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Articles

The Quality Plus Team and Carol Dekkers have published articles extensively on Software Measurement, Software Development Issues and Function Point Analysis topics. Besides the high technical content of our articles, Quality Plus and Ms. Dekkers emphasize the cultural aspects of measurement and its impact on people. The very process of measurement, if it is new to a company, may create tensions based on the normal human fear of the unknown. The way that management recognizes and addresses cultural issues associated with measurement, is critical to its overall success.

Each subsidiary list below is organized mostly chronologically with the newer articles closer to the top of the list.

Scope Management

Cutter-IT Advisory Notes

Function Points – General

  • Navigating the Minefield — Estimating Before Requirements CrossTalk, Dec 2004
  • How Function Points Support the Capability Maturity Model Integration CrossTalk, February 2002
  • Can Function Points be Used to Size Real-Time, Scientific, Object-Oriented, eXtreme Programmed, or Web-Based Software?, IT Metrics Strategies, July 2001
  • Demystifying Function Points, Clarifying Common Terminology, IT Metrics Strategies, March 2001 View this article.
  • Applying Function Point Analysis to Requirements Completeness, CrossTalk, February 2001
  • Using Backfiring to Accurately Size Software – More Wishful Thinking than Science?, IT Metrics Strategies, November 2000.
  • Double Duty Metrics – Using Function Point Analysis to Check the Completeness (Fullness) of Functional User Requirements, Cutter IT Journal, April 2000
  • Function Points Enter Prime Time With Year 2000, The Journal of Quality Assurance Institute, Volume 13, No. 4, October 1999, pp. 28-31.
  • Managing (the Size of) Your Projects – a Project Management Look at Function Points, CrossTalk, February 1999
  • Function Points and Use Cases — Where’s the Fit?, IT Metrics Strategies, January 1999
  • Demystifying Function Points: Let’s Understand Some Terminology, IT Metrics Strategies, October 1998
  • Function Points Enter Prime Time with Y2K, IT Metrics Strategies, June 1998, (Reprinted in Managing System Development, July 1998, and The Journal of Quality Assurance Institute, October, 1999.)
  • Function Points and Measurement: What’s a Function Point? (A Primer on Function Points), The Journal of the Quality Assurance Institute, January 1999
  • Alleviate Software Development Challenges through Functional Sizing, IT Metrics Strategies, Vol IV, No.3, March 1998, pp 13-16
  • Requirements are (the Size of) the Problem, IT Metrics Strategies, Volume III, No.10, Oct. 1997, pp. 15-16
  • Function Point Basics: Clearing Up Common Misconceptions, IT Metrics Strategies, Volume II, No.5, May 1996, pp. 4-6
  • Function Points Alone Do Not A Measurement Program Make! Part 1: What is Functional Size Measurement?, IT Metrics Strategies Volume II, No.10, October 1996, pp. 10-12
  • Function Points Alone Do Not A Measurement Program Make! Part 2: How and When Does Functional Size Fit into a Measurement Program, IT Metrics Strategies, Volume III, No.3, March 1997, pp. 14-16
  • Outsourcing and Function Point Based Measurement: Mistakes and Recommendations, The VOICE,  A Publication of the International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG), Issue II, 1997, pp.16-17
  • Mistakes to Avoid when Contracting with Function Points, IT Metrics Strategies, Volume III, No.4, April 1997, pp. 9-12

Function Points – Updates

  • Why should YOU or your company care about ISO standards?, MetricViews, Feb 2007
  • IFPUG Functional Sizing Method published as an International Standard Press Release for IFPUG, October 2003
  • Expert Metric Views: IFPUG Updates, ISO Standards, and News from ISBGS, IT Metric Strategies Volume V, No. 11, November 1999, pp.13-16
  • Update on Function Points: ISO Standards, ISBSG and IFPUG Activities, IT Metrics Strategies, Volume IV, No.4, April 1998, pp. 15-16
  • What’s New with Function Points?, IT Metrics Strategies, Volume III, No.8, August 1997, pp. 15-16
  • ISO Standards and Function Points: Part 1: An Introduction to the ISO Standards Development Process, IT Metrics Strategies Volume II, No.7, July 1996, pp. 5-7
  • ISO Standards and Function Points: Part 2: The Functional Size Measurement Project, IT Metrics Strategies, Volume II, No.8, August 1996, pp. 11-13
  • Dekkers, C. and Jamieson, P. IFPUG Organization Shepherds Standards, Application Development Trends, April 1996, pp. 24-26
  • What’s New with Function Points? An Update on IFPUG, IT Metrics Strategies, Volume II, No.6, June 1996, pp. 13-14
  • Function Point Update on the Web, IT Metrics Strategies, Volume II, No.5, May 1996, pp. 6-7

