An approach to schedule estimation and tracking for rapid development projects

The paper deals with schedule estimation for rapid development software projects based on a constructive cost model and fine-grain tracking implemented by miniature milestones. Rapid development environments suitable for small and medium-size new products on open platforms, as well as the products on proprietary platforms achievable with small design changes of the existing software, have been defined. Proposed is a lifecycle combining waterfall model with phase overlapping for early development phases, and incremental build for late development phases. Estimation and tracking models are described. as well as a fuse study of a real project on Internet/WWW/Java platform.