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Performance Benchmark Tables
Average Project Performance
The following reference tables provide summary performance data (schedule, effort, staff, quality, and productivity) for typical projects from QSM’s Real Time, Engineering, and software databases. This information provides a high level, quick reference for benchmarking both completed projects and software estimates.
All project data supplied in these tables comes from QSM’s historical database of over 10,000 completed projects. The QSM database is a cornerstone asset utilized in all of our consulting service engagements. It represents the largest and most complete set of validated and completed software project data in the world.
Although this information is provided free of charge to the general public, QSM also offers custom consulting services and a benchmarking service to address specialized research and analysis needs.
Demographics and Descriptive Data
- The data in the tables represents projects completed after the year 2000.
- Duration, effort, and average staff include activities from requirements determination through initial release.
- Mean Time to Defect is determined during the first 30 days of system operation.
- Projects are segregated into groups by primary application type:
- The Business group includes business (IT) systems.
- The Engineering group includes: command & control; system software; telecommunications; scientific; and process control.
- The Real time group includes: avionics; real time; microcode & firmware.
| Group | Size New & Modified SLOC (ESLOC) | Schedule (months) | Effort (Person Months) | Average Staff (FTE) | Mean Time to Defect (Days) | SLOC / PM |
| Business | 1,000 | 4.5 | 6.1 | 1.4 | 8.1 | 163.9 |
| Business | 10,000 | 6.9 | 24.2 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 413.2 |
| Business | 100,000 | 10.1 | 95.1 | 9.4 | 1.5 | 1051.5 |
| Business | 500,000 | 13.5 | 247.3 | 18.3 | 0.9 | 2021.8 |
| Engineering | 1,000 | 4.9 | 10.2 | 2.1 | 7.6 | 98.0 |
| Engineering | 10,000 | 8.7 | 43.5 | 5.0 | 3.1 | 229.9 |
| Engineering | 100,000 | 16.0 | 188.9 | 11.8 | 1.3 | 529.4 |
| Engineering | 500,000 | 24.0 | 530.7 | 22.1 | 0.7 | 942.2 |
| Real Time | 1,000 | 4.6 | 10.2 | 2.2 | 35.1 | 98.0 |
| Real Time | 10,000 | 10.7 | 76.0 | 7.1 | 6.7 | 131.6 |
| Real Time | 100,000 | 25.7 | 570.3 | 22.2 | 1.3 | 175.3 |
| Real Time | 500,000 | 47.9 | 2339.9 | 48.8 | 0.4 | 213.7 |
| Group | Size Function Points | Schedule (months) | Effort (Person Months) | Average Staff (FTE) | Mean Time to Defect (Days) | FP / PM |
| Business | 100 | 6.6 | 18.8 | 2.8 | 6.5 | 5.3 |
| Business | 500 | 8.5 | 48.2 | 5.7 | 2.9 | 10.4 |
| Business | 1,000 | 9.6 | 77.9 | 8.1 | 2.0 | 12.8 |
| Business | 5,000 | 12.7 | 215.4 | 17.0 | 0.9 | 23.2 |
| Business | 10,000 | 14.3 | 328.6 | 23.0 | 0.6 | 30.4 |