Software Measurement – General

  • Is there a Secret for Software Development?, 2007
  • If Architects had to work like Software Developers, Quality Plus Technologies website, 2007
  • A Murphological View on Software Measurement: a serious joke or a funny serious thing?, Conference proceedings, SMEF Rome, Italy, , May 2005
  • Tackling Software Measurement? Try Proverbs, CrossTalk May 2005
  • Concepts and Considerations for Requirement-Based Estimates, Software Quality Professional Journal Dec. 2004
  • Collaborative Engineering: Challenges and Potential Improvements ICESS Conference Proceedings, Paris, France Dec. 2003
  • Steer Clear of Hazards on the Road to Software Measurement Success, WCSQ Conference Proceedings and Software Quality Professional Journal Fall 2003
  • Combat the Resistance to Software Measurement, CrossTalk July, 2003
  • All I Need to Know about Measurement & Process Improvement I Learned From World Cup Soccer, Conference proceedings, 2003
  • Software Quality, Leprechauns, and Other Myths and Legends Cutter IT Advisor, November 2000
  • The Secrets of Highly Successful Measurement Programs SSTC Conference Proceedings, May 2000
  • Measurement is No Silver Bullet, The Cutter IT E-Mail Advisor, December 29, 1999
  • Tame your Process with Metrics (aka Too Many Metrics, Too Little Time — How to Start a Software Measurement Program, Enterprise Development, June 1999.Save yourself the last-minute heroics! A sound system of measurements can save your development process (relatively) painlessly. Click on the link to download directly from Enterprise Development Magazine (June 1999).
  • The Secrets of Highly Successful Measurement Programs, Cutter IT Journal, April 1999
  • Overcoming the Myths of Measurement, Software Quality Professional Volume One, Issue Two, March 1999
  • Software Measurement and IT Conferences — A Practitioner’s Report, IT Metrics Strategies, February 1999
  • Unleash the POWER to Improve Software Quality Professional (SQP) Journal, December 2000
  • Dekkers, C. and Lundquist, G. em>The Proof Is in the Ratios: Turning Raw Data into Meaningful Software Metrics, The Journal of the Quality Assurance Institute, July 1996, pp. 1-5
  • Software Industry Averages: What they Mean and How to Ensure Applies to Apples Comparisons, IT Metrics Strategies, Volume III, No.6, June 1997, pp. 14-16
  • Function Point Industry Averages ‘Be Careful to Compare Apples to Apples’, MetricViews, A Publication of the International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG), Summer 1996, pp. 24-26
  • If You Don’t Know Your Data, Query Tools Won’t Help, IT Metrics Strategies, Volume III, No.7, July 1997, pp. 10-12
  • Metrics Futures, IT Metrics Strategies, Volume III, No.1, January 1997, pp. 14-15
  • Stand Up and Be Counted – Where’s the Fit Between Software Metrics and Total Quality Management?, Managing System Development, Applied Computer Research, March 1995, pp. 1-5

Software Measurement – People Issues

  • MAXIMIZING PROJECT SUCCESS ? GIVE YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS A TUNE-UP ,2004-2009
  • The Dangers of Using Measurement to (Mis)Manage: Measuring the Software Process , WCQI 2002 Conference proceedings
  • Making Software Measurement Really Work: #1 Aligning Measurement Expectations, IT Metrics Strategies, April 2000
  • It’s the People who Count In Measurement — The Truth about Measurement Myths, CrossTalk, June 1999.Click on the link to access the article.
  • Software Measurement Won’t Sell Itself – Recommendations to Gain Participation from Your Developers, IT Metrics Strategies, Volume III, No.12, December 1997, pp. 9-11
  • Bradley, M. and Dekkers, C. It’s the People Who Count in Measurement, The VOICE, A Publication of the International Function Point Users Group, Issue I, Volume I, 1996, pp. 25-26, 31
  • Bradley, M. and Dekkers, C. ‘You Can’t Measure Us’ – The Truth Behind Developers’ Measurement Myths, Managing System Development, Applied Computer Research, February 1996, pp. 1-5
  • Software Measurement Reality Versus Perception, IT Metrics Strategies, Volume II, No.9, September 1996, pp. 15-16

Recommended Reading

Books by Carol Dekkers

 

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