Omis 6560
goal of metrics
measure
quantitative expression of an attribute of a
product or process
measurement
the act of determining a measure
metric
quantitative measure of the degree to
which a system, component or process
possesses an attribute
terms:
indicator
a metric that provides insight into the SW
process or project
enables manager to adjust (improve) the
process or project
process indicators
allow assessment of process in terms of
what works and what doesnt
Terms:
project indicators
allow manager to
(1) assess status of ongoing project
(2) track project risks
(3) uncover problem areas
(4) adjust tasks or workflow
(5) evaluate teams ability to control
quality
metrics apply to
count=total XX
You must perform the count:
1. number of user inputs
correctness
degree to which SW performs its
required function
defects per KLOC - most common
measure for correctness
maintainability
ease with which a program can be
corrected, adapted, or enhanced
Measuring quality
usability
quantify user friendliness
measured using 4 characteristics
1. physical/intellectual skill required to learn the
system
2. time required to become moderately efficient
3. net increase in productivity when system
used
4. users attitudes toward the system
5. Integrating metrics within
the SW process
majority of SW developers do not
measure
problem is cultural
measurement results in cultural change
resistance, often due to fear
barriers to implementing process
improvement methods (Paulish et al.)
1. getting started
orgs. need to conduct an assessment (e.g.
Capability Maturity Model)
2. staff turnover
downsizing is difficult environment for process
improvement
need champions to stick around
3. dedicated resources
need full-time dedicated resource(s) to
implement process improvement methods
barriers to implementing process
improvement methods (Paulish et al.)
4. management support
its necessary
5. time restrictions
youve got to make the time to institute it
Some preliminary
recommendations (Paulish et al.)
1. use capability maturity model as
guide to improvement
it provides a framework showing which
methods to use based on current
maturity
2. conduct an assessment at beginning
to identify priorities for improvement and
build consensus within org.
Some preliminary
recommendations (Paulish et al.)
3. pick a few process improvement
methods
implement these effectively
4. pay attention to implementation of
methods
includes good training and management
5. some process improvement methods
easier to implement than others
remember...cultural factors are
substantial