Function Point Software: Fast, Accurate Application Sizing
How are you currently sizing your applications?
Do you know how much software your team and vendors deliver in each release?
Do you know how much software you are asking your team to support and maintain?
Function points are units of measure that express the amount of business functionality an information system provides to a user – they represent the size of an application or software. The number of end-user requirements within a program represents the function point count, which is used to derive a base size measurement. These counts may be used to assess new development projects, existing applications, or program enhancements based on delivered functionality. Function points are an effective, proven method for measuring the size of an application as it moves evolves from release to release.
Function points provide a standard unit of measurement for analyzing a complex system as smaller, more manageable components. They can be compared to other measurements, such as using hours to track time or the mile for distance. Their purpose is to break an application into understandable pieces in order to acquire more accurate analysis results.
Function point software is an automated, accurate and objective approach to determine an application’s size.
How does Function Point Software Measure Software Size?
Function Point Software employs rules defined by the International Function Point User Group (IFPUG) to automate the manual function point counting process by using the structural information retrieved by source code analysis, database structure, and transactions. Function Point Software generates three types of counts:
- Added Function Points: Function Points identified from the functions that are added by the enhancement efforts.
- Modified Function Points: Function Points counted because existing function is changed during the enhancement project.
- Deleted Function Points: Function Points counted for functions deleted during the project.
Function Point Software supports the four objectives for analyzing the productivity of software development and maintenance, which require normalized units of production and effort such as function points:
- Improvement – determine the high-leverage targets and track progress
- Estimation – identify sources of variation in effort and cost that predict outcomes
- Benchmarking – assess status against competitors and internal baselines
- Vendor management – establish a fact-and performance-based relationship
Function Point Software demonstrates a 10X reduction in the cost of manually counted function points, while providing precise measures of the functional size as well as changes in the complexity of all application components; with this information, IT organizations use function points to accurately measure software productivity.
Why Use Function Point Software?
If you have been seeking an effective, accurate way to monitor these items as new projects or enhancements are completed, function point software provides dependable, repeatable results for continuous application benchmarking. CAST Application Intelligence Platform (AIP) is an enterprise solution capable of assessing extensive code line counts across various languages, quickly and accurately.
AIP offers the dependability your organization needs to stay on top of development projects. Short timetables and implementations across multiple systems drastically affect delivered application quality and create potential risks. Function point software is a benchmarking solution for identifying, implementing, and monitoring development improvements. Contact us today to learn how AIP can help you manage every project with precision.
Check out this video from David Consulting Group about Function Points and Function Point Software
CAST offers an automated function point analysis solution to help your organization effectively manage application, risk, and complexity.