Software Metrics Glossary - Complete List

Acceptance Criteria The criteria that a system or component must satisfy in order to be accepted by a user, customer, or.
Acceptance Testing Formal testing conducted to determine whether or not a system satisfies its acceptance criteria and .
Accuracy The ability of an FSM Method to give a Functional Size measurement scale which by verification tests.
Acquisition The process of obtaining a system, software product or software service..
Acquisition Organization That entity which has the oversight responsibility for the software acquisition project and which ma.
Acquisition organization's standard software acquisition process The acquisition organization's fundamental software acquisition process which guides the establishme.
Action proposal A documented suggestion for change to a process or process-related item that will prevent the future.
Activity Any step taken or function performed, either mental or physical, toward achieving some objective. Ac.
Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP) Total costs incurred (direct and indirect) in accomplishing work during a given time period. See als.
Actual Finish Date (AF) The point in time that work actually ended on an activity. (Note: in some application areas, the act.
Actual Start Date (AS) The point in time that work actually started on an activity..
Applicability to a functional domain The ability of an FSM Method to take into account the principle Functional Size-influencing FUR type.
Application Is used synonymously for ‘software system’. It is assumed that an organisation will develop and main.
Application Area A category of projects that have common elements not present in all projects. Application areas are .
Application Baseline Function Point Count A function point count that provides a measure of the current function the production application pr.
Application Boundary The application boundary indicates the border between the software being measured and the user.
Application Domain A bounded set of related systems, i.e., systems that address a particular type of problem. Developme.
Application function point count A count that provides a measure of the current functionality the application provides to the user. I.
Application manager A person responsible for managing projects and support activities for one or more application areas..
Application Register A repository of information about applications within the organisation’s software portfolio often us.
Architecture The organizational structure of a system or component. [IEEE STD 610.12-1990].
Asset (1) A capital asset of the enterprise. (2) An advantage or resource..
Attributes (of software) Characteristics of software such as reliability, maintainability, portability, and complexity. These.
Audit Conducted by an authorized person for the purpose of providing an independent assessment of software.
Base Functional Component (BFC) An elementary unit of Functional User Requirements defined by and used by an FSM Method for measurem.
Base Practice A software engineering or management activity that addresses the purpose of a particular process..
Baseline A formally approved version of a configuration item, regardless of media, formally designated and fi.
Baseline A specification or product that has been formally reviewed and agreed upon, that thereafter serves a.
Baseline Configuration Management The establishment of baselines that are formally reviewed and agreed on and serve as the basis for f.
Baseline Function Point Count See Application function point count..
Benchmark A standard against which measurements or comparisons can be made. [IEEE-STD-610].
Benchmarking Process of determining a metric baseline for an organisational or functional unit for the purposes o.
Boundary The application boundary is the conceptual interface between the software under study and its users..
Budget A planned sequence of expenditures over time with monetary costs assigned to specific tasks or jobs..
Budgeted Cost of Work Performed (BCWP) The sum of the approved cost estimates (including any overhead allocation) for activities (or portio.
Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled (BCWS) The sum of the approved cost estimates (including any overhead allocation) for activities (or portio.
Build An operational version of a system or component that incorporates a specified subset of the capabili.
Candidate FSM Method a documented software size measurement method submitted for compliance assessment for compliance to .
Capability A measure of the system's ability to achieve the mission objectives, given that the system is depend.
Capability Maturity Model A descriptive model of the stages through which organizations progress as they define, implement, ev.
Capability Maturity Model A description of the stages through which software organizations evolve as they define, implement, m.
CASE Computer-Aided Systems Engineering.
CASE Tool A program that is used as an aid to systems development..
CFSU COSMIC functional size unit.
Change Request A formal request to change some aspect of an established baseline. [Jones - IBM].
Complex processing GSC One of the 14 general system characteristics describing the degree to which processing logic influen.
Configuration Control An element of configuration management, consisting of the evaluation, coordination, approval or disa.
Data A representation of facts, concepts, or instructions in a manner suitable for communication, interpr.
Data Analysis A systematic investigation of the date and their flow in a real or planned system..
Data Attribute A characteristic of an entity. Data attributes are generally analogous to data element types (DETs)..
Data attribute (-type) (Synonym ‘Data Element Type’) The smallest parcel of information, within an identified data group, carrying a meaning from the per.
Data communications GSC One of the 14 general system characteristics describing the degree to which the application communic.
Data Element Type (DET). A data element type is a unique user recognizable, non-repeated field..
Data Functions. The functionality provided to the user to meet internal and external data requirements. Data functio.
