Codermetrics

Chapter 6. Value Metrics

I don’t pay attention to measuring sticks until we get to the end.

—Bill Polian, NFL General Manager, 6-time NFL Executive of the Year

The final set of metrics described in this book are the Value Metrics. These rely on the metrics presented in the previous chapters. I call them Value Metrics because they are meant to help identify the specific type of value that each coder brings to the team. Using the Skill Metrics and the Response Metrics, this section defines measurements that highlight how the skills add up to specific strengths, and how you can measure coder contributions in terms of team achievements. In most cases, these metrics are mainly useful after software projects are done and the software is released—and in some cases, many months after release so that complete data is accumulated.

It’s important to note upfront that there are many different types of Value that a coder can have for a team and an organization. One type of Value is not necessarily better than another. What’s important is to begin to determine the mix of Skills and Values that you see on successful software development teams, to help you identify the complementary Skills and Values that might be added to teams for better results. The Value Metrics are meant to provide you a high-level view of individuals on a team, so that you can better assess the mix of skills and contributions and more easily identify the patterns of success or the key weaknesses on existing teams. Various examples ...