Software Metrics

Abstract

Measurement is an essential part of mathematics and the physical sciences, and in recent years it has been successfully applied to the software engineering discipline. The purpose of a measurement program is to establish and use quantitative measurements to manage the software development environment in the organization, to assist the organization in understanding its current software process maturity, and to provide an objective indication that improvements have been successful.

Measurements provide visibility into the various functional areas in the organization, and the actual quantitative data allow trends to be seen over time. The analysis of the trends and quantitative data allow action plans to be derived for continuous improvement. Measurements may be employed to track the quality, timeliness, cost, schedule, and effort of software projects. The term “metric” and “measurement” are used interchangeably.

The balanced score card may be used to identify appropriate metrics for the organization. The Goal, Question, Metrics (GQM) approach may be employed to define metrics that are related to the organization goals. A collection of sample metrics for an organization is presented, and problem solving tools such as fishbone diagrams, pareto charts, trend charts are discussed.