The thoroughness or completeness with which the tool addresses the costs and processes involved with software development. If the historical data does not represent the kinds of projects and the type of software being estimated, the estimates produced cannot be expected to be representative. The maturity of the software development organization in defining and then using or following its defined software development processes. Each of these aforementioned factors are key to the validity of the estimates, which, in turn, affect the metrics system. From a metrics point of view, the integrity of the software cost estimation process directly impacts the validity of the metrics.
Most organizations already have at least one software cost estimation tool.
Many have and may use more than one tool. For this reason, organizations can be eclectic in practice. Identifying market leaders based on use, market domination, or preferences is difficult. Because a tool is included in this article does not mean it is endorsed or recommended as a best or leading tool. By reviewing the data provided in this article, you should be able to narrow the field on the tools you should consider.