[AccessD] Access Application - per unit cost

I used to explain this to clients via the fence post analogy for 
undiscovered problems.

 A man wanted to install a new fence, to keep his kids from wandering.
He would build the fence himself but to save time he would get a 
contractor to dig the post holes.
The contractor submitted a bid  for digging 10 post holes
but the man wanted it broken down to the unit cost of each post hole
and would pay accordingly. The contractor agreed.
On digging the tenth hole a huge boulder was encountered and the contractor
gave up, after realizing it would take several days to remove the boulder.
So the contractor submitted his bill for 9 post holes, leaving the man
to find a way of removing the boulder.

Just remember that 90% of the job was completed easily but the final 10% 
was going to be a real bear.

Here is a quote from Rebbeca Riordan a longtime Access Developer
"And the number of objects absolutely comes into the estimate for the
fixed-price component.  What I used to do when I was churning out systems
full-time was start with a day per form and two days per report (I'm not
good at reports <g>).  Nothing for tables, since I do the schema as part of
the analysis.  Then to that base, I'd add a modifier -- this is a really
simple form, so figure .04; that's a difficult report, so 1.5, and so 
forth.
Then there's documentation -- if they want user docs, I figure 150% of the
development time.  Clients _hate_ that, but documentation is 
time-consuming,
and ultimately, even if you're working fixed-price, you calculate based on
an hourly rate.  I won't do hands-on training, so I can't speak to that, 
but
I if they want a training guide, it's the same price as the user manual. "

Good bock on the subject
Rapid Development : Taming Wild Software Schedules
by Steve C McConnell

PS. I knew one British Access Developer who used to estimate
by the simple means of 5 pounds per field on a form and used to
come quite close to the actual cost. But then he had a large toolbox
of previously written code.



Barbara Ryan wrote:

>I have been working on an Access application for several years.  My client has asked for a "per unit cost" for the development of this application, although he is unsure what "unit" is most meaningful (e.g., database object, lines of code, etc.).
>
>The database functions vary tremendously in their complexity --- e.g., some reports are very simple while others contain several subreports, and/or output spreadsheets or files.  The database contains lots of VBA code.
>
>Are there any white papers, etc. that address this issue?  In your opinion, what is the best method of computing a "per unit cost"?
>
>Thanks,
>Barb Ryan
>  
>

-- 
Marty Connelly
Victoria, B.C.
Canada