An international, pharmaceutical company had to redevelop  functionality in a critical system that was integrated with numerous other applications, including  clinical data management processes. To address this, the company initiated two options: Identify a replacement package with similar functionality OR redevelop the functionality themselves.

This short report focuses on the estimation process for the redevelopment option, using ISBSG data to deliver a robust, data-driven estimate. It highlights the value provided by this approach.

This short paper discusses how ISBSG data is used by leading industry experts, including certified Software Cost Estimators, to estimate the cost of software development projects. The paper discusses the difficulties and challenges inherent in software project cost estimation. It also explores how estimation has evolved in Agile contexts. A detailed example demonstrates the steps taken to make a cost estimation for a sample project.