Developing Software Cost Estimation Model for Research and Community Service Dashboard Monitoring Applications

Abstract

Software cost estimation is an important stage in software development planning because inaccurate estimation may lead to inefficient resource allocation and budget management. This study aims to develop a software cost estimation model by integrating the Use Case Points (UCP) and Database Complexity Index (DBCI) methods for a Research and Community Service (RCS) monitoring dashboard based on an Executive Information System (EIS). This study uses a qualitative descriptive approach through system requirement analysis, use case identification, database structure analysis, and software metric calculation. The proposed model combines functional complexity measured using UCP and database complexity measured using DBCI to produce a more comprehensive estimation result. The results show that the developed RCS dashboard has a UCP value of 55.071 and a DBCI value of 246. These values are integrated into the proposed UCPDBCI model, resulting in a value of 301.071. Based on productivity assumptions, the estimated development effort is 6,021.42 working hours. By applying pay rate calculations based on software development roles, the estimated development cost is Rp631,222,722. The proposed model provides an alternative approach for estimating software development costs by considering both functional and database complexity, particularly for dashboard-based information systems in higher education environments.