how to answer the following questions: What will we build? How big will it be? When must it be done? How much can I really complete by then? You will first learn what makes a good plan-and then what makes it agile. Using the techniques in Agile Estimating and Planning, you can stay agile from start to finish, saving time, conserving resources, and accomplishing more. Highlights include: Why conventional prescriptive planning fails and why agile planning works How to estimate feature size using story points and ideal days–and when to use each How and when to re-estimate How to prioritize features using both financial and nonfinancial approaches How to split large features into smaller, more manageable ones How to plan iterations and predict your team's initial rate of progress How to schedule projects that have unusually high uncertainty or schedule-related risk How to estimate projects that will be worked on by multiple teams Agile Estimating and Planning supports any agile, semiagile, or iterative process, including Scrum, XP, Feature-Driven Development, Crystal, Adaptive Software Development, DSDM, Unified Process, and many more. It will be an indispensable resource for every development manager, team leader, and team member.



Spectral Methods for the Estimation of the Effective Elastic Thickness of the Lithosphere

Author : Jonathan Kirby

Publisher : Springer Nature

Page : 472 pages

File Size : 30,58 MB

Release : 2022-11-25

Category : Science

ISBN : 3031108612

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Book Description

Although several excellent works exist that describe the effective elastic thickness (Te) of the lithosphere—its theory, significance and relevance to Earth sciences in general—none cover the details of the methods for its estimation. This book brings together the disparate knowledge required to estimate Te in one handy volume: signal processing, harmonic analysis, civil engineering, and foundational mathematics and physics, in addition to the relevant geophysics and, to a lesser extent, geology. Its two principal focus areas are spectral estimation, covering various approaches to estimating the admittance and coherence between gravity and topography using Slepian multitapers and fan wavelets; and algebraic and finite difference solutions of the plate bending partial differential equation in a variety of geological settings. This book would be suitable for postgraduate students beginning their research, up to faculty professors interested in diversifying their skills.



Is Military Advertising Effective? An Estimation Methodology and Applications to Recruiting in the 1980s and 90s

Author : James N. Dertouzos

Publisher : Rand Corporation

Page : 115 pages

File Size : 10,74 MB

Release : 2003-06-03

Category : Political Science

ISBN : 0833035983

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Book Description

The Defense Department has been spending over $100 million annually on recruiting advertising. Previous econometric studies of military advertising's effects have relied on data from time periods unlike today's and have used models possibly inappropriate for supporting today's decisionmakers. This report details improved methods developed to assess military advertising's effectiveness and illustrates them using early 1980s and mid-1990s data.





Success Probability Estimation with Applications to Clinical Trials

Author : Daniele De Martini

Publisher : John Wiley & Sons

Page : 187 pages

File Size : 44,70 MB

Release : 2013-05-06

Category : Medical

ISBN : 1118548310

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Book Description

Provides an introduction to the various statistical techniques involved in medical research and drug development with a focus on estimating the success probability of an experiment Success Probability Estimation with Applications to Clinical Trials details the use of success probability estimation in both the planning and analyzing of clinical trials and in widely used statistical tests. Devoted to both statisticians and non-statisticians who are involved in clinical trials, Part I of the book presents new concepts related to success probability estimation and their usefulness in clinical trials, and each section begins with a non-technical explanation of the presented concepts. Part II delves deeper into the techniques for success probability estimation and features applications to both reproducibility probability estimation and conservative sample size estimation. Success Probability Estimation with Applications to Clinical Trials: • Addresses the theoretical and practical aspects of the topic and introduces new and promising techniques in the statistical and pharmaceutical industries Features practical solutions for problems that are often encountered in clinical trials Includes success probability estimation for widely used statistical tests, such as parametric and nonparametric models Focuses on experimental planning, specifically the sample size of clinical trials using phase II results and data for planning phase III trials Introduces statistical concepts related to success probability estimation and their usefulness in clinical trials Success Probability Estimation with Applications to Clinical Trials is an ideal reference for statisticians and biostatisticians in the pharmaceutical industry as well as researchers and practitioners in medical centers who are actively involved in health policy, clinical research, and the design and evaluation of clinical trials.



Means Square Foot Costs

Author : Robert Snow Means Company

Publisher : R.S. Means Company

Page : 486 pages

File Size : 24,12 MB

Release : 2000-05-15

Category : Technology & Engineering

ISBN : 9780876295113

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Book Description

Cost data for fast accurate estimates if you're in the preliminary stages of a project.



Industrial Construction Estimating Manual

Author : Kenneth Storm

Publisher : Gulf Professional Publishing

Page : 276 pages

File Size : 29,89 MB

Release : 2020-05-27

Category : Technology & Engineering

ISBN : 012823556X

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Book Description

Industrial Construction Estimating Manual focuses on industrial process plants and enables the contractor, subcontractor, and engineer to use methods, models, procedures, formats, and technical data for developing industrial process plant construction estimates. The manual begins with an introduction devoted to labor, data collection, verification of data, coding, productivity measurement, the unit quantity model, and computer-aided cost estimating. It goes on to provide information on construction materials, database systems, work estimating, computer-aided estimating, detailed labor estimates, bid assurance, and detailed applications to construction. Practical examples based on historical data collected from past installations are also included as well as a detailed glossary, Excel and mathematical formulas, metric/standard conversions, area and volume formulas, and boiler man-hour tables. Industrial Construction Estimating Manual aids contractors, subcontractors, and engineers with a balance-detailed estimating method using the unit quantity model and is an excellent resource for those involved in engineering, technology, and construction estimating. - Provides a detailed estimating method using the unit-quantity model to prepare construction estimates - Delivers information on construction materials, databases, labor estimates, computer-aided estimating, bid assurance, and applications to construction. - Utilizes historical data, from a database of previous similar work, calculates material cost and labor by category, and produces both summary and detailed man-hour and cost estimates.



Practice Standard for Project Estimating - Second Edition

Author : Project Management Institute

Publisher : Project Management Institute

Page : 231 pages

File Size : 25,18 MB

Release : 2020-04-24

Category : Business & Economics

ISBN : 1628256435

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Book Description

Project estimating plays a vital role in project management. Typically completed in the initial planning stages, accurate project estimation can be a difficult task. Organizations and project managers should use these initial estimates to baseline the project schedule and cost, then refine these estimates as the project develops. Accurate estimation and refinement of the estimates leads to better and earlier decision making, thus maximizing value.Developed within the framework of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK&® Guide) &– Sixth Edition and other PMI standards, the Practice Standard for Project Estimating &– Second Edition focuses on providing models for the project management profession in both plan-driven and change-driven adaptive (agile) life cycles. This practice standard describes the aspects of project estimating that are recognized as good practice on most projects most of the time and that are widely recognized and consistently applied.PMI practice standards describe processes, activities, constraints, inputs, and outputs for specific discipline subject areas and are targeted to all practitioners within projectized organizations, not just project managers.