Evaluating Project Decisions: Case Studies in Software Engineering

Chapter 3. Managing Estimates

3.1 Chapter Objectives

After reading and thinking about the concepts and case studies presented in this chapter, you will be able to do the following:

• Understand what estimation is and what it is not

• Understand when to estimate

• Understand the major approaches of estimation that can be used

• Understand what contributes to an estimation model and its successful use

• Identify key problems with estimation

• Understand key decisions to make with estimation

• Understand how to choose an approach to estimation

3.2 Context

This chapter will help you identify problems with estimation and ways to improve the estimation processes that you use. It will help you see how to gather information and apply that information ...