ABSTRACT
A controlled development and maintenance program is essential for bringing down the cost associated with software development life cycle. The control mechanism can be implemented first by setting up specific goals and then selecting the right set of metrics for measurements against those goals. Goals must be tangible and balanced or they will be too remote to be considered achievable. Intermediate targets are needed for monitoring the progress of the project and making sure it is on the right track. Project data collection and analysis should also be part of the control mechanism.
