Analysis of software quality cost modeling’s industrial applicability with focus on defect estimation

The majority of software quality cost models is by design capable of describing costs retrospectively but relies on defect estimation in order to provide a cost forecast. We identify two major approaches to defect estimation and evaluate them in a large scale industrial software development project with special focus on applicability in quality cost models. Our studies show that neither static models based on code metrics nor dynamic software reliability growth models are suitable for an industrial application.