Introduction to Applying Software Metrics
Susan K. (Kathy) Land, MITRE
Total pages: 62
$29.00
Introduction
Software engineering metrics that are used to report project performance to the organization are critical in supporting software project managers and their project and organization decisions. Many metrics programs are implemented in commercial settings to sustain effective project management strategies as well as requirements in support of organizational process improvement initiatives. In addition, historical data can be used to indicate future performance.
You can't track project status meaningfully unless you know the actual effort and time spent on each task compared to your plans. You also won't be able to sensibly decide whether your product is stable enough to ship unless you track the rates at which your team is finding and fixing defects. You won't be able to quantify how well your new development processes are working without some measure of your current performance and a baseline to compare against. Metrics help you better control your software projects and learn more about the way your organization works.
Software engineering metrics is one of the most active research topics. Even though industry groups have the internal incentives and external motivation to implement metrics programs successfully, research shows that historically these programs lack "sticking power." Industry averages show that only 20 percent of metrics programs implemented survive past the two-year mark. To be in that 20 percent, programs must have the proper motivation for metrics collection, and the managers must want to use measures to develop high-quality products.
I collected this group of materials to provide a practical overview for project and program managers. The materials introduce successful metrics program implementation, including the risks, lessons learned, and the latest innovative techniques. You'll also find information about Taguchi-based metrics, metrics for managing the customer's view of quality, and the dangers of metrics as tools of mismanagement.
Keywords: metrics, software metrics, Taguchi metrics, risk management, fault detection
Table of Contents
Taguchi-Based Metrics for Software Quality
Kiumi Akingbehin, University of Michigan-Dearborn
Summary: Akingbehin applies the Taguchi definition of quality as "loss imparted to society" to generate new software quality metrics, discusses the software context, and presents case studies. The application is in line with six-sigma based approaches to software quality.
Metrics for Managing Customer View of Software Quality
S. Chulani, M Almaden Research Center
B. Ray and P. Santhanam, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
R. Leszkowicz, IBM Software Group
Summary: This paper presents examples of data and metrics associated with product support, field-reported problems, customer-critical situations, and customer satisfaction ratings across a comprehensive range of software product attributes.
Company-wide Implementation of Metrics for Early Software Fault Detection
Lars-Ola Damm and Lundberg, Blekinge Institute of Technology
Summary: The authors describe a measurement concept for assessing how good an organization is at finding faults when it's most cost-effective—early, in most cases. They give results and lessons learned from applying the idea widely at a large software development company.
Towards a Successful Software Metrics Programme
R.Dawson, Loughborough University
A.J..Nolan, Rolls-Royce
Summary: Based on the authors' 43 years of combined experience in industry, this article describes ways to ensure a metrics program is considered successful. The lessons learned form guidelines that can help you achieve a successful software metrics program.
The Dangers of Using Software Metrics to (Mis)Manage
Carol A.Dekkers, Quality Plus Technologies
Patricia A. McQuaid, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Summary: Measurement can enhance or doom software projects. Experts say it pays to spend time on people issues.
The Impact of Institutional Forces on Software Metrics Programs
Anandasivam Gopal, University of Maryland
Tridas Mukhopadhyay and M.S. Krishnan, Carnegie Mellon University
Summary: Both external and internal institutional forces influence the assimilation of metrics programs in software organizations. The authors propose a model of metrics implementation using previous case-based research in software metrics programs as well as prior work in institutional theory.
