Weighting Actors
Karner's approach begins by weighting actors. The rating is based on whether the actor is ranked as simple, average, or complex.
Simple actors fall into the category introduced in Chapter 1 of this text as external systems. In the case of Remulak Productions, good examples are the interfaces to the accounting system and the credit card system. These types of actors have a well-defined interface and are very predictable as to their reaction to the output the system in question provides or to the input it receives from the interface.
Average actors fall into the category introduced in Chapter 3 as hardware devices or timers. In the case of Remulak Productions, good examples are the timers necessary to kick off given reports and to create the interface to the accounting system. Although these actors are predictable, they require more effort to control and are usually more prone to errors than simple actors are.
Complex actors fall into the category introduced in Chapter 3 as humans. The majority of actors in Remulak Productions are good examples, including the customer service clerk, the supplier, and the billing clerk. These types of actors are the most difficult to control and are totally unpredictable. Although a graphical user interface or even a text-based interface can enforce edits and controls, more complexity is involved with unknown actors that maintain their free will, doing as they please.
For Remulak Productions, we rate the actors involved as follows:
| Type of Actor | Description | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | External systems | 1 |
| Average | Hardware or timers | 2 |
| Complex | Humans | 3 |
Table C-1 is the table used to apply the actor weighting factor as input to the estimating process.
Using the factors outlined in Table C-1 to weight Remulak's actors, we can deduce the following about Remulak Productions:
2 Simple × 1 = 2
1 Average × 2 = 2
8 Complex × 3 = 24
The result is an actor weight of 28 (2 + 2 + 24).