In this episode, Niall explores the 8 Measures of Software Delivery Performance and their significance in an organisation. Join in as he delves into their pivotal role, unveiling their impact on operational efficiency and overall success.
1. The lead time or time it takes from approving an idea to that idea being ready to be coded in a software solution.
Once you've given the green light to an idea, understanding and refining it is crucial before it can be handed over to a software developer for coding. This process, often called discovery or refinement, requires time to fully grasp, appreciate, and prepare the idea. Imagine you have a task that would take a developer around ten days to complete. How long does it take for your work system to go from idea approval to a refined state where it can be effectively communicated to the developer for coding?
This period, known as the lead time to ready-to-code, could range from a week to 50-60 days, depending on the complexity of the development work. Understanding the time it takes to thoroughly work through and refine an idea before involving developers is essential. Failing to refine an idea properly and prematurely starting the coding process often leads to code refactoring and fixes, wasting time and effort.
Therefore, when someone asks you how long it takes to transform an idea into executable code, it is crucial to have a precise answer.
2. The lead time or time it takes from when it’s ready to be coded to when it’s in a user’s hand.
The second measure involves the time it takes for an idea to go from being ready to be coded to actually being deployed and in the hands of the user. This includes both the time it takes for an idea to be approved and refined for coding, as well as the subsequent time it takes for the software to be developed and delivered to the user. These two lead times are your end-to-end time and provide a comprehensive understanding of the entire process, from concept to user experience. While this may seem like a straightforward calculation, it is surprising how many software projects lack the necessary data or have inconsistent and unreliable information. In some cases, there may be no data at all, indicating a lack of awareness or collection of relevant information.
3. The variants of both of those. How much variation is there in the lead times, or is it consistent and predictable?
The third crucial factor to consider when discussing the time it takes for work to go from an idea to a user's hand is the variance in that process. For example, it may take 20 days to complete a task one week, but then take 40 days to complete the same task in the following quarter. This variance in lead time leads to a significant lack of delivery predictability, which can be extremely frustrating for clients and internal customers who rely on the software solution. Ensuring that the lead time variance remains consistent and minimal is important. Excessive variance in lead time eliminates any sense of delivery predictability.
4. The number of failures when the software is deployed.
The fourth measure is the percentage of software releases that fail or have a problem or have to be rolled back. It’s important to know what the change failure rate is because it gives us an understanding of how we’re going with testing and quality.
5. The time to resolve that failure.
How long it takes us to resolve these failures when they happen.
6. How often we’re releasing.
How often we are releasing working software to our users.
7. The key results.
The seventh measure focuses on the impact of the deployed software and the business outcomes achieved with each release. It is crucial to measure and track the key results that come from the software you deliver. By doing so, you can confidently say that your delivery performance is on track and aligning with the desired business goals. This allows you to gauge the effectiveness of your software and its contribution to overall success.
8. Team happiness or engagement.
The eighth measure is simple, but more and more often, is not being measured: team happiness.
Bonus Measure!
9. Process efficiency score.
It is crucial to assess the process efficiency score to determine the duration it takes for an idea to transform into user-friendly software. Consider a scenario where it takes 100 days to progress from idea conception to coding readiness, actual development, and eventually, putting the software into the hands of users after release. During these 100 days, evaluating how many days are wasted or spent in unproductive waiting periods where valuable work is not being carried out is important. The process efficiency score is a vital metric to measure as it reflects the effectiveness and efficiency of your software delivery processes.
