Engineering Leader's Guide to Developer Productivity

Effectively Measure and Accelerate Dev Productivity

Jira burndown chart: Is this team productive?

Is this team productive? It’s difficult to know using this “standard” tool.

Why Leaders Struggle with Developer Productivity Initiatives

It’s easy to blame the difficulty of measuring developer productivity on skepticism and team pushback. But the reality is that good measurement (and scalable improvement) remains out of reach for three main reasons:

Data is everywhere–insight is missing

A lack of standardization in metrics and approaches

Change–the universal constant in software engineering

Wellness workload and work distribution.

Developer Productivity Indicators

Developer productivity is a multi-faceted concept that encompasses three key areas: efficiency, effectiveness, and experience–spanning critical engineering KPIs like DORA metrics, Business Alignment, and Developer Experience. Focusing on these three “E’s” illustrates a dev’s productivity–i.e. The ability to produce high-quality work in alignment with business goals.

Developer metrics and development experience

Key Considerations for Productivity Improvement

Understanding developer productivity is crucial for distinguishing between mere activity and meaningful progress. Productivity in software development goes beyond the simple measure of output–it means creating high-quality software, efficiently and effectively, while aligning with business goals and customer needs.

Accelerating Developer Productivity

Enhancing developer productivity is crucial for a business to maintain a competitive advantage–and a structured approach is essential. The basic framework for improving developer productivity–after identifying operational bottlenecks using industry benchmarks, of course–is as follows:

Goal setting using quantifiable engineering metrics

Automating productivity improvement and toil reduction

Using data to inform conversations, recurring syncs, and developer ceremonies

Progress and Forecasting: Progress over time chart

When, Where, and How to Use Productivity Data

Effective, audience and occassion-specific reporting on developer productivity is crucial for communicating progress, identifying areas for improvement, and aligning efforts with business objectives.

C-Suite: Engineering business review | Present high-level metrics and strategic business outcomes

Engineering management: Project status meeting and monthly rollup | Focus on skills, competencies, and process efficiency to manage day-to-day operations and drive improvements

Developers: 1:1s and performance reviews | Offer personalized feedback that helps devs understand their contributions to team productivity and areas for growth