Software Cost Estimation With Use Case Points Free Excel Spreadsheet | Tyner Blain

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Software Cost Estimation With Use

Case Points Free Excel Spreadsheet
February 20, 2007

Business Analysis, Product Management, Project Management,

Requirements, Requirements Models, Use Cases

We just completed a series of articles detailing how to use Use Case Points for so ware cost
estimation. In this article we have a free MS Excel Spreadsheet for calculating use case
points. Download it today to make it easier to do your project cost estimations.
Free Excel Spreadsheet Download
Download the use case point spreadsheet (zipped) for free today from Tyner Blain.
Background

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This is the seventh article in a series on applying use case points to create reliable so ware
cost estimates. What makes use case points di erent is that they allow the project cost estimation to happen much earlier in the process. This cost estimation technique was developed by Gustav Karner for Rational So ware Corporation in the mid 1990s.
The introduction to so ware cost estimation is the right place to start if you came to this
article first. In the previous articles we discussed:
1. Technical Factors of the Implementation. Characterizing (non-functional) requirements of the so ware.
2. Environmental Factors. Describing the team and the process.
3. Use Case Quantity and Complexity. Representing what the so ware is asked to accomplish.
4. Actor Quantity and Complexity. Enumerating the users of the so ware.
5. Final Calculations. Doing the math.
The free excel spreadsheet in this article will do the math for you. It provides an easy way to
organize (and edit) your estimates, and presents the final calculation results for you.
Using the Use Case Points Spreadsheet
The spreadsheet has five tabs, one for each area of data collection and processing. The tabs
map directly to the individual articles in the series (linked above). Each tab also includes
links back to the articles for future review.

To calculate the use case points, you only have to fill in the highlighted (yellow) cells in
each tab of the spreadsheet. All of the math is done for you.
UCP Technical Complexity Factors
Enter the relative magnitude of each technical factor. Brief descriptions of each factor are

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included for quick reference.

UCP Environment Factors

Enter the relative weightings of the environmental factors for the project. Brief descriptions are included for reference.

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UCP Use Case Analysis

Enter the names and complexity of each use case.

Note that the complexity values are selected from a drop-down instead of being typed in.
This allows for automatic calculation, just from listing the use cases.

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UCP Actor Analysis

Enter the names and types of all actors that will use the system.

The actor analysis section also uses a drop-down to select the type of actor.
UCP Final Calculation

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Return to the final calculation tab at the front of the spreadsheet.

All of the work has been done for you. If you want to use a di erent ratio for converting
from use case points to hours of e ort, just change the highlighted value.
Conclusion
This concludes our series on so ware cost estimation with use case points. With this free
excel spreadsheet, you dont have an excuse for not calculating the use case points on your
project. The time you will invest is minimal. The value may be substantial.

13 thoughts on So ware Cost Estimation

With Use Case Points Free Excel
Spreadsheet

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August 5, 2008 at 8:25 am

How can the ratio number be defined ?
What kind of information should I base it on ? I dont understand it.

Rodrigo

How did you come up with 28 ?

August 5, 2008 at 10:35 am

Rodrigo, great question, and welcome to Tyner Blain.

Scott
Sehlhorst

The ratio 28 hours per use case point, is a realistic, but otherwise
arbitrary number. It can absolutely be changed.
Heres the approach I suggest.
1) Estimate use case points for your project.
2) Use a ratio, say 28, as a best guess to project estimated hours
3) Track the hours spent on the project.
4) Use the actual value (from 3) and the estimate (from 1) to
compute an updated ratio.
5) Use the updated ratio, for your team, for your next project, and
repeat steps 1-4.
You should also review to determine if your estimates (per 1) were
o , and include that feedback loop so that you get better estimates
of the number of use case points. Over time, your ability to estimate
/ predict will improve.

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Pingback: Living in the Tech Avalanche Generation Point Case Estimation techniques
work for Agile Projects.

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[Silverlight baby, Silverlight - Part 1]

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(is it a realistic option?)

Pingback: miguek

April 10, 2012 at 8:36 am

Hi, shouldnt the multiplier at Environmental tab be negative for
point 6?

Leandro

I dont get why Stable requirements reduce the total

Environmental Factor when using higher numbers, as Higher
numbers represent more change (or a less e ective system for
managing change)
Thanks!

July 6, 2012 at 4:58 pm

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just one question: The e ort estimated in this method (784 hours in
example) apply for the complete development cycle (analysis +

ORLANDO

design + codification + testing. ) or just applies to codification

ACOSTA

stage.
Thanks to all .

July 6, 2012 at 11:30 pm

Whichever way you want to estimate it. When you establish your
baseline for converting from points to hours, use whatever you
want to measure for your baseline, and that will yield the same

Scott
Sehlhorst

scope when estimating e ort

Pingback: Juan Pablo Moya

April 4, 2015 at 8:57 am

hello and thanks

Mohammad

i have a question about this method, How could i validate my

estimation ?

April 6, 2015 at 9:30 am

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Well, you cannot truly validate the estimation without doing the
task, measuring how long it took, and reconciling with the

Scott
Sehlhorst

estimate. This activity, however, will help you in increasing your

April 6,
confidence in using this estimation approach (or any other) for
2015
future projects. Estimates are ultimately just predictions of the
at
future. I wrote more about the philosophy of prediction in this
9:37
article on PERT estimation and this article on agile release
am
planning.

Mohammad

thanks man

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