Software Estimation BlogInformation on Cost Estimation & Software Estimating

our carbon footprint is a measure of how much greenhouse gases you are creating by your activities; for working purposes carbon dioxide is the gas which is measured, however there are other gases and emissions which are created too, it is just that carbon dioxide levels are the most practical variable to focus on.  The first step in reducing your impact on the environment is to assess what your level of carbon dioxide emissions is, i.e. your carbon footprint.  You can then look at what steps you can take to reduce it and this will lead to a direct benefit on the environment.

In the Home

Our home is responsible for the creation of carbon emissions simply by using power and the focus here is on how efficient our homes are in using it.  How many people live in our homes together with how large the property is directly impact upon the size of the carbon footprint, but there are things you can do to reduce it:

• Improve cooling and heating efficiency;
• Improve lighting efficiency;
• Use Energy Star appliances and unplug electrical equipment and appliances when they are not in use; and
• Reduce the usage of hot water and reduce the wastage of hot water.

On the Road

How many cars are in the household together with the mileage we cover directly contributes to our carbon footprint, but again we can reduce this impact by:

• reducing the total mileage our vehicles cover, e.g. by car pooling, by using the bus or by walking instead of driving short distances;
• checking the air filters on a regular basis and replacing frequently; and
• checking the tire pressure as low tire pressure is a cause of fuel inefficiency.

In the Air

Flying is a major source of greenhouse gases and it also directly pollutes the atmosphere at a high altitude which directly damages the environment in a very sensitive spot.  We can assess our impact on the environment by considering how many long and short haul flights we take, and it pays to consider whether we really need to take a flight, especially short haul hops when there are alternatives such as the train available.

In our Diet

The food we eat directly affects our carbon footprint with both the quantity and frequency with which we eat meat and non-organically farmed vegetables.  If you eat processed foods instead of unadulterated vegetables, this increases the levels of carbon emissions you are responsible for.  You can reduce your carbon footprint by:

• reducing the frequency and quantity of meat in your diet;
• reducing the amount of processed foods consumed;
• increasing the use of vegetables and especially, organically farmed foods; and
• increasing the consumption of locally or home-grown produce (because your food has far less distance to travel from farmer to your dinner table).

With Your Recycling Habits

Your level of recycling and reusing of products and materials directly affects the size of your carbon footprint.  If you recycle materials, such as waste paper and packaging, you reduce the level of greenhouse gas emissions you are responsible for.  Holding off replacing your car, household appliances and clothing will also lead to greater efficiency and utility of the goods you consume and  increase your personal and household consumption efficiency.

You can affect your carbon footprint by:

• recycling materials rather than trashing them;
• compost food scraps and yard waste; and
• delaying purchasing new items and appliances or purchasing second-hand ones.

Author

By Lawrence Reaves, a freelance writer for Galorath, Incorporate, a leading provider of cost estimating software models for hardware and software projects. Learn more at Galorath.com

Related articles

• Estimating to Beat the Odds in Vegas (7books.net)
• Top 10 Greenest Countries (toptenz.net)
• How to Correct Your Tire Pressure and Help the Environment (ihowtovideos.com)
• 4 Steps To Changing Your Car’s Air Filter (carslikeus.com)
• When Should You Replace Your Car’s Air Filter? (carpartsforus.com)

Software Sizing, Estimation, and Risk Management: When Performance is Measured Performance Improves

by Daniel D. Galorath and Michael W. Evans

If you are looking to improve your return on investment, investing in this book is your first step.  This volume clearly outlines how to use tracking and estimation data to improve overall forecasting and investment identification.  For those who are focused on enhancing software productivity and product cycle, this is your first stop for practical advice and information.

The key to realistic estimation is knowing how to apply the different estimation techniques and understanding the limitations of the input data and the estimation results.  Packed with practical discussion of the whole software estimation process, this book is completed with detailed assessment and explanation of the critical factors which play such an important part in project estimation and business success.

Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art (Best Practices (Microsoft))

by Steve McConnell

A key theme running throughout this volume is the emphasis on the different treatment of estimation as a science, on the one hand, and as an art on the other.  While current software estimation research targets reducing estimation error to below the +/-5% margin, the typical company is frequently making estimate errors in excess of 100%.

McConnell recognizes the intuitive feeling project managers already possess – that software estimates are simply amalgams of other people’s best guesses!  By following the detailed statistical techniques and other non-quantitative methods covered here, project managers can look to reduce software estimation error to the +/-25% range which is relates far more favorably to practical, current business project management issues than pure estimation research suggests.

Estimating Software Costs: Bringing Realism to Estimating

by Capers Jones

Jones provides a clear and incisive volume for effective planning and execution of projects.  This is a comprehensive work which will help you understand estimation issues such as software costing, project scheduling and qualitative factors.

This work will assist you to choose the appropriate estimation strategy along with the hardware and software you need and supporting testing protocols.

Software Cost Estimation with COCOMO II

by Barry W. Boehm, Chris Abts, A. Winsor Brown, and Sunita Chulani

Dr. Boehm has not written a replacement volume for his Software Economics tome handling COCOMO which has been adorning every professional involved in software estimation since the Eighties.  What COCOMO II does is to bring us up to date with developments surrounding the COCOMO estimation suite.

This book focuses on the techniques and best practices for estimating size, work input (effort) and scheduling the project components.  It is also suitable for management and training departments as a reference.

Software Cost Estimation and Sizing Methods, Issues, and Guidelines

by Shari Lawrence Pfleeger

This volume is available on Kindle and is quite short at 72 pages long.  The tight focus is on enhancing accuracy of cost estimation, improving risk and uncertainty assessments, and enhancing functionality of software estimation tool.

Brief, focused and very much to the point.

Agile Estimating and Planning

by Mike Cohn

This volume is focused very much on providing practical, bottom-line enhancing tips and guidance.  Cohn clearly is a business-driven practitioner rather than an academic researcher, which is obvious from the tool set he provides for successful planning, scheduling and estimating tasks.

A practical edition for dealing with fast-changing, dynamic projects.

Estimating Software-Intensive Systems: Projects, Products, and Processes

by Richard D. Stutzke

Stutzke delivers a volume which outlines the practical application of estimation techniques to a range of real-life scenarios in which project managers and engineers frequently find themselves.  The emphasis is upon improving cost estimation no matter what the circumstances or stage of the project under consideration and treats software estimation as a reiterative process upon which a knowledge base is constructed for use in the existing and future project portfolios.