Software Engineering

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4.3 
Complexity control mechanisms
the potential risks to achieving project objectives if the alternative were chosen. 
Understanding the risks with each alternative enables many risks to be avoided.
There are eight fundamental trade-offs that must be considered before making 
any decision to sanction a software requirement or design approach (
Figure 4.7
). 
The trade-offs occur among the primary competing factors that affect software 
development and product success. These trade-offs properly consider development 
project expense as an investment in the product being developed. Time-to-market 
addresses the importance of distributing the product sooner to capture market share 
and establish a customer base. Product performance recognizes that each increment 
of functionality or performance aggravates the work effort, which increases product 
cost and development expense.
It is important to understand the relationship among these product development 
and project characteristics. Development program expense represents the cost to 
develop the software product, while development speed addresses the schedule con-
sideration with product introduction to a market or delivery to a customer. Product 
cost intimates the customer or consumer value for the software product given prod-
uct performance, characteristics, and competitive factors. Product performance 
addresses the functional and performance characteristics provided by the software 
FIGURE 4.7
Fundamental trade-offs during software development.

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