Taxonomy of metrics for effectively estimating quantum software projects: A fuzzy-AHP based analysis

Quantum computing represents a revolutionary shift in computing, yet developing quantum software is significantly more complex than traditional software engineering. Existing research provides limited guidance on estimating costs, development efforts, and timelines within this emerging paradigm. This lack of guidance leaves a critical gap for software organizations aiming to manage quantum projects effectively. To address this gap, the proposed study investigates the key metrics influencing estimation in quantum software development. Through a comprehensive literature review, we identified 13 critical metrics categorized into four groups: technical complexity, resource availability, team expertise, and project environment. In the next phase, a survey-based empirical study was conducted to validate the identified metrics and their categories. Additionally, we applied the fuzzy-AHP method to determine the relative significance of each metric. Our results culminate in a prioritized taxonomical framework that provides a structured approach for managing quantum software development estimations. The findings suggest that adopting the proposed framework can significantly enhance overall project management within the quantum software engineering domain.