Using the PackageLevel Analogy Method to Size the Simulator Project
As you approach the simulator project, you assess your overall situation. Fortunately, you work for a mature development organization, and your processes, procedures, and development and design tools are in place. You access the staff you need in-house, and so can depend on a level of competence, not only in software design and implementation, but also in the use of the tools. There is no need to train new employees.
You will do your development in a combination of C++ and Java. Your architect has decided to use CORBAservices to link the Java and C++ components. You have staff who are experienced with both languages. And though you do not have an expert in pilot training, you can make arrangements to hire a consultant. You have been assigned a lead architect who has never built a manned flight simulator. However, she is very talented and has analogous experience building shipboard weapons control simulators.
Your team does not know how to build the interfaces to the flight controls and so you need to hire an outside firm. This adds risk, but what can you do? Fortunately, a qualified firm has been identified and is onboard. During the planning phase, you were able to construct Table 4.2.
As you can see in the table, you will need about 1,200 person-months of effort over two years. This comes to about 50 developers. This estimate is incomplete, as it does not include the test and integration team, quality assurance, tool support, the technical writers, and the technical and managerial leadership.
Also, any one of the package estimates is suspect, but your working assumption, based on previous experience, is that the combined estimate is within 25 percent of the actual effort.
Your labor mix is like those in Table 4.1. Your next step is to put together your schedule, staffing plan, and time-phased budget.
Table 4.2 Package-Level Estimate of the Simulator Project
Package
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