Cost estimating is a powerful tool in industry and business. Anyone involved in cost estimating will find this book extremely useful because of the real life examples, which mean they can use the information in real situations immediately.

Foussier is one of the most experienced cost estimators in Europe

Part 1: Overview.- The Characteristics of a Distribution.- Standard Distributions.- Part 2: Dealing with One Variable Only.- Dealing with Two Variables.- Dealing with Several Quantitative Variables.- Working with Qualitative Variables.- Part 3:-Defining the Distance Between Two Values: Choosing a Metric.- Using the Differences.- Using the First Type of Ratio.- Using the Second Type of Ratio.- Using the Log of the Ratio.- Using the Biweight.- Conclusion.- Part 4: Using One Parameter.- Using Several Quantitative Parameters.- A Particular Case: The 'Ridge' Regression.- Part 5: Introduction.- Defining the Variables.- Part 6: Linearisable Relationships.- Non-linearisable Relationships.- Part 7: Introduction.- The Classical Approach: The Additive Residuals.- The Classical Approach: The Multiplicative Residuals.- The Modern Approach.- Part 8: The Principles.- The Case of One Variable.- The Case of Two Variables.- P Quantitative Variables.- Using Qualitative Parameters.- Part 9: Why Should We Build a Specific Model?.- How Many Variables?.- What Kind of Formula?.- Selecting the Metric.- Quantifying the Quality of the Formula