At the end of September, we travelled to Seoul to take part in ISMA 2025, the annual conference organised by IFPUG (International Function Point Users Group), held in Asia for the first time in decades in collaboration with KOSMA (Korean Software Measurement Association).
This year’s theme, “Beyond Limits: Unlocking IT Power with Smart Metrics,” set the tone for an event that brought together more than 300 measurement experts and IT leaders from both the public and private sectors, in person and online. They discussed how metrics are becoming essential to ensuring transparency and productivity in artificial intelligence (AI) projects.
Metrics for the AI Era
The conference opened with the keynote by Roopali Anand Thapar, President of IFPUG:
“Estimating AI Agents Using Function Point Analysis (FPA).” “AI without metrics is like driving without a dashboard. FPA gives us visibility, helps us anticipate, and enables better decision-making,” emphasised Thapar during her presentation on how Function Point Analysis can be used to estimate intelligent agents, making AI projects more measurable and controllable.
One of the most talked-about sessions was delivered by our colleague Saurabh Saxena, Vice President of IFPUG and Director of Functional Sizing Standards at LedaMC. His presentation, “Functional Measurement – AI Chatbot,” highlighted the importance of structured and objective measurement in AI-driven applications, particularly in chatbots based on NLP and machine learning, where assessing effort and functionality can be complex. Saurabh presented a step-by-step framework for sizing chatbot functionalities, demonstrating how Function Point Analysis ensures predictability, transparency, and cost control in AI solutions increasingly adopted by companies for customer service and automation.
Attendees also had the opportunity to explore Quanter’s capabilities, as event sponsor, through the session by Julián Gómez, Chief Digital & AI Officer at LedaMC and Quanter. Julián showed how AI can act as a companion throughout every stage of a project to improve quality and accelerate delivery, without losing control over scope: from writing requirements and estimating effort and cost, to automatically generating test cases.
The KOSMA delegation showcased several use cases demonstrating how South Korea has institutionalised functional measurement across the public sector. These included IT audits, functional sizing of projects, and the use of software repositories for development and operations.
“Function Points are not just numbers; they represent public trust transformed into smart contracts,” stated Bonghyun Jo.
The closing session, led by Yong-goo Lee, stressed the importance of incorporating the voice and experience of the end user into software measurement, a key factor in the success of AI-driven products.
These sessions once again demonstrated how measurement standards play a crucial role in improving governance, transparency, and efficiency across both public and private initiatives. ISMA 2025 reaffirmed that structured measurement using functional and non-functional metrics remains vital for AI projects, enabling accurate estimates, reliable decision-making, and measurable, comparable results.
Committed to the ISMA Conference
For LedaMC and Quanter, participating in ISMA 2025 was an opportunity to share knowledge with international experts, learn from their experiences, and showcase how we apply measurement practices to real-world AI projects.
An event that reinforces our commitment to innovation and excellence, values we translate into practical methods that enhance software development. Through these practices, we continue to guide our clients in adopting international standards that help them improve their processes and achieve greater maturity in software measurement and governance.
Many special thanks to IFPUG and KOSMA for organizing this event! We look forward to seeing you at the next edition.
