Any metric can be useful for productivity purposes if it is related to task performance or outcomes. More relevant metrics are better, and aligning metrics to organizational strategy ensures activities support the vision. For complex work, developing skills and competencies through training systems is important to continuously improve performance. Competence grows over time through learning in multiple ways, both on and off the job.

1. Any metric is useless
without competence.
november 15th 2018
And therefore any metric is useful!

2. Any metric is useful!
Sustainable IT Craftsmanship | november 15th 2018 |
For productivity purpose, in principle any
metric is useful as long as we have a
good relation to the performance of
active resources or it is a (quality)
attribute of the passive resources:
● Function points
● Documents completed
● Order time
● Number of items produced
● Number of incomplete order forms
2
Useful, as long as it has a relation to the task or to the result of a task

3. Example of this relevance from software engineering:
3
(LaToza et al.)
Function points
more relevant
Maintainability
more relevant
PerformanceIndex
more relevant
Sustainable IT Craftsmanship | november 15th 2018 |

4. Metrics become goals to steer productivity upwards!
Some metrics are more relevant than others. Aligned ones are better.
4
Aligning metrics to the strategy of
the organisation keeps the
activities geared towards the vision
of the organisation or project
(Browning; DeMartini). Aligned
metrics become goals.
Sustainable IT Craftsmanship | november 15th 2018 |
Strategically aligned metrics are better.

5. With goals, there must be a system towards that goal:
5
When having a system; it must be
viable in order to make it sustainable
(Beer).
● It repeats (Systems one)
● Plannable (Systems two)
● Controllable/visible/auditable (Systems
three)
● Changeable (Systems four)
● Identifiable (Systems five)
The goal is no longer a signpost, it’s a direction and guidance
Sustainable IT Craftsmanship | november 15th 2018 |

6. With goals, there must be a system towards that goal, example
SCRUM:
6
SCRUM as example of a process
towards a goal:
● It repeats (Sprints)
● Plannable (Backlog, Sprint planning)
● Controllable/visible/auditable
(Sprintboard, Backlog)
● Changeable (Retrospectives)
● Identifiable (Agile process)
SCRUM helps towards the goal
(make a (software) product in less time).
Sustainable IT Craftsmanship | november 15th 2018 |

7. Competence is required to for complex outcomes
7
In order to deal with complex
outcomes, complex behaviour is
required. Usually this means
something people have to learn
new skills and capabilities.
Because skills are needed in
order to create mastery and
craftsmanship (Collins).
Complex behaviour needs to be trained.
Sustainable IT Craftsmanship | november 15th 2018 |

8. Competence?
8
We humans learn in multiple ways
and via multiple means at different
levels (Bloom). High Impact
Learning means acquiring relevant
skills in the relevant context. For us
this context is the work environment
(Dochy & Seegers).
Sustainable IT Craftsmanship | november 15th 2018 |
Competence grows (and it isn’t on / off)

9. 9Sustainable IT Craftsmanship | november 15th 2018 |

10. 3. Deep dive – What we do to help you
Unique Craftsmanship feedback and learning platform
Sustainable IT Craftsmanship | 27 September 2018 | 10
• Identifies what skills are lacking
• Fact based metrics and
measurements
• Aggregated summaries, action
perspective
• Online and offline training and
coaching based on the
scorecards (double loop
learning).
Example developer scorecard for
a specific aspect. It shows the
number of changes each month
and the quality of these changes.

11. Resume
11
• Any metric will do:
• Better maintainable code
• Higher productivity (FP/hour)
• Used for goal setting by aligning it to the strategy.
• With goals, you need a system:
• A system based on mastery and skills
• Growth path to become a more skilled professional
• New skills and challenge.
• Better strategic alignment between professional
and organization
• Competences are needed first:
• Competences are essential in order to become
skillful.
• Skills are necessary to improve productivity
Sustainable IT Craftsmanship | november 15th 2018 |

12. Resume
12
Make
metrics
Align
Train
Improve
Show
Looks like a
system to
me!
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13. Contact – Valori Craftsmanship Services
13
Get in touch if you want to know more and start improving.
➢Marco Dumont
• marcodumont@valori.nl
• +31 (0) 6 83441254
➢Wim Goes
• wimgoes@valori.nl
• +31 (0) 6 50999668
Sustainable IT Craftsmanship | november 15th 2018 |
➢Jaap van der Leer
• jaapvanderleer@valori.nl
• +31 (0) 642148402

14. References
14
● LaToza, T. D., Venolia, G., & DeLine, R. (2006, May). Maintaining mental models: a study of developer work habits. In Proceedings of the
28th international conference on Software engineering (pp. 492-501). ACM.
● Browning, T. R. (2014). A quantitative framework for managing project value, risk, and opportunity. IEEE Transactions on Engineering
Management, 61(4), 583-598.
● Demartini, C. (2014). Performance management systems. Contributions to Management Science,© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
● Beer, S. (1981). Brain of the Firm.
● Collins, J. C., & Collins, J. (2001). Good to great: Why some companies make the leap... and others don't. Random House.
● Dochy, F., & Segers, M. (2018). Creating Impact Through Future Learning: The High Impact Learning that Lasts (HILL) Model. Routledge.
● BLOOM’S, T. M. E. (1965). Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. Longman.
Sustainable IT Craftsmanship | november 15th 2018 |