NMX Software Project Planner™

NMX Software Project Planner™ enables software R&D managers to estimate the minimum project staffing necessary to meet schedule and quality requirements. Software Project Planner lays the foundation for reliable planning at the project’s outset—before any lines-of-code (LOC) estimates are available. Moreover, it enables the team to develop the most aggressive—yet achievable—plan. Software Project Planner, part of the NMX-ERP™ software suite used to plan hundreds of sophisticated system-on-chip (SoC), microprocessor, firmware and electronics systems projects worldwide, enables software engineering managers to:

• Measure software complexity
• Produce reliable staffing plans and schedules
• Rapidly create alternative project-plan scenarios
• Benchmark project execution assumptions.

The core technology that underpins Software Project Planner is embedded in engines that calculate the complexity of the software and generate estimates of timeline and staffing required for the project.

Measure Software Complexity

Factors considered when measuring software module complexity include:

• Project scope
• Requirements complexity
• Functional complexity
• Coding complexity, including reuse
• Architectural complexity
• Platform maturity
• Verification complexity.

Quantify Schedule Risk

Software Project Planner gives software engineering managers the ability to benchmark the execution assumptions embedded their project plans. Unrealistically aggressive assumptions translate to enormous schedule risk. The ability to accurately quantify execution assumptions implied in the project plan enables project leaders to set highly competitive—yet achievable—project goals. (Click here to read a case study describing the software’s effectiveness).

Software Project Planner’s approach to measuring complexity, estimating staffing requirements, simulating alternative scenarios and defining risk allows an embedded software development manager to:

• Consistently finish software projects on schedule and within budget while achieving quality targets
• Maximize development productivity
  • Get to market quicker
  • Minimize development cost

• Increase revenue and margin.

Software Project Planner uses design parameters and project constraints to calculate how many resources will be needed for software development so managers plan staffing accurately. The tool’s output (far right) shows the project’s estimated timeline and role-based staffing needed at each stage of the embedded software project, from concept to release.