Data Group (-type) A distinct, non empty, non ordered and non redundant set of data attributes where each included data.
Data Model A model about data by which a reasonable interpretation of the data can be obtained. In the CASE ind.
Data Movement (-type) A functional sub-process, identified in the measured software, which moves one or more data attribut.
Decision Database A repository for storing acceptance criteria. The criteria that a system or component must satisfy i.
Defect A flaw in a system or system component that causes the system or component to fail to perform its re.
Defect A problem which, if not corrected, could cause an application to either fail or to produce incorrect.
Defect Density The number of defects identified in a product divided by the size of the product component (expresse.
Defect Prevention The activities involved in identifying defects or potential defects and preventing them from being i.
Degree Of Confidence An expression of the confidence the organisation has in the data provided. In ISBSG Data Collection .
Degree of Confidence In this standard the term degree of confidence is used only to mean the degree of confidence that so.
Degree of influence (DI) A numerical indicator of the amount of impact of each of the 14 general system characteristics, rang.
Deliverable Any measurable, tangible, verifiable outcome, result, or item that must be produced to complete a pr.
Delivered Functional Size The result obtained after applying both stages of Function Point Analysis. Delivered Functional size.
Delivery Rate The productivity measure for creating or enhancing an application. It is expressed by the Project Fu.
Dependability A collective term used to describe the availability performance and its influencing factors: reliabi.
Dependency Item A product, action, piece of information, etc., that must be provided by one individual or group to a.
Derived Data Data that requires processing other than or in addition to direct retrieval and validation of inform.
Derived Requirements Requirements which may or may not be explicitly stated in the customer requirements, and which may b.
Design 1) The process of defining the architecture, components, interfaces, and other characteristics of a .
Design Constraints Design limitations or implied requirements which constrain the design solution. A form of requiremen.
Design Review A process or meeting during which a system, hardware, or software design is presented to project per.
Development The specification, construction, testing, and delivery of a new information system..
Development Project Set of activities which build one or more software applications. These activities primarily ‘add’ ne.
Development project function point count (DFP) A count that measures the functions provided to the users with the first installation of the softwar.
Development Team The Development Team consists of those responsible for the delivery of the application under develop.
Development Team Support Development Team Support are responsible for providing specialist services to the Development Team. .
Developmental Configuration Management The application of technical and administrative direction to designate and control software and asso.
Discrimination The ability of an FSM Method to react to small changes in the dimensions of the Functional User Requ.
Distributed Data Processing GSC One of the 14 general system characteristics describing the degree to which the application transfer.
Duration (DU) The number of work periods (not including holidays or other non-working periods) required to complet.
Early Life Cycle Up to the completion of the system requirements definition..
Earned Value (EV) (1) A method for measuring project performance. It compares the amount of work that was planned with.
Effective Process A process that can be characterized as practiced, documented, enforced, trained, measured, and able .
Effectiveness Analysis An analytical approach used to determine how well a system performs in its intended utilization envi.
Efficiency The degree to which a system or component performs its designated functions with minimum consumption.
Effort The number of labor units required to complete an activity or other project element. Usually express.
Elementary Process An elementary process is the smallest unit of activity that is meaningful to the user(s)..
End User The individual or group who will use the system for its intended operational use when it is deployed.
End-user efficiency GSC One of the 14 general system characteristics describing the degree of consideration for human factor.
Engineering Change In configuration management, an alteration in the configuration of a configuration item or other des.
Engineering Group A collection of individuals (both managers and technical staff) representing an engineering discipli.
Engineering Requirements A translation of the set of essential customer needs into engineering language, specific to the doma.
Enhancement The modification of an existing application..
Enhancement Project Changes made to an existing application where new functionality has been added, or existing function.
Enhancement Project Set of activities which 'add', ‘change’ or ‘delete’ functions within one or more existing applicatio.
Enhancement project function point count (EFP). A count that measures the modifications to the existing application that add, change, or delete user.
Enterprise A unit within a company or spanning several companies within which many projects are managed as a wh.
Entity (or entity type) A fundamental thing of relevance to the user, about which a collection of facts is kept. An associat.
Entity Subtype A subdivision of an entity type. A subtype inherits all the attributes and relationships of its pare.
Entry (-type) A movement of the data attributes found in one data group from the user’s side of the software bound.
Environment The circumstances or conditions that will surround the system when it is in use. Examples include th.
Estimate An assessment of the likely quantitative result. Usually applied to project costs and durations and .
Evaluation The use of reviews, inspections, and/or tests, to determine that a software product or service satis.
Event (-type) see "Triggering event".
Exit (-type) A movement of the data attributes found in one data group from inside the software boundary to the u.
