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An accurate assessment of progress to date. Insight into the quality of the evolving software product. A basis for estimating the cost and schedule for completion with increasing accuracy over time.
Metrics Characteristics
They should be simple, objective, easy to collect, easy to interpret, and hard to misinterpret. Collection can be automated and nonintrusive. Assessment is continuous and nonsubjective.
They are useful to both management and engineering personnel for communicating progress and quality in a consistent format. Their fidelity improves across the life cycle.
Financial and staffing metrics are easy. They always have been easy. The real problem is to measure technical progress with objectivity.
number of source lines of code under configuration management number of change orders closed Number of change orders opened Test hours executed Evaluation criteria met
Staffing Profile
Metric:
percent
attrition. Usually due to personnel dissatisfaction with management, lack of teamwork, or high probability of failure to meet objectives.
Maturity
Average
They are derived from the evolving products, not other artifacts. They provide insight into waste. They are dynamic for an iterative process. Focus is on trends and changes in time. Combination of current value and trends provide tangible indicators for effective management action.
Metrics Classes
Comment on Metrics
Metrics usually display the effects of problems, not the underlying causes of problems. Reasoning and synthesis are required for solution. Although measuring is useful, it doesnt do any thinking for the decision makers.
Value
judgments can not be make by metrics; they must be left to smarter entities such as software project managers.
However, metrics can provide data to help ask the right questions, understand the context, and make objective decisions.
manager (overall values) test manager (status of an upcoming release) Configuration Manager (change traffic) etc.
Progress toward project goals and quality of products must be measurable. The most useful metrics are extracted from the evolving artifacts. Management and quality indicators must be used continuously as project proceeds. Trends and status measures must be used together. Technical progress is the most difficult item to measure.