Pickup Time Metric

Definition

The Pickup Time Metric is the amount of time taken between a PR’s creation and the start of the review process.

Why is This Metric Useful?

• It measures responsiveness in initiating code reviews, crucial for maintaining development flow.

How to Use it?

• Identify delays in review assignments.

Examples for Context

• Teams with a high Pickup Time may face resource allocation challenges.

Data Sources

• PR events (creation and first review).

Calculation

• Difference between PR creation and the first reviewer’s comment or approval.

Tunable Configurations

• Definition of "review start" (e.g., first comment vs. first approval).

Benchmarking Guidance

• Pickup Time should ideally be less than 1 business day.

Error Margins and Limitations

• Unclear review start definitions can lead to inconsistent measurements.

Stakeholder Use Cases

• Managers: Ensure timely assignment of PR reviewers.
• Developers: Assess how quickly their work gets attention.