about the book

When driving a car, you are less likely to speed, run out of gas, or suffer engine failure because of the measurements the car reports to you about its condition. Development teams, too, are less likely to fail if they are measuring the parameters that matter to the success of their projects. This book shows you how.

Software Development Metrics teaches you how to gather, analyze, and effectively use the metrics that define your organizational structure, process models, and development methods. The insights and examples in this book are based entirely on field experience. You'll learn practical techniques like building tools to track key metrics and developing data-based early warning systems. Along the way, you'll learn which metrics align with different development practices, including traditional and adaptive methods.

what's inside

• Identify the metrics most valuable for your team and process
• Differentiate "improvement" from "change"
• Learn to interpret and apply the data you gather
• Common pitfalls and anti-patterns

about the reader

No formal experience with developing or applying metrics is assumed.

about the author

Dave Nicolette is an organizational transformation consultant, team coach, and trainer. Dave is active in the agile and lean software communities.