QAI offers a wide variety of estimation related consulting services encompassing almost all needs of an IT organization. A client can choose any of the consulting service as appropriate to their needs.

Evaluating Estimation Competency

The competency evaluation starts with a step towards understanding organizational goals specific to Sizing and Estimation value chain. The process is aimed at covering IT domain which includes projects, program, and support and Business operations. Assessment typically provides answers to questions on value and benefits of sizing; current sizing attributes and associated gaps, change management requirements, roadmap for implementation. The process also evaluates the competency of the organization in applying appropriate estimation methods and deriving results that meets the quality and productivity targets set for delivery organization.

Establish Estimation Processes

Assisting an organization in ‘Sizing & Estimation’ related initiatives should be accompanied by a systematic process that builds clarity and consensus within the environment. Typical steps include: Establish objectives for the Initiative, Identify support teams and Leadership, Create a process for Strategic Intervention and support, Review roadmap for gaps in techniques, processes and tools, Define measurement and process Architecture, Select & Design measures and techniques, Build Implementation Plan, Execute Training programs, Calibrate data ,Techniques, tools based on requirements, Finalize Implementation plan.

Point Solutions

1. Need Based Project Estimations: A transaction-oriented service wherein QAI performs estimations based on a customer request. Independent estimations are performed based on the technique used in the organization. Typical techniques include: Detailed Function Point Analysis, Cosmic FFP, Use case based estimations, Fast FPA, Backfiring. Collaboration on the estimations with Project Managers to understand project specific factors and organizational attributes are inbuilt into the service.

2. Estimation Framework Establishment & Calibration: Measurement systems deteriorate in accuracy during use, and data looses integrity over time. To maintain accuracy requires a continuous system of correction and calibration. This service involves assessment of Estimation Techniques and associated data and making the appropriate corrections to bring it within tolerance range so as to act as organizational metrics.

3. Estimation Centre of Excellence E-CoE): Service includes assisting the organizations in setting up an Estimation Competency centre specific to their needs. The long term improvements, which encapsulate all costing, sizing and performance measurement services to provide visible predictability improvements, are addressed by the internal E-CoE.

4. Portfolio Baselining: Managing an application portfolio requires usage of multiple indicators which include: Application support costs (Function points services per Full Time Equivalent), Quality / Complexity of applications, Cost / Unit Size. Measurement of these indicators require systematic sizing of projects/ portfolios. This service helps ascertain the size of the IT portfolio within an accuracy range and creates an infrastructure that can be used to measure performance.