Estimating a software project encompasses more than adding up development hours for design and code. Other expenses, sometimes hidden or overlooked, can also impact the bottom line.
One of the primary causes of cost over-runs is requirements/scope changes. User stories and/or use cases that are defined and agreed to, then change during implementation, increase the project's cost to adapt and implement the new changes. This may also impact the architecture and require regression testing. If changes are managed (i.e. defined, prioritized and scheduled), this may also help minimize scope creep.
Third party integrations increase the cost of a software project. Each integration may require custom development, and ongoing maintenance and/or licensing costs. The integration may also impose security and compliance costs.
A software project also includes costs for deployment, deployment infrastructure and support the project team for the post-production/operational phase.
There are costs to upgrade and/or maintain the software to remediate defects and enhance the software for competing with other software products.
Other factors that impact the cost of a software product are the technology and platforms supported and the service level and time agreements for the delivery of the software.
An MVP (i.e. defining, prioritizing and scheduling) may help minimize the other scope and requirements creep. A technical risk/contingency budget also helps manage the scope. It is important to understand the cost to develop and implement a software product and the costs to support the product during its intended useful life. For more information. Read more @ https://www.contus.com/blog/software-development-cost/
Top comments (0)