Software Metrics Best Practices
Do you know the most effective measurements and metrics for software organizations such as yours? How do the metrics your organization uses compare to your peers? We are conducting our second annual study on metrics usage by software organizations. Your participation will take only a few minutes, and will entitle you to receive the results of the study - BEFORE they are published. In 1997 more than 100 organizations worldwide participated, and the results were published in Software QA Magazine (see http://www.sqe.com/single/qamag.html ). Please take a moment to complete the following brief survey, and e-mail it back to me directly at pkulik@klci.com. I will e-mail you a copy of the report as soon as it is available. Thank you in advance. Peter Kulik KLCI, Inc. pkulik@klci.com http://www.klci.com/accelerate FAX 937-291-1944 (Note: your return e-mail address will not be sold, or subjected to spam as a result of your participation! All individual feedback will be kept strictly confidential.) 1. How important are measurements/metrics to your software development activities (please mark the appropriate line)? __ 0 - take no measurements __ 1 - minimal or no importance __ 2 __ 3 - average importance; one of several factors __ 4 __ 5 - extremely important; an integral part of development Comments (optional): 2. Which of the following quality measurements/metrics do you currently use (please mark all that apply)? __ Fault density (errors per lines of code or function pnts) __ Test coverage % __ Mean time to failure __ Fault arrival and close rates __ System operational availability __ Fault severity distribution __ Cumulative failure profile __ Lines of code __ Function points __ Cyclomatic complexity __ Schedule metrics (% of tasks on time, % late) __ Schedule contingency __ Overall project risk % __ Time to market __ Requirements metrics (completeness, stability) __ Planning completeness __ Resource adequacy (staffing, funding, etc.) __ Teaming effectiveness __ Schedule, quality, and cost tradeoffs __ Other - Explain: 3. Why did you choose the measurements/metrics selected in question 2 (please mark all that apply)? __ Historical reasons __ Dictated by management or "corporate" processes __ Easy to implement __ Understood by software developers __ Understood by management __ Predictive of customer experience __ Provide insight into project activities __ Can be consistently measured across multiple projects __ Other - Explain: 4. In your opinion, what constitutes a MINIMUM set of essential metrics to manage software projects - i.e. those metrics you "could not live without" (please mark all that apply)? __ Fault density (errors per lines of code or function pnts) __ Test coverage % __ Mean time to failure __ Fault arrival and close rates __ System operational availability __ Fault severity distribution __ Cumulative failure profile __ Lines of code __ Function points __ Cyclomatic complexity __ Schedule metrics (% of tasks on time, % late) __ Schedule contingency __ Overall project risk % __ Time to market __ Requirements metrics (completeness, stability) __ Planning completeness __ Resource adequacy (staffing, funding, etc.) __ Teaming effectiveness __ Schedule, quality, and cost tradeoffs __ Other - Explain: 5. What are the TOP THREE improvements would you be interested in making in the measurements/metrics you gather for software projects (please mark THREE items only)? __ Increase impact on project execution __ Better understand and manage software development process __ Cover more phases of project execution __ Make more achievable project commitments __ Measure "leading indicators" to project results __ Identify overall project strengths and risk areas __ Measure and track improvement project execution __ Provide "early warning" of problems __ Eliminate root causes of problems __ Measure teaming effectiveness and impact __ No interest in changing metrics __ Other - Explain: 6. In your organization, who decides what software metrics are measured (please mark the one or two rows most applicable)? __ Individual software developers __ Corporate staff organization __ QA organization __ Individual project managers __ Software development managers __ Senior technical managers __ Executive managers __ Other: (explain) 7. In your organization, who keeps (measures and analyzes) software metrics (please mark the one or two rows most applicable)? __ Individual software developers __ Corporate staff organization __ QA organization __ Individual project managers __ Software development managers __ Senior technical managers __ Executive managers __ Other: (explain) 8. Demographics Is your organization a (please mark the row which applies): __ Government agency __ Government contractor (develop for government agencies) __ Commercial (develop for other businesses or consumers) __ MIS/IT Group (develop for internal usage) Which of the following best describes your position (please mark the row which applies): __ Software developer or tester (actually get work done!) __ Project lead (supervise software developers or testers) __ Manager (supervise project leads) __ Senior Manager (supervise managers) __ Executive (such as VP, Managing Partner, etc.) How many software developers are in your organization (please mark the row which applies)? __ 1 to 5 __ 6 to 15 __ 16 to 30 __ 31 to 50 __ 51 to 100 __ 101 or more How many projects does your organization typically complete in one year (please mark the row which applies)? __ 0 to 1 __ 2 to 5 __ 6 to 10 __ 11 to 20 __ 21 to 40 __ 41 or more What type of software does your organization develop (please mark all which apply)? __ Mainframe __ Client-Server __ PC __ Internet/Intranet __ Other - explain: Where is your primary development site located (please mark the row which applies)? __ Australia __ Canada __ France __ Germany __ India __ Japan __ UK __ US __ Other - identify country: Thank you and regards! Peter Kulik KLCI, Inc. 1408 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd. Dayton, OH 45459 888-664-0484 (+1-937-433-5502) pkulik@klci.com http://www.klci.com/accelerate FAX 937-291-1944 -----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==---------- http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own