Function Point Counting Tool

While the benefits of function point counting are well understood, so are their many drawbacks. For instance, to deploy function point counting effectively, organizations must train staff or hire specialty consulting firms and, until recently, function point counting had been a manual, time intensive process which therefore limited its application in today's high-paced, tightly budgeted environments.

However, advances in software tools make it possible to automatically count function points through the use of structural and architectural analysis of source code. Automating this valuable metric reduces the barrier for enterprises that have been reluctant to invest in manual functional sizing and enables enterprise wide adoption.

What Are the Benefits of Automated Counting and Analysis?

Automated function point counting tools help organizations increase quality, decrease risk, and limit the amount of effort required to manage programs. These tools reduce the need to dedicate vast time and resources to manual counting and code review efforts. Counting massive multi-tier applications or poorly documented legacy systems is hard enough. Locating hard-to-find vulnerabilities in these complex systems is cumbersome as well. Automated function point counting through the use of static and architectural analysis improves both these important process in less time with more consistency.

• Objective Assessment of Team Productivity - By sizing an application based on end-user requirements, organizations are capable of assessing individual or team productivity from the derived functionality count. For example, if Developer A completes five requirements for an application enhancement and Developer B completes two, an organization can determine effort based on the complexity of each finished requirement. Function point counting tools are also beneficial for assessing quality based on architecture standards.
• Application Count - Measure an existing application to establish a baseline of application size, complexity, and quality.
• Application Recount - Measure an existing application to determine changes to applications size, complexity, and quality versus its baseline. Usually done annually.
• Portfolio Baseline - Measure applications within an IT portfolio to establish a baseline of application size, complexity, and quality.
• Portfolio Re-baseline - Measure existing application to determine changes to applications size, complexity, and quality versus its baseline.

What Makes CAST Application Intelligence Platform (AIP) Unique?

AIP is an enterprise static and architectural analysis solution that derives function points based on its analysis of complex applications consisting of multiple tiers and technologies. Manual code reviews are not as quick or reliable in finding defects or vulnerabilities between application layers or issues with architecture standard conformance. AIP allows your organization to monitor developer or vendor effort and quality to ensure a sound program is delivered. Built-in vulnerability detection makes certain compliance or security issues are detected prior to release or implementation. If your organization desires an automated function point counting tool with the capability to keep up to speed with a constantly changing complex IT environment, AIP is the best option for monitoring source code and improvement efforts.