Using the ISO 19761 COSMIC Measurement Standard to Reduce “Information Asymmetry” in Software Development Contracts and Enable Greater Competitiveness

Francisco Valdés  Souto; Alain  Abran

doi:10.4236/ti.2013.44031

TI Vol.4 No.4 , November 2013

Using the ISO 19761 COSMIC Measurement Standard to Reduce “Information Asymmetry” in Software Development Contracts and Enable Greater Competitiveness

Francisco Valdés Souto, Alain Abran

Abstract: In most economic transactions involving software development projects, differences in the amount and quality of information possessed by economic agents (i.e. producers and customers) can lead to significant market inefficiencies. This paper describes the way the information derived from the functional size of software measured using the ISO 19761 COSMIC measurement standard that can help reduce information asymmetry in software development transactions, and lead to increased competitiveness in the software industry.

Keywords: Software Projects; COSMIC; Information Asymmetry; ISO 19761; Software Industry Competitiveness; Software Characterization; Software Facts

Cite this paper: F. Souto and A. Abran, "Using the ISO 19761 COSMIC Measurement Standard to Reduce “Information Asymmetry” in Software Development Contracts and Enable Greater Competitiveness," Technology and Investment, Vol. 4 No. 4, 2013, pp. 261-268. doi: 10.4236/ti.2013.44031.

References

[1] V. J. Tellez, “Derecho Informático,” 4th Edition, McGraw Hill, México, 2009.

[2] R. M. A. Davara, “Manual de Derecho Informático,” Décima Edición, Thomson Aranzadi, 2008.

[3] M. L. Katz and H. S. Rosen, “Microeconomics,” Irwin McGraw-Hill, Boston, 1998.

[4] K. Lofgren, T. Prsson and J. W. Weibull, “Markets with Asymmetric Information: The Contributions of George Akerlof, Michael Spence and Joseph Stiglitz,” The Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Vol. 104, No. 2, 2002, pp. 195-211. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-9442.00280

[5] G. A. Akerlof, “The Market for ‘Lemons’: Quality Uncertainty and the Market Mechanism,” The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 84, No. 3, 1970, pp. 488-500.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1879431

[6] M. Rothschield and J. Stiglitz, “Equilibrium in Competitive Insurance Markets: An Essay on the Economics of Imperfect Information,” The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 90, No. 4, 1976, pp. 629-649.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1885326

[7] M. Spence, “Job Market Signaling,” The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 87, No. 3, 1973, pp. 355-374.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1882010

[8] V. H. Ronald, “Microeconomía Intermedia,” 4th Edition, Un Enfoque Actual, Spain, 2007.

[9] B. D. Ordonez, “La Economía y las Normas,” NYCE, 2007.

[10] A. Abran, K. T. Al-Sarayreh and J. J. Cuadrado-Gallego, “A Standards-Based Reference Framework for System Portability Requirements,” Computer Standards and Interfaces Journal, Vol. 35, No. 4, 2013, pp. 380-395.

[11] ISO, “Information Technology—Software Measurement— Functional Size Measurement,” ISO/IEC 14143-1, 1997.

[12] L. Santillo and C. Grande, “Breve Storia della Misurazione del Software,” GUFPI-ISMA, Newsletter, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2006.

[13] A. J. Albrecht, “Measuring Application Development Productivity,” IBM Application Development Symposium, GUIDE Int and Share Inc., IBM Corp., Monterrey, 14-17 October 1979, p. 83.

[14] T. C. Jones, “The SPR Feature Point Method,” Software Productivity Research Inc., 1986.

[15] C. R. Symons, “Function Point Analysis: Difficulties and Improvements,” IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, Vol. 14, No. 1, 1988, pp. 2-11.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/32.4618

[16] A. Abran, “Software Metrics and Software Metrology,” John Wiley & Sons Interscience and IEEE-CS Press, New Jersey, 2010, p. 328.

[17] COSMIC Core Team Authors, “Measurement Manual, the COSMIC Implementation Guide for ISO/IEC 19761: 2003,” The Common Software Measurement International Consortium (COSMIC), May 2009.

[18] Standish Group International, CHAOS Summary 2009, Coll. Research Reports, The Standish Group International, Inc.

[19] K. Emam and A. G. Koru, “A Replicated Survey of IT Software Project Failures,” IEEE Software, Vol. 25, No. 5, 2008, pp. 84-90.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/MS.2008.107

[20] F. V. Souto, “Midiendo la Calidad del Software,” Software Gurú, No. 40, 2013, pp. 38-39.

[21] F. Valdés, “Design of a Fuzzy Logic Software Estimation Process,” Ph.D. Thesis, école de Technologie Supérieure, Université Du Québec, Montreal, 2011.