On the IWSM 2012 conference in Assisi in October last year the NESMA presented the EPS-framework for the estimation of packaged software. A working group of NESMA has developed this estimating framework which supports the estimation of all costs related to the implementation and maintenance of packaged software. This framework can be the reference for comparison and benchmarking of package software estimates. The details for all six stages will be ready at the end of this year, but Comarch from Poland has already adopted the framework for some of their package implementation offers.
About the EPS-framework
Most people agree that the cost of implementation and maintenance of packaged software can be estimated using a single equation. This is due to the fact that different stages of the implementation and maintenance have very different cost drivers. In literature, over fifty cost drivers have been identified. This fact has delayed the development of a common reference for comparison and benchmarking so far. A working group of NESMA has taken the challenge to develop this common reference.
In scope for the EPS-framework are six stages that cover the implementation and maintenance of packaged software from an IT perspective:
For each of the stages a stage-specific interpretation of the generic estimation model can be used to estimate the cost associated with that stage. The generic estimation model is applicable to all stages that deal with IT related cost. It uses 3 types of parameters in order to arrive at an estimate:
- size drivers
- productivity drivers
- size-independent cost-drivers
These are combined in the generic estimating model for packaged software:
In the paper presented at the IWSM 2012 conference we already revealed the stage-specific interpretation for the realization stage. In this stage a number of size measurement methods can be used to determine the size of the size drivers in this stage:
Adoption of the EPS-framework
In the Netherlands, KPN, one of the large telecom providers is using metrics to select and evaluate their software suppliers. All software suppliers should offer their software on output-based metrics. Comarch, a software house from Poland offered to implement their packaged software solution for telecom based on the EPS-framework.
This early adoption shows that this framework provides a real solution for the requirement of customers to demand a transparent and comparable offer for their IT services.
Further reading
If you are interested in using the EPS-framework or help us develop or propagate this framework, you can contact the NESMA working group at wgpakketsizing (at) nesma.nl.
No comments:
Post a Comment