Codermetrics

Useful Data

Later chapters of this book will cover a variety of specific codermetrics. Some of these will be fairly simple, based on atomic data elements such as production bugs, and some will be more complex, based on formulas leveraging and combining multiple elements of data.

Before I delve into specific metrics, however, you might consider all the types of data you could use for coders, and think about the data that might be useful or not. You want to think broadly and contemplate new and interesting data elements that could make for more meaningful metrics. You can also think about how to identify data that would measure how coders and software teams are doing relative to team and organization goals.

Below is a list of example data that I have found to be useful and that will be discussed more in later sections. This list is just meant to be illustrative and, as such, describes the type or category of information, not the specific numeric data (such as counts or averages) that will be discussed later:

• How long a coder has been part of a team

• Size, growth, and contraction of a team

• Tasks completed by a coder, categorized by complexity

• Tasks where coders worked together, or where one coder helped another

• Tasks that had extreme urgency, such as fixing severe production issues

• Tasks where a coder demonstrated exceptional creativity, innovation, or initiative

• Tasks that were delayed, failed, or cancelled

• Projects, products, and product areas a coder worked on

• Time spent on tasks

• Time in meetings ...