Software Usability and Metrics

SWE 331
Group A
Md. Shakirul Hasan Khan Mobin
Reg No: 2017831034
March 4, 2022

1
 Md. Shakirul Hasan Khan Mobin
Group A 2017831034

Question 1
a.
Staff Months: The number of staff months on a project is calculated by multiplying the
number of employees by the time it takes to complete the project.
In the given scenario, we must deal with a situation in which the number of required staff
months exceeds the number of afforded staff months. Assume we need to cut the number of
expected staff months by at least 25%. There are some ways to reduce the staff months to build
a product:
• Firstly, reduce the functionality of the project. But it might hurt the product.
• If we can not follow the first step, we should simplify the design of the project. For
example, if we can change the interface to the monitoring devices to be one generic
monitoring input rather than many separate inputs. This change in design will actually
result in a better product as it allows additional monitoring devices to be added more
easily.
• Then, we could choose to use a faster processor, which would allow us to adjust the
performance factor.
So, to reduce the required effort (number of staff months) in a project, we can simplify the
solution and adjust the performance factor rather than working more overtime or cutting
features.

b.
The only way to report on the "number of bugs found" is to count them. The second part’s
solution is very dependent on how we define program correctness. If we assume that a program
is either correct or incorrect, we can measure its correctness using a nominal scale with two
values, such as (yes, no) or (1, 0). Alternatively, we may decide that correctness is measured
on a ratio scale, with zero incorrectness equaling absolute correctness. In any scenario, the
number of bugs discovered cannot be used as an absolute measure of the attribute. Moreover, if
"correctness" is equated with "reliability", then counting bugs found may not be a good indicator
of correctness, because we may not be detecting problems that result in actual failures.

Question 2
a.
The program has 10 simple inputs, 12 data files (trivial), 12 outputs with average complexity.
And according to question, Function point complexity rating for Simple input, trivial data files
and average outputs are 3, 7 and 5 respectively. The Function point complexity ratings are
given below:
Inputs (I): 10 * 3 = 30 [10 simple inputs]
Data Files (F): 12 * 7 = 84 [12 trivial data]
Outputs (O): 12 * 5 = 60 [12 outputs with average complexity]
So, total UFP (Unadjusted Function Points) = 30 + 84 + 60 = 174
 Md. Shakirul Hasan Khan Mobin
Group A 2017831034

b.
Focusing on project decision making is one of the methods for selecting metrics. This method
is used to determine the needs of the decision maker, recognizing that these will change over
time. The decision maker is the customer for the metric, with metrics produced to facilitate
informed decision making. Understanding the decisions that must be made will naturally lead
to the project measures that must be put in place to support this decision making.

Figure 1: Decision maker model

This metrics is being used by decision makers like software project manager. Following this
metrics, decision makers need to have information on project measures, and by analysing
these information they take decisions. For example, a software project manager will need to
make resource allocation decisions based on current status versus planned progress. To be
able to make these decisions, he/she will need measures of both time and effort during the
development life cycle. A test manager will need to determine if the quality of the software is
at a level acceptable for shipment to the customer. To be able to make this decision, he/she
will need to have a measure of current quality of the software and perhaps a view of how that
has changed over time.