Faster and more accurate functional size measurement by KISS – keeping it simple

Function Point Analysis is often said to be too difficult method for software development estimation purposes. It is said to be unreliable and also too expensive, because only certified function point analysts can apply it correctly. The worst thing is, that all this is true, when using traditional function point counting practices and approaches. In this article the author will introduce the KISS approach to functional size measurement. With 28 questions about different base functional component types belonging to six classes this approach provides a very good size estimate in a very short time. The best piece of news is that any project manager or software developer having good enough requirements specification and capability to understand them, can apply KISS approach after a very brief introduction. KISS is not a new Functional Size Measurement (FSM) Method. It is a different approach to catch all of essential information from requirements specifications for Functional Size Measurement. It is more or less compatible with all most important FSM Methods, like IFPUG 4.1, Mk II, COSMIC-FFP and Nesma. The compatibility with FiSMA FSM 1.0 and its old version (Experience 2.0 FPA) is most perfect, because the KISS approach was developed based on those methods, which are the most widely used in Finland. KISS approach has been available in Finland since January 2001. Already the first trials were very encouraging. Project managers without any experience of FSM and without any training could measure the size of a 200 fp piece of software by +/10% accuracy, in less than 30 minutes. With traditional approaches they couldn’t get out any sense making results of the exactly same documents, in any reasonable time. The KISS approach has been tested with several different cases, giving always as good results as told here. This level of applying KISS approach is called “KISS Quick”. Functional Size Measurement is not only getting a size figure. For some uses of FSM it may be enough to know that your piece of software is for example 548 fp in size. For most uses of FSM it’s not enough. For controlling progress or managing changes of a software development, you have to know more details of the functionality. Also the contract management should be based on more detailed functional size measurement. In the end of this article the author introduces the “KISS Perfect” approach, which is essential to be applied for those purposes, and for professional scope management in general. In practice it means a move from rough counting to normal FSM.