Version: 2.1
Publication date: 2004
140 pages
ISBN: 978-90-76258-19-5

The NESMA issued the first version of its manual Definitions And Counting Guidelines For The Application Of Function Point Analysis (NESMA CPM 1.0) in 1990. The manual assumed the principles of the IFPUG Counting Practices Manual, but gave more concrete guidelines, hints and examples.

Version 2.0 of the NESMA CPM was released in 1996. The new version contained even more guidelines, hints and example on complex counting issues. The manual is very popular. Every year about 1000 copies are sold.

From the international contacts which the organization maintains, it seems that the NESMA counting guidelines for applying function point analysis (FPA) are being used more and more and are becoming prominent in Europe, alongside the IFPUG guidelines. The NESMA has therefore translated this book into English. It is an exact translation of the Dutch text, using the same FPA terminology maintained by the IFPUG. It has been certified by ISO in 2003.

The manual is meant for everyone who performs function point counts; i.e., both for people who count according to the NESMA rules and for those who use the IFPUG rules. The NESMA and IFPUG guidelines (as described in NESMA CPM 2.1 and IFPUG CPM 4.2) are practically the same.

For FPA counters using the IFPUG rules, the NESMA manual can be a valuable supplement to the IFPUG manual. The NESMA manual, after all, contains many additional concrete operational guidelines and hints, and examples on complex counting issues, for which the IFPUG CPM 4.2 (2004) does not provide concrete guidance. That’s why the manual can be of value to every FPA counter. These additional hints and guidelines are compliant with the FPA guidelines described in the IFPUG Counting Practices Manual; they tend to clarify or interpret them.

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