How do I measure software engineers?

Freedom KPIs

You have bold objectives and a believable plan. You are tracking progress, and people are working hard. However, are you monitoring the right indicators to monitor developer productivity?

On an airplane dashboard, little space is allocated to display how you are tracking on the flight path and the estimated time of arrival. Most sensors and gauges are instead assessing the plane's health and its ability to fly.

As a pilot, you process data that allows you to stay within a safe performance envelope. You want to know if things are currently going well and minimize the risks of putting yourself in trouble.

That's how you should measure software engineers. How they work should be your immediate concern instead of focussing on the delivery calendar.

Make sure they:

- Keep your application in excellent condition by using sound engineering principles.

- Ensure top quality by investing in automated testing.

- Deploy new releases frequently in a repeatable fashion.

- Select technology and architectures that allow them to move fast and keep costs down.

- React smoothly to operational changes.

- Adapt quickly to new goals.

Wishing for a safe arrival does not make it so. Invest in a talented team and measure its ability to deliver.

A successful project awaits you.