Harold van Heeringen
Session:
“Accurate software cost estimation remains one of the most critical success factors in project delivery, yet it is often challenged by changing requirements, agile development practices, and inconsistent performance metrics. This presentation explores how organizations can improve estimation accuracy and project control by combining formal functional sizing techniques with objective team performance measurement and industry benchmarking.
Participants will learn how functional size measurement standards, such as IFPUG Function Points and NESMA methods, provide a consistent and technology-independent basis for estimating effort, cost, productivity, and value delivered. The session examines the limitations of relying solely on story points and highlights how functional size metrics create a more reliable foundation for forecasting, monitoring progress, and measuring business value in agile environments.
The presentation also demonstrates how organizations can use benchmarking data and key performance indicators—including delivery rate, cost efficiency, delivery speed, quality, and value delivered—to identify high-performing teams and improve project outcomes. Practical examples will illustrate how performance measurement supports more effective forecasting, scope management, and decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.
Attendees will leave with actionable insights into establishing a mature estimation practice, improving visibility into agile team performance, and leveraging measurement data to drive more predictable project delivery and better business results.”