Cost per Function Point Calculator
Express what a delivery cost in money per unit of functional size.
What this calculator does
A straight unit cost over IFPUG functional size. The cost is whatever the organisation entered; no rate or cost baseline is supplied.
Inputs and what they mean
- Currency
- — Amounts are shown in the currency you pick. No exchange rate is applied..
- Total project cost
- — number value.
- Function points delivered
- — number value.
How to use it
- Enter your own figures — the calculator never fills in a rate, price or benchmark for you.
- Press Calculate to see the result.
- Read the formula, variables, assumptions and source below the result before you rely on it.
Formula
Cost per function point = Total project cost ÷ Function points delivered
Worked example
$540,000 for 480 function points
The cost is whatever your project actually cost; nothing is assumed about it.
Reading the result
The headline figure is the main answer. Any breakdown underneath shows the parts that make it up, so you can check the working and see what changes when you adjust an input.
Limitations and assumptions
Results depend entirely on the figures you enter and are rounded for display. They are for general information and education, not professional advice.
Reference: International Function Point Users Group — Function Point Counting Practices
Last reviewed:
Common questions
Formula, source and verification
Total cost is divided by counted functional size to give a unit cost independent of language and team.
The question it answers: What did each unit of delivered functionality cost us?
The formula
Cost per function point = Total project cost ÷ Function points delivered
- C — Total project cost
- (currency). Everything the project cost, as the organisation accounts for it.
- FP — Function points delivered
- (FP). Unadjusted function points counted for the delivered software.
Units: Currency; function points; currency per function point.
What kind of calculation this is
Deterministic formula. The same inputs always give the same answer. The maths is fixed and does not depend on judgement.
Method
A straight unit cost over IFPUG functional size. The cost is whatever the organisation entered; no rate or cost baseline is supplied.
Assumptions built into the result
- Mathematical: The cost entered covers the same scope as the counted function points.
Figures this calculator will never guess for you
- No industry delivery rate, productivity figure, defect rate or cost per line is inserted.
- No optional component is filled in on the user's behalf.
Limitations
- A unit cost, not a price.
- Comparable only across projects costed and counted the same way.
Source and version
- Standard or reference
- Function point analysis — delivery rate measures — International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG, Function Point Counting Practices Manual — functional size is counted independently of technology, and delivery rate is effort per unit of functional size.)
- Published source
- International Function Point Users Group — CPM 4.3.1 family
- Formula version
- Version 1
- Verification
- Reviewed against the cited source on
- How much weight the source carries
- Standards or government
- Applies to
- Currency
- Amounts stay in the currency you choose; no exchange rate is applied.
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