RESOURCE: WHITE PAPER

Why Metrics Programs Fail

The success of software metrics programs can vary significantly from one company to the next. There is more involved than just defining the right metrics. People at one company might embrace the metrics, track progress, and use the metrics to demonstrate real improvement. They might even propose new metrics without being prompted. At another company, people come up with reasons for why the metrics are invalid and resist measurement, even though the metrics might be very similar.

This white paper relates these differences to a well-established behavior model and provides recommendations for implementing successful software metrics programs.