northernscope process

northernSCOPE™ is a proven method for managing contracted software development between customers and suppliers. The method originally was developed in Australia (southernSCOPE). Later it was improved and formalized by the Finnish Software Measurement Association (FiSMA) and named northernSCOPE™..

 

northernSCOPE™ combines contracting unit pricing (cost per function point) with an active control of scope in terms of requirements, budget and timelines.

 

 

 

 

northernSCOPE™ projects show a cost per function point of 35% compared to traditional projects. Large software development projects using northernSCOPE™ show an even better performance of a cost per functionpoint of 22% compared to traditional projects. Software development projects that use the northern- SCOPE™ method have shown a decrease in ICT project cost and schedule overrun to an astounding average of around 3%.
(source: southernSCOPE and northernSCOPE™ research using ISBSG database 2005-2007)

 

 

northernSCOPE is based on unit pricing of software and embraces the following twelve concepts:

  1. Customer driven requirements lead to hiring Certified SCOPE Manager
  2. SCOPE Manager organizes and subdivides "program of work" into standard "projects"
  3. Early functional size estimate of component software projects (as appropriate)
  4. SCOPE manager and customer analyze quality requirements
  5. Customer issues RFP for software and systems development
  6. Customer selects supplier based on agreed upon unit cost per software function point
  7. Requirements specification developed with customer and supplier
  8. SCOPE manager baselines Functional Size of software components and product development commences
  9. Change management done based on unit cost / FP as agreed
  10. SCOPE manager quantifies and reports project progress
  11. Project completed, customer pays based on FP delivered and agreed
  12. Final project experience data collected and stored

 

 

Projects using the northerSCOPE process enjoy many benefits, such as:

  1. No more Lose-Lose fixed price contracts
  2. Flexibility for customers to enable needed changes
  3. Supplier pays for work done controlled by the customer
  4. Both customer and supplier satisfaction increases dramatically with improved communication
  5. The software development process becomes fair for both parties
  6. Project is baselined at completion of requirements, at points of change and again at project end
  7. Lessons-learned are collected in knowledge database