External input (EI) An external input (EI) is an elementary process that processes data or control information that come.
External inquiry (EQ) An external inquiry (EQ) is an elementary process that sends data or control information outside the.
External interface file (EIF) An external interface file (EIF) is a user identifiable group of logically related data or control i.
External output (EO) An external output (EO) is an elementary process that sends data or control information outside the .
External System (interfaces) The system or product interfaces to other systems, communication networks, power supplies, resource .
Facilitate Change GSC One of the 14 general system characteristics describing the degree to which the application has been.
Failure The inability of a system or component to perform its required functions within specified performanc.
Fast Tracking Compressing the project schedule by overlapping activities that would normally be done in sequence, .
Fault (1) A defect in a hardware device or component; for example, a short circuit or broken wire. An inco.
Feasibility The degree to which the requirements, design, or plans for a system or component can be implemented .
Feasibility Study A study to identify and analyse a problem and its potential solutions in order to determine their vi.
File For data functions, a logically related group of data, not the physical implementation of those grou.
File Type Referenced (FTR) A FTR is a file type referenced by a transaction. An FTR must also be an internal logical file or e.
Files Represent the ‘Data Business Functions’ or ‘Data Groups’ described in IFPUG documentation. They are .
Findings (1) The conclusions of an assessment, evaluation, audit, or review that identify the most important .
Finish Date A point in time associated with an activity’s completion. Usually qualified by one of the following:.
First-line Software Manager A manager who has direct management responsibility (including providing technical direction and admi.
Foreign Key Data in an ILF or EIF that exists because the user requires a relationship with another ILF or EIF.
Formal Review A formal meeting at which a product is presented to the end user, customer, or other interested part.
Function The features or capabilities of an application as seen by the user..
Function Point A unit of measurement of software product and project functional size..
Function point (FP) A measure which represents the functional size of application software..
Function Point Analysis A standard method for measuring software development and maintenance from the customer's point of vi.
Function Point Analysis A technique used to measure the functional size of software product and projects..
Function Point Count (Noun) The result of applying the Function Point Analysis technique to software. It is a measure of the Fun.
Function Point Count (Verb) Activity which applies the Function Point Analysis technique to size software projects or applicatio.
Function Point Implementation Project A project group established to facilitate the implementation of Function Point Analysis as the stand.
Function Type The five basic information services provided to the user of an application and identified in functio.
Functional Analysis A systematic investigation of the functions of a real or planned system..
Functional Architecture The arrangement of functions, their decomposition, and interfaces (internal and external) that defin.
Functional Complexity A specific function type's complexity rating which has a value of low, average, or high. For data fu.
Functional Domain A class of software based on the characteristics of functional user requirements which are pertinent.
Functional Hierarchy A diagrammatic representation of the functional decomposition of a computer system’s business functi.
Functional process (-type) (Synonym ‘Transaction-type’) A unique set of data movements (Entry, Exit, Read, Write) implementing a cohesive and logically indi.
Functional Size A size of the software derived by quantifying the Functional User Requirements..
Functional Size The result obtained by the first stage of applying Function Point Analysis. Functional size assesses.
Functional Size Measurement (FSM) The process of measuring Functional Size..
Functional Size Measurement (FSM) Method A specific implementation of FSM defined by a set of rules, which conforms to the mandatory features.
Functional User Requirements A sub-set of the user requirements. The Functional User Requirements represent the user practices an.
General System Characteristics (GSCs) The general system characteristics are a set of 14 questions that evaluate the overall complexity of.
General Systems Characteristics Fourteen quality and technical features identified to be delivered with the functions of the softwar.
Goals A summary of the key practices of a key process area that can be used to determine whether an organi.
Heavily Used Configuration GSC One of the 14 general system characteristics describing the degree to which computer resource restri.
Host Computer A computer used to develop software..
IFPUG The International Function Point Users Group is a membership governed, non-profit organization commi.
IFPUG Certified Function Point Specialist (CFPS) A person who has passed the IFPUG Certification exam for IFPUG Release 4.0 and is accredited by them.
Implementation (1) The process of translating a design into hardware components, software components, or both. The .
Information analysis A systematic investigation of information and its flow in a real or planned system..
Information Distribution Making needed information available to project stakeholders in a timely manner..
Input Data for which the value is independent of the software and which are used by the software at some p.
Inspection A method used to verify requirements. It involves the visual examination of documentation or a physi.
Installation ease GSC One of the 14 general system characteristics describing the degree to which conversion from previous.
Integrated Software Management The unification and integration of the software engineering and management activities into a coheren.
