Contribution of Productivity Extremes in Estimation

This chapter covers identification of large productivity ranges in datasets, investigation of projects with very low unit effort, investigation of projects with very large unit effort and how to use such information for estimation purposes. It also uses ISBSG repository for the identification of projects which have significantly different productivity behaviors from those of most other projects. Once these projects can be identified, other project variables can be investigated by heuristics to identify candidate explanatory variables that might explain the behaviors of those projects at the extremes of the productivity ranges within similar size intervals. The chapter structures to identify productivity extremes, provides the findings of an analysis of productivity extremes and can be used in the adjustment phase to support decision-making.