Identification of methods, approaches, and factors in effort estimation for DevOps projects: a systematic literature mapping

Effort estimation (scope - cost - time) plays a significant role in software project management. Reducing the chances of software project failures has been a challenge faced by the scientific community for over 30 years. In this regard, research has focused on proposing methods to enhance the accuracy of effort estimations. Other authors have identified factors impacting effort estimations, while some studies define frameworks, analogies, comparison lists, ontologies, or comparisons among estimation methods, among other strategies, aimed at addressing the issues of overestimation or underestimation of software projects. The DevOps approach is a field that is being explored to develop alternative methods and strategies to tackle this problem. This work conducted a systematic literature review, allowing for the identification of methods, approaches, practices, factors, metrics, and methodologies to enhance software development project estimations within the DevOps context. This study enriches the perspective of an approach that extends the scope of estimations from the development phase to the operational phase, aiming to reduce the disparity between initial estimations and the actual (cost and time) estimations of a software project in DevOps environments.