Integrated System The product that the engineering staff builds to satisfy the product requirements..
Integration The merger or combining of one or more components, parts, or configuration items into a higher level.
Internal logical file (ILF) An internal logical file (ILF) is a user identifiable group of logically related data or control inf.
International Software Benchmarking Standards Group (ISBSG) A standards group made up of peak industry software measurement associations from Europe, North Amer.
ISBSG Data Repository A database of international metrics results which record data on software development projects. The .
Key Design Issues A set of issues that, once decided, determine the technical direction of major portions of the syste.
Key Factors of Functional User Requirements Critical, mandatory criteria expressed by the Functional User Requirements which have significant or.
Key Practices The infrastructures and activities that contribute most to the effective implementation and institut.
Key Process Area A cluster of related activities in an area of software acquisition that, when performed collectively.
Labels Labels are used to flag functions within the scope of the Function Point Count so that these functio.
Late Life Cycle From technical design specification until after implementation..
Layer The result of the functional partitioning of the software environment such that all included functio.
Level of Performance The degree to which the needs are satisfied, represented by a specific set of values for the quality.
Life Cycle The scope of the system or product evolution beginning with the identification of a perceived custom.
Local Customisation An FSM Method that has been modified for local use, such that it might produce different Functional .
Maintainability Plan A document setting out the specific maintainibility practices, resources and sequence of activities .
Maintained The term maintained is the ability to modify data through an elementary process..
Maintenance The effort to keep an application performing according to its specifications, generally without chan.
Maintenance (support) rate The productivity measure for maintaining an application. It is expressed as the Work Effort by categ.
Management Practice A management activity or task that addresses the implementation or institutionalization of a specifi.
Mandatory Subgroup One of the two types of subgroups for record element types (RETs). Mandatory subgroups mean the user.
Maturity Level A well-defined evolutionary plateau toward achieving a mature software process. The five maturity le.
Measure As a noun, a number that assigns relative value. Some examples may include volume, height, function .
Measurement Assigning relative value. Usually, in the improvement process, measures gained from this activity ar.
Measurement Method A logical sequence of operations, described generically, used in the performance of measurements (fr.
Measurement Procedure A set of operations, described specifically, used in the performance of particular measurements acco.
Measurement Process The process of establishing, planning, performing and evaluating software measurement within an over.
Method A reasonably complete set of rules and criteria that establish a precise and repeatable way of perfo.
Methodology A collection of methods, procedures, and standards that defines an integrated synthesis of engineeri.
Metric There is no single universal definition of a metric. In the context of this document, a metric is a .
Metrics Repository A storage facility for base measures and derived software metrics. Summary function point count resu.
Metrics Support Within the context of the Function Point Implementation Project, Metrics Support staff are responsib.
Mid life cycle From requirements definition to completion of the technical design..
Milestone A significant event in the project, usually completion of a major deliverable..
Modern Project Management (MPM) A term used to distinguish the current broad range of project management (scope, cost, time, quality.
Modification The act of changing a system or component after delivery to improve performance or some other attrib.
Modification Request (MR) A generic term used to identify proposed changes to a software product that is being maintained. The.
Monitoring The capture, analysis, and reporting of project performance, usually as compared to plan..
Multiple sites GSC One of the 14 general system characteristics describing the degree to which the application has been.
Need A user related capability shortfall (such as those documented in a Mission Need Statement, field def.
Network Analysis The process of identifying early and late start and finish dates for the uncompleted portions of pro.
New Development Project Full analysis of the application area is performed, followed by the complete development life cycle .
Object of interest (-type) An object of interest is identified from the point of view of the Functional User Requirements and m.
Online Data Entry GSC One of the 14 general system characteristics describing the degree to which data is entered through .
Online update GSC One of the 14 general system characteristics describing the degree to which internal logical files a.
Operating environment (software) The set of software operating concurrently on a specified computer system..
Operational Ease GSC One of the 14 general system characteristics describing the degree to which the application attends .
Operational Environment The natural or induced environmental conditions, and user interactions, within which the system is e.
Operational Requirements The statements that identify the essential capabilities (the process or series of actions performed .
Optional subgroup Optional subgroups are those that the user has the option of using one or none of the subgroups duri.
Organisation Group of individuals formed to perform some function..
Organisation Level Certified Function Point Counter A person accredited by an individual organisation to be proficient in Function Point Analysis and au.
Organisation Type A standard classification for the business within which the organisation as a whole operates. Note: .
Organization Level The management level or levels responsible for managing one or more data processing or information s.
Organization's Business Goals The reasons for an organization’s existence. Such goals may include reducing the number of change re.
