Why are Use Case Points (UCP) effective?
Developing estimates for the software development effort is a challenge. Companies often use developer’s best guess or tools that are used late in the lifecycle – when it might be too late to adjust the schedule, budget or other resources Use case points are generated as soon as the use case diagram is known. This occurs very early in the lifecycle. As the team gains more knowledge about the use cases, they can update the estimates. This also occurs very early in the lifecycle. Use case point estimates can indicate a potential problem with the project early on. If the initial estimate exceeds the resources allotted, adjustments can be made to the schedule, budget, resources or project before it’s too late. Resource risks can be identified and mitigated before they get out of control.
