The StoneHenge blog

For the last three years we have been using Function Point Analysis to size IT projects at StoneHenge Partners. Below is a summary of our sizing effort and the lessons we have learned along the way.

The numbers

The reasons we continue to use Function Point Analysis (FPA) are;

1. It is the only ISO approved standard methodology for sizing software development projects. As a result, it provides the most consistent results. The International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG) maintains the counting practice manual and certifies counters. Go to www.ifpug.org for more info.
2. There are over 15 years and 4,000 projects worth of industry software development productivity data on a wide range of platforms, languages and industries. This is great information to reference with sizing a project that may be a little outside of your sweet spot and is requiring you to work in less familiar territory. The International Software Benchmarking Standards Group (ISBSG) is a non-profit organization that is the repository for this information. When you enter your project metrics into their data base, they will provide you a free report comparing your results to the industry results for similar projects. Go to www.ISBSG.org for more info.
3. Clients want their projects delivered on time and on budget. FPA breaks a software development project's user requirements into smaller logical functional components so they may be better understood and analyzed. As a result, an inventory list of these components and their complexity is created, which allows us to better manage scope creep and project delivery. Read the first 32 pages of "Function Point Analysis" by David Garmus and David Herron for a great "C" level explanation of this technique and its impact on results.

Here is a partial list of companies who are using FPA today; GEICO, HP, Booz Allen Hamilton, The David Consulting Group, Social Security Administration, Accenture, US Air Force, IBM Global Services, Nestle Purina PetCare, Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company, Sandia National Labs, Computer Sciences Corporation, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, General Motors & Ford.

The lessons we have learned when applying FPA over the last three years;

• Find a mentor. For us, we found Lonnie Franks, Vice President of Corporate Quality for Lighthouse Technologies Inc., to conduct an off-site 3 day Function Point 101 training session. He has been our mentor ever since. He was especially helpful in our first year of utilizing the technique. His input provided the encouragement and direction we needed to be successful.
• Get certified. For accurate function point counts, its best to use/have a certified counter or an organization with one. The Certified Function Point Specialist (CFPS) designation is awarded to counters that have passed the IFPUG certification exam. This is a 3 hour timed exam which covers definitions, implementation counting impacts and user requirements to be sized. The analyst must score 90% or higher to pass. The first step is to become an IFPUG member and receive your copy of the Counting Practice Manual.
• Get involved. Even though Function Point Analysis is the best sizing technique out there, it does have some weak areas. It is difficult for any methodology to keep up with technology and certainly this applies to software development, as well. These weaknesses include: multi-tiered web applications, how to adjust the size to reflect technical or quality aspects of a project, data warehouse applications, applications with extremely large files or complex mathematical algorithms. By joining and getting involved with IFPUG, you will have access to member white papers that address these areas and to the website's bulletin board where you may post your question. IFPUG's annual International Software Measurement and Analysis (ISMA) Conference provides another avenue to the latest techniques to applying function point analysis in these new or highly technical environments. Last but not least, IFPUG has established new environment committees where it analyzes the impact of technology on the counting practices and determines if a change, clarification or addition to the methodology is required.
• Develop your own metrics. Industry productivity metrics are helpful, but the best metrics are based on your own organization's results. Once you start to collect your own performance numbers, you will see opportunities for improvement. This can lead to reducing your internal costs and creating a more reliable methodology. When we utilize FPA and our own productivity metrics our effort and cost estimates are within 5% of our actual results.

At StoneHenge Partners, function point analysis has solved the age old IT industry problem, that software development projects are late and expensive.