Organization's Measurement Program The set of related elements for addressing an organization's measurement needs. It includes the defi.
Organization's Process Assets A collection of entities, maintained by an organization, for use by the projects and others in devel.
Organization's Product Development Process Database A database established to collect and make available data on development the product processes and r.
Organization's Standard Software Process The operational definition of the basic process that guides the establishment of a common software p.
Organizational Planning Identifying, documenting, and assigning project roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships.
Output Data for which the value depends on the operation of the software and which is therefore created or .
Overall Change Control Coordinating changes across the entire project..
Parametric Estimating An estimating technique that uses a statistical relationship between historical data and other varia.
Path Convergence In mathematical analysis, the tendency of parallel paths of approximately equal duration to delay th.
Peer Review A review of a work product, following defined procedures, by peers of the product’s producers for th.
Percent Complete (PC) An estimate, expressed as a percent, of the amount of work which has been completed on an activity o.
Perfective Maintenance The modification of a software product after delivery to improve performance or maintainability. Per.
Performance The degree to which a system or component accomplishes its designated functions within given constra.
Performance GSC One of the 14 general system characteristics describing the degree to which response time and throug.
Performance Reporting Collecting and disseminating information about project performance to help ensure project progress..
Performance Requirement A requirement that imposes conditions on a functional requirement, for example, a requirement that s.
Periodic Review A review that occurs at specified regular time intervals. (See event-driven basis for contrast.).
Persistence (of a data group) A quality describing how long the data group is retained in the context of the Functional User Requi.
PERT Chart A specific type of project network diagram. See Program Evaluation and Review Technique..
Policy A guiding principle, typically established by senior management, that is adopted by an organization .
Practice A software engineering or management activity that contributes to the creation of the output (work p.
Preliminary Design The process of analyzing design alternatives and defining the architecture, components, interfaces, .
Preventive Maintenance Changes to hardware or software performed to prevent future defects or failures. For example, restru.
Primary Functions Those essential tasks, actions, or activities that must be accomplished to ensure that the system wi.
Process A sequence of steps performed for a given purpose; for example, the software development process. [I.
Process Capability The range of expected results that can be achieved by following a process. [CMM for Software].
Process Capability Baseline A documented characterization of the range of expected results that would normally be achieved by fo.
Process Capability Level A point on the six-point ordinal scale (of process capability) that represents the increasing capabi.
Process Description The operational definition of the major components of a process. Documentation that specifies, in a .
Process Development The act of defining and describing a process. It may include planning, architecture, design, impleme.
Process Element The constituent elements of a process. Each process element covers a well-defined, bounded, closely .
Process Improvement Action taken to change an organization's processes so that they meet the organization's business nee.
Process Improvement Programme All the strategies, policies, goals, responsibilities and activities concerned with the achievement .
Process Measurement The set of definitions, methods, and activities used to take measurements of a process and its resul.
Process Performance Baseline A documented characterization of the actual results achieved by following a process. A process perfo.
Product Result of activities or processes. (ISO 8402).
Project An undertaking that is focused on acquiring a specific product. The product may include hardware, so.
Project A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service..
Project Charter A document issued by senior management that provides the project manager with the authority to apply.
Project Control The activities concerned with monitoring the progress of a project, its direction, quality, and reso.
Project Cost Management A subset of project management that includes the processes required to ensure that the project is co.
Project Delivery Rate Measures the rate at which a project delivers software functionality to the end user as a factor of .
Project Elapsed Time The calender period in months between the project start and end including any period of inactivity (.
Project Inactive Time Total time (rounded to whole months) during the project elapsed time, in which no project activity t.
Project Integration Management A subset of project management that includes the processes required to ensure that the various eleme.
Project Leader A person who manages or leads projects. May be a synonym for Project Manager..
Project level The management level responsible for managing individual new development or major enhancement projec.
Project Life Cycle A collection of generally sequential project phases whose name and number are determined by the cont.
Project Management (PM) The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities in order to meet o.
Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) An inclusive term that describes the sum of knowledge within the profession of project management. A.
Project Management Professional (PMP) An individual certified as such by the Project Management Institute..
Project Management Software A class of computer applications specifically designed to aid with planning and controlling project .
Project Management Team The members of the project team who are directly involved in project management activities. On some .
Project Manager (PM) The individual responsible for managing a project..
Project Phase A collection of logically related project activities, usually culminating in the completion of a maj.
Project Plan A formal, approved document used to guide both project execution and project control. The primary us.
Project Plan Development Taking the results of other planning processes and putting them into a consistent, coherent document.
Project Plan Execution Carrying out the project plan by performing the activities included therein..
