Codermetrics

Taking Metrics Further

In this section I’d like to present a few ideas for how you can take codermetrics further in your organization. These techniques are designed to help you find ways to get more use out of metrics, either by finding new ways to apply them in your processes, or creating new and better metrics, or discovering new and useful insights from the metrics you already have in use.

Create a Codermetrics Council

As you begin using codermetrics, chances are there will be a few “fans” or “boosters” in your organization. These folks, whether they are team leaders or team members, will likely take more of an interest in the ideas, uses, and analysis of the metrics. They might be involved with the initial trials, and they will probably take a role in the data gathering, the calculation, and the storage of metrics. Possibly no one else (or only a few others) in the organization will initially share their interest or see the usefulness of codermetrics. This is a fairly typical way for new ideas to take hold in groups.

Over time, if you integrate metrics into your processes and practices, it is likely that others in the organization will at least gain respect and understanding for metrics. More people will participate— and maybe become fans, too.

At that point, however, it still may be the case that the main responsibility for metrics in the organization rests with a few of the original boosters. Because they were instrumental in starting the use of codermetrics and because they took ...