3 Project Proposal & Cost Estimation
According to our additional information concerning "Use Cases and the Project Plan", we also estimated
the amount of work for our project.
Weighting Actors
In this first step, we took a look at the actors, which we've located earlier and allocated them to a
certain group, depending on the weight of the actor, which can be simple, average or complex.
Then we multiplied the number of actors in each group by a weighting factor (1, 2 or 3).
- InternetUser - complex
Reason: The InternetUser utilizes the Virtual Museum (GUI).
- Designer - complex
Reason: The Designer has to be able to modify the Virtual Museum (GUI).
- DataCollector - average
Reason: The DataCollector extends the actor Designer but he does not have to be able to modify the Virtual
Museum. He just operates with input-fields for text and file-uploads (ASCII-like).
- Scientific DataCollector - average
Reason: Extending the DataCollector, same reason as above.
- Administrator - complex
Reason: Extending the Scientific DataCollector, same reason as above. Although the addtional configuration-
and administration tasks will also be covered by HTML-based ASCII-like interfaces, the complex structure of
the tasks performed by this actor led to the decission to label it complex.
- Database - simple
Reason: The Database is only another system with a defined API.
The assumptions made above result in a total of: 14.
Weighting Use-Cases
This second step is similar to what we did with the actors. We again had 3 different groups in which the
Use Cases were devided. The decision is based on how many transactions have to be carried out in a Use Case.
- Authenticate - simple
Reason: Login and authenticate procedures are of a standardized and rather simple nature.
- Enter data - complex
Reason: As there are several different kinds of data to be entered and due to the web-based file upload that
has to be implemented this seems to be a complex use case.
- Enter scientific data - simple
Reason: Most transactions are covered by use case "Enter data". Only difference are the additional
input-fields.
- View data simple
Reason: This use case is only responsible to display the selected data.
- View museum - average
Reason: This is a more difficult task than just displaying objects. It is responsible for displaying the
museum with its floors, rooms and showcases.
- Edit museum - complex
Reason: As the designers will be able to edit the museum rather freely, it might prove to be a rather
complex task to provide them with an easy-to-use but powerfull desing interface.
- Search - average
Reason: Although there will be two differnt search functions to be implemented, this should not confront an
experienced programmer with any problems.
- CreatePublications - average
Reason: Needed to provide an easy way to export data for publication on CD-ROM or paper. The use of XML
should simplify this task.
- Administrate - average
Reason: The database-access-system will be a rather complex part of the system. Nevertheless, such
procedures are well explored and thus not too difficult to implement.
The outcome of weighting the use-cases is: 85.
Adding the actor's weights this gave a total of: 99 UUCP (unadjusted use case points).
Weighting Technical Factors
By estimating our technical environment, we came to a TFactor of 44.5 which gives a Technical Complexity Factor(TCF) of 1.045.
Weighting Environmental Factors
Juding our environmental Factors we reach an environmental factor (EF) of 23.5.
Applying the formula for the EF we get a result of 0.695.
Conclusion
Use Case Points
Finally, we calculated the use case points (UCP).
UCP = UUCP * TCF * EF
In our case:
UCP = 99 * 1.045 * 0.695 = 71.9
Project Estimate
We used 20 man-hours per UCP giving us 1438 total man-hours which leads to about 36 weeks each 40 hours
work.
As our team consists of 5 people, each will have about 8 weeks work plus 3 weeks for team issues.
This gives about 11 weeks with 40 hours each. As we will invest about 20 hours a week for this project,
our system should be ready within 22 weeks or 5 months.
Costs
Multiplying the total man-hours by 1.000,- ATS per hour, this gives a sum of about 1.4 Mio. ATS in total.