Design of Sprint Point Based Estimation Techniques For Agile Software

Abstract

The process of software development in software industry is going through a seismic shift, from traditional, heavy-weight software development methodologies towards simple, light-weight Agile software development (ASD) methodologies. ASD delivers superior and high-quality software products in small and rapid iterations with flexibility and adaptability to changing business conditions. ASD can be summarized as iterative and incremental development methods that have the adaptability to change throughout the systems development life cycle. In Agile environment, the requirements and results or working software develops through association among self-organizing, self-motivating and cross-functional team. It promotes adaptive planning approach, incremental development and delivery, and a time-boxed approach newlineIn this research work some project-related factors, people-related factors, resistance factors and regression-testing efforts are proposed that affect estimation in a project. The research also proposed a Sprint-point based estimation framework that calculates more accurate release date, cost, effort and duration for the project by considering proposed factors. newlineAs Agile projects are of small duration so the team does not have so much amount of time to apply the mathematical algorithms. For implementing the Sprint-point based estimation framework a new Sprint point based estimation tool(SPBE) is designed.The proposed SPBE tool for estimation place major emphasis on accurate estimates of effort, cost and release date by constructing detailed requirements as accurately as possible. The effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed technique has been shown by considering a case study which has been implemented on SPBE tool. newline