Project Planning The development and maintenance of the project plan..
Project Quality Management A subset of project management that includes the processes required to ensure that the project will .
Project Register A repository of information about projects that are within the scope of the organisations software p.
Project Risk Management A subset of project management that includes the processes concerned with identifying, analyzing, an.
Project Schedule The planned dates for performing activities and the planned dates for meeting milestones..
Project Scope Management A subset of project management that includes the processes required to ensure that the project inclu.
Project Software Manager The role with total responsibility for all the software activities for a project. The project softwa.
Project Specification A Specification of the objectives, requirements, and scope of a project and its relations to other p.
Project Start A client/management decision is made formally/informally to involve Information Technology personnel.
Project Time Management A subset of project management that includes the processes required to ensure timely completion of t.
Project Work Effort All personnel effort that is directed towards the completion of a particular project including out-o.
Project's Defined Process The operational definition of the process as used by a specific project. Well characterized and unde.
Project/application attribute. Characteristics of a project or an application that may have a significant impact on productivity. E.
Proposed Change A report of anomaly, required or recommended enhancement from the time the idea is recorded until th.
Purpose of the Count The purpose of a function point count is to provide an answer to a business problem..
Qualification The process of demonstrating whether an entity is capable of fulfilling specified requirements. [See.
Quality Quality includes: conformity to user expectations, conformity to user requirements, customer satisfa.
Quality (1) The degree to which a system or system component meets specified requirements. (2) The degree to.
Quality Assurance A planned and systematic means for assuring management that defined standards, practices, procedures.
Quality Assurance (QA) (1) The process of evaluating overall project performance on a regular basis to provide confidence t.
Quality Control (QC) (1) The process of monitoring specific project results to determine if they comply with relevant qua.
Quality Planning Identifying which quality standards are relevant to the project and determining how to satisfy them..
Quantitative Control Any quantitative or statistically-based technique appropriate to analyze a software process, identif.
Re-development Project The re-development of an existing application. The functional requirements of the application are kn.
Record element type (RET) A record element type (RET) is a user recognizable subgroup of data elements within an ILF or EIF..
Reference FSM Method A FSM Method to be used for comparison reasons when verifying the Functional Size results of a FSM M.
Relationship An association of interest between two entities. A relationship does not have attributes and does no.
Release A delivered version of an application which may include all or part of an application..
Reliability The ability of a system or component to perform its required functions under stated conditions for a.
Request for Proposal (RFP) A type of bid document used to solicit proposals from prospective sellers of products or services. I.
Request for Quotation (RFQ) Generally, this term is equivalent to request for proposal. However, in some application areas it ma.
Requirements Statements which identify the essential needs for a system in order for it to have value and utility.
Requirements Analysis The process of studying user needs to arrive at a definition of system, hardware, or software requir.
Requirements Document A document containing any combination of recommendations, requirements or regulations to be met by a.
Resource An enterprise entity that provides some or all of the capabilities required by the execution of an e.
Resource Leveling Any form of network analysis in which scheduling decisions (start and finish dates) are driven by re.
Resource Planning Determining what resources (people, equipment, materials) are needed in what quantities to perform p.
Resource-Limited Schedule A project schedule whose start and finish dates reflect expected resource availability. The final pr.
Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) A structure which relates the project organization structure to the work breakdown structure to help.
Retainage A portion of a contract payment that is held until contract completion in order to ensure full perfo.
Reusability GSC One of the 14 general system characteristics describing the degree to which the application and the .
Risk A measure of the uncertainty of attaining a goal, objective, or requirement pertaining to technical .
Risk Management An organized, analytic process to identify what can go wrong, to quantify and assess associated risk.
Risk Mitigation Strategies The principles used to identify the order in which risk mitigation activities are implemented. [Jone.
Risk Quantification Evaluating the probability of risk event occurrence and effect..
S-Curve Graphic display of cumulative costs, labor hours, or other quantities, plotted against time. The nam.
Scenario Name Used to uniquely identify a particular count within a phase for a project or for an application. Eg..
Schedule Control Controlling changes to the project schedule..
Schedule Development Analyzing activity sequences, activity durations, and resource requirements to create the project sc.
Schedule Performance Index (SPI) The ratio of work performed to work scheduled (BCWP/BCWS). See earned value..
Schedule Variance (SV) (1) Any difference between the scheduled completion of an activity and the actual completion of that.
Scheduled Finish Date (SF) The point in time work was scheduled to finish on an activity. The scheduled finish date is normally.
Scheduled Start Date (SS) The point in time work was scheduled to start on an activity. The scheduled start date is normally w.
