Embracing Metrics

by Michael C. Mah, Senior Consultant, Cutter Consortium

Today, we have new knowledge about software measurement. Because it's an emerging discipline, we know more about it today than ever before. The emergence of the Internet and Web-based development has had significant impact. During the Y2K transition, additional patterns arose. A major economic downturn, agile methods, and application development and management outsourcing brought other dynamics. Today, software measurement operates in a new context, and its purposes should be reframed accordingly. Times have changed; so should measurement.

We'll frame the topic in this new context. Modern software managers need several new skills in their toolkits. In many ways, managers are at the forefront of business transformations that are becoming increasingly faster. They now need information quicker than before to make high-stakes decisions that must be based on reliable information. In short, they must be smart and agile to keep up with the rate of change in the information age.

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.

-- Albert Einstein

Purposes of Measurement

Notwithstanding the dramatic volatility of recent economic cycles, it's an exciting time to be in the technology field. We are participants in the third major wave of dramatic social change brought about first by the agricultural revolution, then the Industrial Revolution, and now the information revolution. We are taking part in the creation of a global digital nervous system, at the heart of which are software and IT.

At the same time, many of today's organizations suffer from an incredible diseconomy of energy. The fast pace of transformation has given rise to an epidemic amount of conflict. In IT organizations, friction from conflict saps energy, destroys creativity, and causes an organization to lose its compass and sense of direction.

That said, here are some of the primary objectives that a good metrics program should accomplish:

• Decision-making agility

• Creation of an economy of energy

• Effective negotiation and conflict resolution, which facilitates the ongoing three-way conversation of developers, users, and management

• Incentivizing of healthy behavior

• Creation of a learning organization

• Enabling of the early detection of potential problems

Decision-Making Agility

A good metrics framework enables a manager to react with speed and agility, contrary to the myth that collecting measures is a burdensome overhead activity. In fact, without information derived from measures, management lacks important answers to questions on the state of past, current, or future projects. This places a huge burden on an organization because of bad and/or paralyzed decision making, resulting in management dysfunction.

When managers can't provide reliable answers to questions about project estimates, the productivity of recently completed projects, or whether an existing project will make its deadline, a company suffers from an inefficiency created by crippled decision making. Often, this situation results in de facto decisions, which are made regardless of reliable information that would produce correct decisions. Countless people must be consulted. When a particular decision is flawed, decisions are remade or must be undone.

In short, without metrics, there's a lot of wasted energy.

I welcome your comments on this issue of the Cutter Edge and encourage you to send your insights on the market in general to me at mmah@cutter.com.

-- Michael C. Mah, Senior Consultant, Cutter Consortium