Chapter 4Software Cost-Estimating Tools and Project Success and Failure Rates

The author and his colleagues at Software Productivity Research (SPR) were commissioned to do several studies of the patterns of failure and success associated with software projects. The first full results were published in Patterns of Software System Failure and Success (Jones 1995). More recent results were published in 2003, 2004, and 2006.

The attributes of success included delivering the system on time or early, staying within budgets, providing high quality levels, and providing high levels of user satisfaction.

The attributes of failure included cancellation of the project in mid-development, or severe schedule or cost overruns, or both. Poor quality and low ...

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