Scope The sum of the products and services to be provided as a project..
Scope Baseline See baseline..
Scope Change Any change to the project scope. A scope change almost always requires an adjustment to the project .
Scope Change Control Controlling changes to project scope..
Scope Creep/Gallop Additional functionality that was not specified in the original requirements, but is identified as t.
Scope Definition Decomposing the major deliverables into smaller, more manageable components to provide better contro.
Scope of the FSM The set of Functional User Requirements to be included in a specific FSM instance..
Scope Planning Developing a written scope statement that includes the project justification, the major deliverables.
Scope Verification Ensuring that all identified project deliverables have been completed satisfactorily..
Senior Manager A management role at a high enough level in an organization that the primary focus is the long-term .
Sensitivity Analysis A technique for discovering the behavior of a system by changing one input at a time by a small amou.
Service Level Agreement A written agreement between a service provider and Customer(s) that documents agreed service levels .
Should-Cost Estimates An estimate of the cost of a product or service used to provide an assessment of the reasonableness .
Software An organized set of instructions, data, and interrelationships which when loaded into the program ex.
Software Acquisition Management Personnel Those individuals who are trained, educated, or experienced in software acquisition management and w.
Software Acquisition Plans The collection of plans, both formal and informal, used to express how software acquisition activiti.
Software Acquisition Process A set of activities, methods, practices, and transformations that people use to acquire software and.
Software Acquisition Process Assets A collection of entities, maintained by an organization, for use by projects in developing, tailorin.
Software Acquisition Project An undertaking that is focused on acquiring the software components and associated documentation of .
Software Baseline Audit An examination of the structure, contents, and facilities of the software baseline library to verify.
Software Capability Evaluation (1) An appraisal by a trained team of professionals, using a method such as the SEI software capabil.
Software Configuration Item (SCI) As "configuration item" in ISO 10007 excluding hardware and services, recursively to identify indivi.
Software Configuration Management (SCM) The process of applying Configuration Management (see ISO 10007) throughout the software life cycle .
Software Development Plan The collection of plans that describe the activities to be performed for the software project. It go.
Software Engineering Environment (SEE) The set of automated tools, firmware devices, and hardware necessary to perform the software enginee.
Software Engineering Group The collection of individuals (both managers and technical staff) who have responsibility for softwa.
Software Engineering Institute (SEI) Maturity The ability of an organization to achieve a controlled and measured process as the foundation for co.
Software Engineering Personnel Those individuals who are trained, educated, or experienced in software engineering and who are eith.
Software Engineering Process Group A group of specialists who facilitate the definition, maintenance, and improvement of the software p.
Software Engineering Staff The software technical people (e.g., analysts, programmers, and engineers), including software task .
Software Integration A process of putting together selected software components to provide the set or specified subset of.
Software Life Cycle The period of time that begins when a software product is conceived and ends when the software is no.
Software Manager Any manager, at a project or organizational level, who has direct responsibility for software develo.
Software Measurement The quantification of the software production process and its product in order to supply meaningful .
Software Metrics The resulting values obtained from the Software Measurement process, which indicate the performance .
Software Plans The collection of plans, both formal and informal, used to express how software development and/or m.
Software Process The process or set of processes used by an organization or project to plan, manage, execute, monitor.
Software Process Improvement Plan A plan, derived from the recommendations of a software process assessment, that identifies the speci.
Software Process Maturity The extent to which a specific process is explicitly defined, managed, measured, controlled, and eff.
Software Product The complete set, or any of the individual items of the set, of computer programs, procedures, and a.
Software Project An undertaking requiring concerted effort, which is focused on analyzing, specifying, designing, dev.
Software Project Life Cycle Model of a software project beginning with the decision to develop, operate and/or maintain a softwa.
Software Project Management (SPM) Procedures, practices, technologies and knowledge (skill, background and wisdom to apply knowledge e.
software project management (SPM) plan A plan of plans to manage the execution of the appropriate software life cycle processes, resources .
Software Project Management (SPM) Team An aggregate of personnel assigned management responsibilities for a software project. SPM team memb.
Software Project Manager (PM) Individual with final responsibility for a software product throughout the entire software project l.
Software Quality Assurance (1) A planned and systematic pattern of all actions necessary to provide adequate confidence that a .
Software Quality Goal Quantitative quality objectives defined for a software work product..
Software Quality Management The process of defining quality goals for a software product, establishing plans to achieve these go.
Software Requirement A condition or capability that must be met by software needed by a user to solve a problem or achiev.
Software Work Product Any artifact created as part of defining, maintaining, or using a software process, including proces.
Source Selection Choosing from among potential contractors..
