FUNCTION POINTS IN SSADM

A set of explicit counting rules for the use of function point analysis in SSADM v4 is presented, motivated by the need for an unambiguous, objective, and inexpensive measure of system size during the development process. Unadjusted MKII function points can be derived from the requirements specification (RS) phase of SSADM; it is argued that the 'complexity adjustment' factor of the standard function point method can be safely omitted. A prescriptive approach is taken, resulting in a repeatable and objective counting technique that may be automated. The application of the counting rules to other SSADM phases is considered. It is concluded that application to requirements analysis (RA) is possible but reduces the objectivity of the proposed method; application to logical system specification (LS) requires only minor extensions to the counting rules; and that the project-specific nature of physical design (PD) makes it unsuitable for application of such a general, prescriptive technique. There are no results of application or validation of the technique. The method can operate satisfactorily from existing project documentation and may be embedded in tools which generate such documentation. It satisfies the need for an explicit set of objective counting rules for MkII function points for the widely used SSADM environment.