In Part 1 of this article, I described defect metrics and the behavior patterns that have become evident through scientific research on software projects (see CBR, January 2001).
When a company or department becomes single-mindedly obsessed with time to market, it sometimes acts in risky, self-destructive ways that result in the thing it fears most: blowing the delivery date even more than originally anticipated.
In the field of IT, measures are intended to frame discussions. Often, having the wrong measures, or no measures at all, results in difficult conversations. The substantive issues are clouded when information is sketchy, leading to disputes and fractured negotiations.