Specification A document prepared to support acquisition and life-cycle management that clearly and accurately des.
Speed of Delivery Measures the ability of a team to deliver a quantity of software over a period of time. It is define.
Staff The people, including task leaders, who are not managers and who are responsible for accomplishing t.
Staff Acquisition Getting the human resources needed assigned to and working on the project..
Stage A partition of the software effort that is of a manageable size and that represents a meaningful and.
Stakeholder Individuals and organizations who are involved in or may be affected by project activities..
Standard Development Environment A set of guidelines describing a standard process lifecycle for the development of software within a.
Standard Process The operational definition of the basic process that guides the establishment of a common process in.
Start Date A point in time associated with an activity’s start, usually qualified by one of the following: actu.
Statement of Work (SOW) A narrative description of products or services to be supplied under contract.
Strategic Vision The political, economic, and psychological forces of an organization that ensure the maximum support.
Suppliers The development, manufacturing, verification, and deployment personnel that define, design, code, fa.
Support Function The tasks, actions, and activities to be performed and the system elements required to provide opera.
System Is used synonymously for ‘software application’. It is assumed that an organisation will develop and.
System Architecture The composite of the functional, physical, and foundation architectures, which form the basis for es.
System Design The product of the development process which provides sufficient details, drawings, or other pertine.
System Effectiveness A measure of the ability of a system to satisfy its intended operational uses when called upon to do.
System Engineering Group The collection of individuals (both managers and technical staff) who have responsibility for specif.
System Integration The progressive assembling of system components into the whole system..
Systems Analysis A systematic investigation of a real or planned system to determine the information requirements and.
Systems Engineering The selective application of scientific and engineering efforts to: transform an operational need in.
Systems Engineering Process A comprehensive, iterative problem solving process that is used to: (a) transform validated customer.
Tailor To adapt a process or a set of standards or procedures to better match process or product requiremen.
Target Completion Date (TC) An imposed date which constrains or otherwise modifies the network analysis..
Target Finish Date (TF) The date work is planned (targeted) to finish on an activity..
Target Start Date (TS) The date work is planned (targeted) to start on an activity..
Task Well-defined unit of work in the process that provides management with visible checkpoints into the .
Team Count A team function point count involves more than one counter, simultaneously counting the same applica.
Team Development Developing individual and group skills to enhance project..
Technical Parameters A selected subset of the system's technical metrics tracked in TPM. Critical technical parameters ar.
Technical Requirements Those requirements that describe what the product must do. Examples of technical requirements includ.
Technical Reviews A series of systems engineering activities by which the technical progress of a program is assessed .
Test An activity in which a system or component is executed under specified conditions, the results are o.
Test Plan A plan describing the schedule, resources, and approach to verify the compliance of a system or its .
Time Recording Methods The following methods of collecting WORK EFFORT are believed to be the most common. Method-A: Staff .
Time-Scaled Network Diagram Any project network diagram drawn in such a way that the positioning and length of the activity repr.
Total degree of influence (TDI) The sum of the degrees of influence for the fourteen GSCs.
Total Quality Management (TQM) A common approach to implementing a quality improvement program within an organization..
Traceability The degree to which a relationship can be established between two or more products of the developmen.
Traceability Matrix A matrix that records the relationship between two or more products of the development process; for .
Transaction rate GSC One of the 14 general system characteristics describing the degree to which the rate of business tra.
Transactional Functions The functionality provided to the user to process data by an application. Transactional functions ar.
Transactions These correspond to ‘elementary processes’ in IFPUG terminology. They are the lowest level on a func.
Triggering event (-type) A triggering event occurs outside the boundary of the measured software and initiates one or more fu.
Unadjusted Function Point Count (UFP) The measure of the functionality provided to the user by the project or application. It is contribut.
Unadjusted Function Point Size The result of the first stage of performing Function Point Analysis. The unadjusted function point s.
Unit of Measurement A particular quantity, defined and adopted by convention, with which other quantities of the same ki.
Validation Validation involves evaluation of the customer requirements against customer needs and expectations,.
Value Adjustment Factor This represents the quality and technical features of the application delivered to the user. Whereas.
Value adjustment factor (VAF) The factor that indicates the general functionality provided to the user of the application. The VAF.
Well-defined Process A process that includes readiness criteria, inputs, standards and procedures, verification mechanism.
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) A deliverable-oriented grouping of project elements which organizes and defines the total scope of t.
Work Package A deliverable at the lowest level of the work breakdown structure. A work package may be divided int.
Write (-type) A Write refers to data attributes found in one data group. Functionally, a Write sub-process sends d.