metrics: not just for managers anymore

Metrics: Not Just for Managers Anymore

Natalie Warnert

dsmAgile – September 12, 2014

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Natalie Warnert, CSP, CSM, PSM

ScrumMaster/Agile Coach – Surescripts

– Thomson Reuters

– Travelers Insurance

Email: info@nataliewarnert.com

Website: nataliewarnert.com

Twitter: @nataliewarnert

Surescripts, LLC

The nation’s most comprehensive clinical network

Over 6 billion transactions routed last year

Over 50% of prescriptions routed electronically in 2013

Other products – Medication history – Immunization records – Medication adherence

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Why is ‘metrics’ a dirty word? Discuss…

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What does Scrum/Agile say about metrics?

Agile Manifesto: “Working software is the primary measure of progress”

Scrum Guide: “Various projective practices upon trending have been used to forecast progress, like burn-downs, burn-ups, or cumulative flows. These have proven useful.”

What else can we measure?

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What are our goals of utilizing metrics?

Consistency

Transparency

Efficiency

Predictability

Identify blockers and areas for improvement

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What are we really measuring/observing?

Behaviors

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But do teams know what these metrics mean and how to identify issues?

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Teach teams how to interpret their burn-downs and other metrics What would someone from the outside see?

What context do you have that they don’t?

How can we learn from this?

Frequency of looking at metrics

Online vs. physical metrics

Does it have to be so formal?

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Other Metrics: Velocity Std. Deviation

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16

23

16

20

31

26

23 24

16

24 23

29

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21 20

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8.5 8.1 7.7 7.9 7.7 7.4 7.1 7.0

100% 104%

144% 145%

87% 81%

87%

117%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

140%

160%

0

5

10

15

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25

30

35

14.3.1 14.3.2 14.3.3 14.3.4 14.3.5 14.4.1 14.4.2 Current(14.4.3)

Poin

ts

Iteration

Commitment

Velocity

Std Dev

Story Pt. Ratio

3 per. Mov. Avg. (Velocity)

Other Metrics: Story Point and Story Ratio

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0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

140%

160%

180%

14.3.1 14.3.2 14.3.3 14.3.4 14.3.5 14.4.1 14.4.2 Current(14.4.3)

Story Ratio

Story Pt. Ratio

Changing behaviors

Over or under commitment

Erratic velocity

Too large or too small stories

Work in progress levels

Cycle time

Adding scope

…

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Are we focusing too much on metrics? What if it goes the opposite way? How much is too much?

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Questions?

Contact Information:

Web: www.nataliewarnert.com

Email: info@nataliewarnert.com

Twitter: @nataliewarnert

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