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Lecture Topic: FPA

INTRODUCTION
PRESENTATION TITLE

Function point metrics, developed by Alan Albercht of IBM, were first

published in 1979

In 1984, the International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG) was set up
to clarify the rules, set standards, and promote their use and evolution

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INTRODUCTION (CONT’D)
PRESENTATION TITLE

Function point metrics provide Function point metrics,

a standardized method for measure functionality from the
measuring the various users point of view, that is, on
functions of a software the basis of what the user
application. requests and receives in return

INTRODUCTION (CONT’D)
PRESENTATION TITLE

• Albercht’s initial definition:

• This gives a dimensionless number defined in function points which we have found
to be an effective relative measure of function value delivered to our customer

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The FPA Functional Units are Shown

PRESENTATION TITLE

in Figure Given Below:

Other
applications
Inputs ILF
EIF
User
Outputs ILF: Internal logical files
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System EIF: External interfaces

EXAMPLE
PRESENTATION TITLE

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HOW TO CALCULATE FUNCTION POINTS?

PRESENTATION TITLE

Data for following – characteristics are collected.

Number Of User Inputs –

• each user input, which provides, Distinct application data,
to the software is counted

Number Of User Outputs -

• each user output that provides – application data to the
7 user – is counted. ex. Screens, reports, error messages

Number Of User Inquiries

PRESENTATION TITLE

• an online input that results in the generation of some

immediate software response in the form of an output

Number Of Files
• each logical master file i.e. a logical grouping of data, that
may be part of a database or a separate file

Number Of External Interfaces

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• all machine readable interfaces that are used to transmit
information to another system are counted
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FPA OVERVIEW (CON’D)

PRESENTATION TITLE

These 5 function types are then ranked according to their complexity:

Low, Average or High, using a set of prescriptive standards.

Organizations that use FP methods, develop criteria for determining

whether a particular entry is Low, Average or High.

Nonetheless, the determination of complexity is somewhat subjective.

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FPA OVERVIEW (CON’D)

PRESENTATION TITLE

• After classifying each of the five function types, the UFP is computed using
predefined weights for each function type

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HOW TO ASSIGN WEIGHTS?

• The organization needs to develop criteria
- Which determine
- Whether a particular entry is
- simple, average or complex

• The weighting factors

- should be determined
- by observations or by experiments

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COUNTIN G
PRESENTATION TITLE

FUNC TION Functional Units Weighting

POINTS factors
Table 1 : Functional units with weighting factors Low Average High
External Inputs (EI) 3 4 6
External Output (EO) 4 5 7
External Inquiries 3 4 6
(EQ)
External logical files 7 10 15
(ILF)
External Interface files 5 7 10
(EIF)
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UFP CALCULATION
TABLE

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EXAMPLE
PRESENTATION TITLE

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EXAMPLE
PRESENTATION TITLE

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FPA OVERVIEW (CON’D)

PRESENTATION TITLE

• The last step involves assessing the environment and processing complexity of the
project or application as a whole.
• In this step, the impact of 14 general system characteristics is rated on a scale
from 0 to 5 in terms of their likely effect on the project or application

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V A L U E A D J US T MEN T F A C T OR ( V A F )
C A L CULA T ION T A BL E
PRESENTATION TITLE

• 0 = No Influence
• 1 = Incidental
• 2 = Moderate
• 3 = Average
• 4 = Significant
• 5 = Essential

The VAF is calculated using the Total Degree of

Influence (TDI), which is the sum of the degree of
influence (DI) for each of the 14 general system
characteristics (GSCs):
•DI: The DI for each GSC can range from 0 (lowest) to
5 (highest).
•TDI: The TDI can range from 0 (when all are low) to
70 (when all are high).
•VAF: The VAF is calculated using the formula: VAF =
(TDI * 0.01) + 0.65. This means that the VAF can range
17 from 0.65 (when all are low) to 1.35 (when all are
high)

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FPA OVERVIEW (CON’D)

PRESENTATION TITLE

On the whole:
• FP = UFP ×VAF

• The constant values in the equation and the weighting factors are determined
empirically

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FPA PROCEDURE AT A GLANCE

PRESENTATION TITLE

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AN EXAMPLE
PRESENTATION TITLE

Function Type Estimated Count Weight FP-Count

EI 24 (Average) 4 96
EO 16 (Average) 5 80
EQ 22 (Average) 4 88
ILF 4 (Average) 10 40
ELF 2 (Average) 7 14
UFP count 318
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PRESENTATION TITLE

AN EXAMPLE (CONT’D)

VAF = 52 * 0.01 + 0.65

= 1.17
FPESTIMATED = 318 X 1.17
= 372

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EXAMPLE 2
PRESENTATION TITLE

• Consider a project with the following functional units

Number of user inputs = 50

Number of user outputs = 40
Number of user enquiries = 35
Number of user files = 06
Number of external interfaces = 04

Assume all complexity adjustment factors and weighting factors are average.

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Compute the function points for the project.

