Software Development Cost Estimation: Research, Models, and Issues

This report delves into the critical area of software cost estimation, examining the methodologies and challenges faced by software developers. It begins by outlining the research objectives, which include investigating cost estimation fundamentals, analyzing various cost models, and identifying the issues encountered during the process. The report then presents a literature review, highlighting the common problems of cost overruns, schedule slippages, and the associated costs in software development. The research methodology section details the tools and techniques utilized to address these issues. The conclusion summarizes the findings, emphasizing the significant costs associated with software development, including maintenance, developer salaries, testing, and installation expenses, which all contribute to the overall financial burden on companies. The report underscores the importance of effective cost management in software projects.

Research objectives
 To investigate the fundamentals of cost estimation of a software project
 To examine various models available to the software developers to measure their cost of the software
 To discover challenges or issues that is faced by the software developer in accurate cost estimation.
 To recommend the best model for measuring accurate or reliable cost of the new designed software
RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
Research methodology section clearly presents the tools and techniques which have been undertaken by scholar for resolving
the issue. Moreover, in the absence of having suitable methodologies other scholars and concerned authorities face difficulty in
getting information about tools.
Research results
LITERATURE REVIEW Software development projects are very often characterized by severe cost overruns, schedule slippages and poor quality of
deliverables. In order to meet the quality expectations of customers, lot of time and effort is spent by software seller
organizations on fire fighting after the software product is released (attending to failures/ fixing critical bugs etc.) which has a
cost implication. Unfortunately, these costs are not clearly understood. These costs often disappear as the costs of testing, the
general developments costs, or the operating expenses which is misleading.

Conclusion It can be concluded from the study that software development requires huge cost for maintaining the software and thus incurs huge cost by the firm. There are
different types of costs that ate associated with the software management such as maintenance cost, developers cost, testing and installation cost etc. Thus, all such
costs are involved in software development and thus create issue for company in order to manage the software program. After preparing the software, main cost
involves of its maintenance and thus firm, needs to manage the same so that best results can be attained.