Determination of functional domains for use with functional size measurement-opportunities to classify software from a business perspective

Functional size measurement (FSM) is the focus of ISO/IEC Project 14143. This project has five parts, ranging from the recently published Part 1 (“Concepts of FSM”) to Part 5 (“Determination of Functional Domains for Use with FSM”), which is in development as a Technical Report Type 2 (TR2). This paper outlines the basic principles of FSM and why the functional domain concept has been seen as important to the overall project success. It covers the rationale behind this sub-project, its relevance to the software engineering world and how the functional domain topic extends far beyond the realm of simple FSM. The paper profiles the state of the software industry today and how the classifications of software in modern literature are insufficient for the needs of FSM. The current state of this TR2-in-progress is also presented, together with the various opinions of the international community involved in its development