Metrics

Bill Hewlett summed up the project manager's need for metrics with the quote "You cannot manage what you cannot measure", and its corollary "What gets measured gets done". Metrics are used to measure progress in both the execution of projects and in the improvement of development process and organizational efficiency. How and where can you apply metrics in project management? How do people feel about metrics, and how can you gain their acceptance and support?

• Conducting a Basic Pareto Analysis can be very valuable when working on process improvement issues. Also called an 80/20 analysis, these charts can help identify the most cost-effective targets for improvement efforts.
• The Cutter IT Journal frequently has articles on metrics in software development projects.
• Carl Pritchard suggests some candidates for risk management metrics that you may want to track in his column New Risk Practice? Did We Miss Something Before? (September 18, 2000).
• We've listed some great reference books on software metrics.