COTS integration and estimation for ERP
HighlightsÂ? A data base was developed from 20 ERP programs implemented in the U.S. Government. Â? The data base provides insight into costs and schedules of the vendor's implementation team. Â? Five validated models for predicting the cost/effort/schedule are discussed. Â? The models should be applicable to commercial implementation of ERP systems. This paper presents a comprehensive set of effort and schedule estimating models for predicting Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementations, available in the open literature. The first set of models uses product size to predict ERP software engineering effort as well as total integration effort. Product size is measured in terms of the number of report, interface, conversion, and extension (RICE) objects configured and customized within the commercial ERP tool. Total integration effort captures software engineering plus systems engineering, program management, change management, development test & evaluation, and training development. The second set of models predicts the duration of ERP implementation stages in terms of RICE objects, staffing, and the number of test cases. The statistical models are based on data collected from 20 programs implemented within the federal government over the course of nine years beginning in 2000. The data was collected during the time period from 2006 to 2010. The models focus on the vendor's implementation team, and therefore should be applicable to commercial ERP implementations. Finally, ERP adopters/customers can use these models to validate Vendor's Implementation Team cost proposals or estimates.