A COMMITMENT TO THE FUTURE

There’s an even more significant implication for software project management here. Software measurement is not just a tool—it’s a commitment. Measures aren’t tossed away at the end of the project with all the network diagrams and resource graphs that have cluttered up your desk for several months. The measurement data holds keys to your future success.

Looked at day to day, every project seems different. The schedule, the deliverables, the customers, the budget, and the resources aren’t quite the same as they were on the last project. There are new challenges, new obstacles to overcome. Yet, in every project there’s the need to know exactly where you are in the project, how much it cost to get you to where you are today, and how likely it is that you will complete the project on time and on budget.

This is where software measurement becomes a commitment. Put in place the measures you need to be successful, not just in today’s project but in next year’s projects. Don’t assume that software metrics is something a development manager or a Software Engineering Process Group is supposed to do. If there’s no measurement program, implement one. It’s in everyone’s best interest, most of all yours!