Re: WEB400 Digest, Vol 8, Issue 40

[Jon Paris <jon.paris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Jan 20, 2010, at 1:00 PM, web400-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> what do you estimate a modernization of, lets say, 500 online 5250
> programs will cost in hours spend ?
>
> you may or may not choose to break it into development platforms PHP  
> vs.
> PHP/Zend - Ruby vs. Ruby on Rails eg.


Too many variables.

Style of code
Size and complexity of programs
Number of databases involved
Degree of MVC currently in play
Tools availability
etc. etc. etc.

I've rarely seen a case where "hours" would be the appropriate measure  
though - days or even man months are more meaningful measurements.  
Don't know what sort of figures Databorough use these days but they do  
these kinds of conversions I believe.

In the days when I used to specialize in application porting (platform  
to platform) we used to use a ballpark figure of one day per on-line  
program plus .5 of a day for each database or batch program. Crazy as  
it sounds, it was actually remarkably accurate in practice. On one  
particular project we were working with another vendor who insisted on  
a formal estimation process. They spent two weeks estimating the  
project before coming up with their numbers. By the time it was all  
completed, their figures were off by 200% and we were within 5%!  
Sometimes just licking your finger an holding it up is every bit as  
accurate as any other method.


Jon Paris

www.Partner400.com
www.SystemiDeveloper.com