Software Cost Estimation of Maintenance and Support projects
ISBSG plays a critical role in improving software cost estimation practices. It provides a vast repository of historical data encompassing diverse software development projects across various industries. The data also includes information on the resource-intensive phase of application maintenance and support (M&S).
Studies suggest that M&S activities can consume a significant portion, ranging from 65% to 85%, of a software application’s total ownership cost. Therefore, accurate estimation of M&S effort is crucial for organizations to effectively plan resources, budget appropriately, and manage expectations.
This report explores the use of ISBSG data in estimating application M&S effort. It will discuss the availability of relevant data within the ISBSG repository and highlight different approaches to utilize this data for M&S estimation.
