Architecting in a Solution Costing Context: Early Experiences with Solution-Based Estimating

Organizations require cost estimates for delivering and operating software-intensive solutions. One of the factors impacting these costs is the solution's architecture. Applying solution architecting practices helps improve the accuracy of early cost estimating. In CGI, we have started to emphasize the application of architecting practices in cost estimating, and this paper reports on the early experiences of this initiative, which we call Solution-Based Estimating. We present an architectural viewpoint designed to address the costing concern, and report some early feedback from projects that have applied the Solution-Based Estimating approach.