Software Project Management: Resources Prediction and Estimation Utilizing Unsupervised Machine Learning Algorithm

Software project effort estimation is a major process in software development cycle. This process helps in decision making in resource allocation and distribution. In this work, a new effort estimation clustering method based on estimation maximization soft-clustering unsupervised machine learning algorithm is proposed. This model classifies any software project into one of four categories. An enterprise will accept to develop a software project if this project is clustered into a class that requires resources equal or less than the enterprises resources. The new model helps in decision making process in one hand and helps consumers in assigning projects to a developing enterprise in the other hand. COCOMO dataset has been used to implement, deploy and test the model. The propose model has been compared with K-means algorithm to show the differences between soft and hard clustering. The paper results show that soft-clustering has the ability to estimate efforts like any supervised machine learning algorithms.