Software Cost Estimates
Blog Posts
Addressing Open Architecture in Software Cost Estimation
Identifying, estimating, and containing the cost of software is critical to the effective deployment of government systems....
• By Michael Gagliardi, Michael Konrad, Douglas C. Schmidt
In Software Architecture


How to Identify Key Causal Factors That Influence Software Costs: A Case Study
DoD programs continue to experience cost overruns; the inadequacies of cost estimation were cited by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) as one of the top problem areas....
• By Bill Nichols

Improving the Reliability of Expert Opinion within Early Lifecycle Cost Estimation
This blog post describes our efforts to improve the accuracy and reliability of expert judgment within this expanded role of early lifecycle cost estimation.
• By Robert Stoddard

Quantifying Uncertainty in Early Lifecycle Cost Estimation (QUELCE): An Update
By law, major defense acquisition programs are now required to prepare cost estimates earlier in the acquisition lifecycle, including pre-Milestone A, well before concrete technical information is available on the …
• By David Zubrow

The Growing Importance of Sustaining Software for the DoD: Part 1
This SEI blog posting summarizes key software sustainment challenges faced by DoD; the subsequent post describes R&D activities conducted by the SEI to address some of these challenges.
• By Douglas C. Schmidt
In Software Architecture

A New Approach for Developing Cost Estimates in Software Reliant Systems, Second in a Two-Part Series
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has frequently cited poor cost estimation as one of the reasons for cost overrun problems in acquisition programs. Software is often a major culprit. One …
• By Robert Ferguson

Improving the Accuracy of Early Cost Estimates for Software-Reliant Systems, First in a Two-Part Series
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has frequently citedpoor cost estimation as one of the reasons for cost overrun problems in acquisition programs. Software is often a major culprit. One study …
• By Robert Ferguson
