Measuring Software Teams
Since the beginning of software, managers have dreamed of having a development team operating at maximum efficiency. The problem is that software is a very risky business with seemingly large swings in productivity. Unlike manufacturing, the act of measuring progress is often difficult.
For example, do you know who your best developers are? Who is being over or underpaid? Who is not pulling their weight or who is causing more work for others on the team? Many managers assume they have these answers only later to discover they were wrong.
Instead of making assumptions, one must measure the team’s results. Often, measuring a team’s effectiveness provides surprising insights. For one, the most effective developer may not be the highest paid expert. Many discover that the mid-level developers are the most important contributors to the team. Sometimes, the least experienced members are out performing the senior developers.
To determine these facts, an effective measurement must be made. It can be done simply at first then improved upon incrementally over time or almost instantly through various software tools. Regardless of the method, the process of taking measurements results in positive changes to development processes.
