Metrics Engineering

Definition

Metrics Engineering

the activity consisting of the cohesive collection of all tasks that primarily deal with the metrics that are used on an endeavor

Goals

The typical goals of metrics engineering are to:

• Enable efficient management and development by basing them on the measurement of relevant actual data.

Objectives

The typical objectives of metrics engineering are to:

• Ensure that essential metrics are properly collected, analyzed, and reported.
• Ensure that the use of metrics is cost-effective.
• Minimize the disruption that can be caused by the collection and reporting of metrics.
• Ensure the accuracy of the resulting estimates of endeavor:
  • Effort, progress, and productivity.
  • Work product size and quality.

Examples

Examples of metrics engineering include the collection, analysis, and reporting of:

• Effort metrics (e.g., to estimate how many person days are required to complete a project).
• Progress metrics (e.g., to track how many use case paths have passed functional testing).
• Productivity metrics (e.g., to track how many use case paths or classes are implemented per person-month).
• Work product size metrics (e.g., to estimate how big an application is in terms of use case paths or classes).
• Work product quality metrics (e.g., to estimate the quality of an individual class or package of collaborating classes).
• Usage metrics (e.g., transactions in a transaction processing system, hits to a website).

Preconditions

Metrics engineering typically may begin when the following preconditions hold:

• The endeavor is started.
• The metrics team is initially staffed and adequately trained in metrics engineering.

Completion Criteria

Metrics engineering is typically complete when the following postconditions hold:

• The endeavor is completed.

Tasks

Metrics engineering typically consists of the following teams performing the following tasks:

• Metrics Team, which performs aspects of:
  • Metrics Needs Assessment
  • Metrics Planning
  • Metrics Collection
  • Metrics Analysis
  • Metrics Reporting

Environments

Metrics engineering is typically performed using the following environment(s) and associated tools:

• Development Environment:
  • Documentation Tools
  • Metrics Tools

Work Products

Metrics engineering typically results in the production of the following work products:

• Metrics Set:
  • Metrics Needs Assessment
  • Metrics Plan
  • Metrics
  • Metrics Report

Phases

Metrics engineering tasks are typically performed during the following phases:

• Business Strategy: Ongoing
• Business Optimization: Ongoing
• Initiation: Ongoing
• Construction: Ongoing
• Delivery: Ongoing
• Usage: Ongoing
• Retirement: Ongoing

Guidelines

• This activity is documented using the typical configuration for large projects. It is intended to be configured (i.e., instantiated, extended, and tailored) to meet the needs of specific endeavors.
• The preconditions of this activity should be the union of the preconditions of its constituent tasks.
• The completion criteria for this activity should be the union of the postconditions of its constituent tasks.