Code Changes Metric
Code Change Rate measures the pace of engineering output by tracking all code changes—new code, refactors, and rework—relative to time passed in an iteration, providing a true in-progress signal beyond task status alone.
Updated
by Steven Silverstone
Definition
The Code Changes Metric is the total number of lines added, modified, or deleted in a given period (iteration).
Why is This metric useful?
- Reflects overall development activity and output. This Git-based metric provides an accurate "in-progress" indicator, whether the changes involve new features, bug fixes, or non-functional updates.
How to Use it?
- Use this metric to assess productivity trends and identify periods of high or low activity.
- If you are 2–3 days into an iteration and this value remains low, it may indicate that tasks are not well-defined. To address this bottleneck, consider revisiting and refining the task requirements.
Examples for Context
- Code changes spiked during feature sprints and stabilized in maintenance cycles.
Data Sources
- Repository diff data.
Calculation
- Sum of lines added, modified, and deleted across all changes divided by the number of days in the iteration.
Tunable Configurations
- Minimum commit threshold to exclude trivial branches.
Benchmarking Guidance
- Consistent activity over time shows stable team output.
Error Margins and Limitations
- Excludes planning and testing efforts.
Stakeholder Use Cases
- Managers: Track overall team productivity.
- Developers: Monitor personal or team contributions.
How did we do?
Active Days Metric
Commits Metric