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Domain Characteristics Count Weighting Factor Count

Simple Average Complex

Number Of User Inputs 50 * 4 200

Number Of User Outputs 40 * 5 200

Number Of User Enquiries 35 * 4 140

Number Of Files 06 * 10 60

Number Of External Interfaces 04 * 7 28

Count Total 628

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Solution
We know 5 3

UFP  ∑∑ Zij wij

i1 J 1

UFP = (50 * 4) + (40 * 5) + (35 * 4) + (6 * 10) + (4 * 7)

= 200 + 200 + 140 + 60 + 28 = 628

VAF = (0.65 + 0.01 * ΣFi)

= (0.65 + 0.01 * (14 * 3))
= (0.65 + 0.01 * 42)
= (0.65 + 0.42)
= 1.07
FP = UFP * VAF
= 628 * 1.07 = 672
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• Function Points (FP) =

• count total * (0.65 + (0.01 * sum (Fi)))

• FP = 628 * (0.65 + 0.01 * (14*3))

= 628 * (0.65 + 0.42)
= 628 * (1.07)
= 671.96

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• Functions points may compute the following important metrics:

• Avg productivity is  6.5 FP per person-month

• (i.e. 1 person works for 1 month – to develop 6.5 FP)
• Avg labor cost is  Rs. 6000/- per month

1. Cost per function point = 6000/6.5 = Rs. 923 per function point

2. Total estimated project cost = Rs. 923 * 672 FP = Rs. 6,20,256/-

3. Total estimated effort = (672 / 6.5) = 103 person – month.

i.e. 103 person will work for 1 month to complete the project.
Or 52 person will work for 2 months to complete the project.
Or 26 person will work for 4 months to complete the project.
Or 13 person will work for 8 months to complete the project.
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WHAT IS PERSON-MONTH?
PRESENTATION TITLE

• It's mean amount of work performed by the average worker in one month.
• So, if project requires 12 persons-months of development time

• then: for 12 persons-months project - 4 developers will spend 3 months.

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E X A M PLE :3
PRESENTATION TITLE

• An application has the following:

• 10 low external inputs,
• 12 high external outputs,
• 20 low internal logical files,
• 15 high external interface files,
• 12 average external inquiries,
• and a value of complexity adjustment factor of 1.10.
• What are the unadjusted and adjusted function point counts ?

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Solution
Unadjusted function point counts may be calculated using
as:
5 3
UFP  ∑∑ Zij wij
i1 J 1

= (10 * 3) + (12 * 7) + (20 * 7) + (15 * 10) + (12 * 4)

= 30 + 84 +140 + 150 + 48
= 452
FP = UFP x VAF
= 452 x 1.10 = 497.2.

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Example: 4
Consider a project with the following parameters.
(i) External Inputs:
(a) 10 with low complexity (b)15 with
average complexity
(c)17 with high complexity

(ii) External Outputs:

(a) 6 with low complexity (b)13 with
high complexity

(iii) External Inquiries:

(a) 3 with low complexity
(b) 4 with average complexity
(c) 2 high complexity

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(iv) Internal logical files:

• (a)2 with average complexity
(b)1 with high complexity

(v) External Interface files:

• (a)9 with low complexity

• In addition to above, system requires

i. Significant data communication
ii. Performance is very critical
iii. Designed code may be moderately reusable
iv. System is not designed for multiple installation in different
organizations.

• Other complexity adjustment factors are treated as average. Compute

the function points for the project.

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Solution: Unadjusted function points may be counted using table 2

Functional Count Complexity Complexity Functional

Units Totals Unit Totals
External 10 Low x 3 = 30
Inputs 15 Average x 4 = 60
(EIs) 17 High x 6 = 102 192
External 6 Low x 4 = 24
Outputs 0 Average x 5 = 0
(EOs) 13 High x 7 = 91 115
External 3 Low x 3 = 9
Inquiries 4 Average x 4 = 16
(EQs) 2 High x 6 = 12 37
External 0 Low x 7 = 0
logical 2 Average x 10 = 20
Files (ILFs) 1 High x 15 = 15 35
External 9 Low x 5 = 45
Interface 0 Average x 7 = 0
Files (EIFs) 0 High x 10 = 0 45
Total Unadjusted Function Point Count 424

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∑F
i1
i  3+4+3+5+3+3+3+3+3+3+2+3+0+3=41
CAF = (0.65 + 0.01 x ΣFi)
= (0.65 + 0.01 x 41)
= 1.06
FP = UFP x CAF
= 424 x 1.06
= 449.44

Hence FP = 449

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BENEFITS OF FUNCTION POINTS

PRESENTATION TITLE

Function points are useful −

In measuring the size of the solution instead of the size of the problem.

As requirements are the only thing needed for function points count.

As it is independent of technology.

As it is independent of programming languages.

In estimating testing projects.

In estimating overall project costs, schedule and effort.

In contract negotiations as it provides a method of easier communication with business groups.

As it quantifies and assigns a value to the actual uses, interfaces, and purposes of the functions in the software.
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In creating ratios with other metrics such as hours, cost, headcount, duration, and other application metrics.

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PROBLEMS OF FPA
PRESENTATION TITLE

• FPA has been criticized as not being universally applicable to all types of software.
• For example, FPA doesn’t capture all functional characteristics of real-time
software

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SIMILAR METRICS
PRESENTATION TITLE

• Based on the FP measure of software many other metrics can be computed:

1.Errors/FP
2.$/FP.
3.Defects/FP
4.Pages of documentation/FP
5.Errors/PM.
6.Productivity = FP/PM (effort is measured in person-months).
7.$/Page of Documentation.

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THANK YOU

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