Measures of progress and outcomes
In this section, we will understand what makes a measurement effective and how to align it with your organization’s goals. By exploring different measurements, you’ll get a solid base for later discussions on how to choose and use these metrics.
Organizations that undergo transformation processes for continuous testing, quality, security, and feedback need to keep track of two key types of measures – progress and outcomes. These measures are crucial for understanding how well an organization is adapting and improving its processes, and for ensuring that these changes contribute positively to its overall goals.
Figure 12.1 illustrates the two types of metrics, in chart form.
Figure 12.1 – Progress and outcome metric charts
Progress metrics are typically represented in the form of burn-down charts, in which a declining trend is desirable because they indicate how many project units are remaining...