Software Cost Option Strategy Tool (S-COST)

The process of resolving cost-requirements conflicts is difficult because of incompatibilities among stakeholders' interests and priorities, complex cost requirements dependencies, and an exponentially increasing option space for larger systems. The paper describes an exploratory knowledge-based tool,the Software Cost Option Strategy Tool (S-COST), for assisting stakeholders to surface appropriate cost resolution options, to visualize the options, and to negotiate a mutually satisfactory balance of requirements and cost. S-COST operates in the context of the USC-CSE WinWin system (a groupware support system for determining software and system requirements as negotiated win conditions), QARCC (a support system for identifying conflicts in quality requirements), and COCOMO (constructive cost estimation model). Initial analyses of its capabilities indicate that its semiautomated approach provides users with improved capabilities for addressing cost-requirements issues.