Service FAQs

1. What are the database demographics?

  • As on April 2003, the Benchmarking database contains measures collected from 6,400 completed and validated projects from US, UK, Europe, India, China, Asia and Australia.

    The projects cover nine application domains (refer FAQ number 2 on nine application domains) and different project life-cycles (refer FAQ 3 on project life-cycles).

    Projects included in the QSM database must:
  • Have completed the development cycle and be successfully deployed.
  • Have measured a minimum on the SEISM core measures: size, schedule and effort.

2. Which are the various application domains covered by this service?

3. I am into maintenance projects. Can Benchmarking apply to my projects?

  • QAI Benchmarking service applies to traditional project life cycles like waterfall as well as other approaches like RAD, prototyping, maintenance, enhancements, modification projects.

4. What is the data required to be collected for Benchmarking?

  • At the minimum QAI Benchmarking service requires an organization to report the four core SEISM measures: Size, Effort, Time, Defects (from start of system-integration testing to release)

5. How much time is required to collect data for Benchmarking?

  • For organizations with a measures program in place, it requires about 40 minutes to fill in the Benchmarking service data collection forms for submission.
  • For organizations that have not been tracking the four core SEISM measures of size, effort, schedule and defects it requires about half-day to reconstruct the data.

6. My organization is into producing real-time software. Can Benchmarking service be of use?

  • (Please refer FAQ number 2 above). Yes, the Benchmarking service can be used by your organization.

7. I am a purchasing organization. How can I make use of Benchmarking service?

  • Benchmarking Service is being used by purchasing organizations to:
    a. Assess the capabilities of their vendors by mandating them to submit project data from 3 similar projects executed in the past.
    b. Using the benchmarked capabilities of the vendors to validate the bids.
    c. Using the validated bids and the benchmarked capabilities to track the project execution. Vendors are mandated to submit the project data on a monthly or two-weekly basis. This is used to arrive at the productivity measures to ensure projects are on track.

8. I am a technology vendor. Can I make use of Benchmarking service?

  • Technology vendors/tool vendors demonstrate the productivity enhancements of their technology/tool by benchmarking the capabilities of their clients before and after the application of the tool/technology.

9. I write technical proposals for other organizations. Can I make use of Benchmarking service?

  • In case you write technical proposals then you can incorporate the QAI benchmarked data of your client as part of the proposal. This will provide the cutting edge to your client to qualify in the bidding process.

10. My organization estimates software size using FPA technique. Can I make use of the Benchmarking service?

  • QAI benchmarking service is independent of the size estimation technique adopted by an organization. Some organizations make use of SLOC, others use FPA, still others measure as components, or configuration items, or windows and so on. 
  • Since the QAI Benchmarking analysis is based on the SLOC (core measure defined by SEISM as an effective measure of the work product), organizations are asked to supply the gearing factor (a factor to convert their internal estimate to SLOC). QAI service also has a set of gearing factors determined on the basis of the QSM project database, which can be made use of the organization in case it is unable to arrive at its own factor.

11. Is the Benchmarking service dependent on the quality model/framework (like ISO/CMM® etc) by my organization?

  • The QAI Benchmarking service is a performance benchmark that is independent of the quality model/framework adopted by the organization. Performance is one parameter that is also independent of the geographical location of the entity. With quality certification becoming a hygiene factor, benchmarking is a way for organizations to differentiate themselves from others.

12. What are the deliverables of the Benchmarking service?

  • The QAI Benchmarking Service provides you with a comprehensive report that examines the data supplied from 42 different perspectives. The report also provides the top management with a list of action items for initiating/furthering software process improvement.

13. What are the service options of QAI Benchmarking service?

  • QAI Benchmarking service provides the following options to an organization:
    • Annual subscription: Get an organization snapshot for unlimited projects/ 50 projects/ 25 projects.
    • Benchmarking one project: Benchmarking one project against the database.
  • It is our experience that the real benefits start accruing to an organization if it adopts the following strategy:
    • Benchmarking entire organization database against industry database once every six months.
    • Establishing trend lines for internal projects and Benchmarking all new projects against internal reference database.

14. How do I avail of the QAI Benchmarking service?

15. How do you maintain the confidentiality of the data supplied?

  • Confidentiality is maintained by QAI by physical and logical isolation of the team handling project data. Clients have the choice of further sanitizing the data by removing project specific contextual information other than that required for analysis.

 

 

  

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Client feedback:

"The recent exercise of benchmarking NIIT 
projects' data against the industry has been 
quite encouraging. …. My sincere thanks for 
the effort.
Would look forward to more associations of 
such kind.." NIIT

"I really appreciate what you have done 
for us. I think the result will help us make 
another breakthrough in Quantitative 
Management…" Bamboo Networks

"…Thanks for the Benchmarking Report, 
we are very excited looking at the results. 
Will definitely get back to you for  further 
benchmarking in future…" Techspan

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