Software Cost Estimating – Friend or Foe (to Agilists)?
As the lead author for the International Cost Estimating and Analysis Association (ICEAA)'s new Cost Estimating Body of Knowledge for Software (CEBOK-S) as well as a CSM (Certified Scrum Master) and former developer, Ms. Dekkers has insights into the role of software cost estimation that may not be apparent or valued by development teams such as: Poor cost and schedule estimates can doom a project or initiative from the ' get go' Cost and schedule estimates are elusive and challenging to cost estimators and the team Communication between the two disciplines (cost estimating and development) can lead to far better outcomes What is the CEBOK-S and why should you care?
Carol Dekkers
Ms. Carol Dekkers is the president of Quality Plus Technologies, Inc., and consults with clients who want to succeed in their software endeavors. As one of the world’s foremost experts in software measurement, Ms. Dekkers provides guidance and expertise that enables clients to steer their projects to success. Ms. Dekkers recently completed a challenging contract as the lead author of the Software Cost Estimating Body of Knowledge for which her client, the International Cost Estimating and Analysis Association (ICEAA,) awarded her as the 2022 Educator of the Year. A history of success follows Ms. Dekkers’ illustrious career. In addition to excellence as a management consultant, she also boasts achievements as a published author (The IT Measurement Compendium: Estimating and Benchmarking Success with Functional Size Measurement; Program Management Toolkit for Software and Systems Development; Practical Software Project Estimation, and the two IFPUG textbooks), a keynote speaker (to audiences in over thirty countries) and a thought leader. In addition to her professional work, Ms. Dekkers’ pro bono contributions span decades and involve thousands of hours of board leadership, international standards development, strategic guidance, and volunteer mentorship. She has served on boards and committees with the International Function Point Users Group, ICEAA, American Society for Quality (ASQ), Project Management Institute (PMI), Alberta Association of Professional Engineers and Geologists (APEGA), and the U.S. delegation to ISO software and systems engineering standards (ISO/IEC JTC1 SC7.) Ms. Dekkers holds credentials as a Project Management Professional, Professional Engineer, Certified Scrum Master, and Certified Function Point Specialist (CFPS-Fellow.) Her professional awards include Global Leader in Consulting (Consulting Magazine, 2023), Honorary Fellow (IFPUG, 2022), Educator of the Year (ICEAA, 2022), Special Appreciation award (Brazilian Function Point Users Group, 2016), Leadership award (Korean Software Measurement Association, 2008), and 21 New Faces of Quality for the 21st Century (American Society for Quality, 2000.)