Measuring developer productivity with the DX Core 4

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Measuring developer productivity with the DX Core 4

The DX Core 4™ is a unified framework for measuring developer productivity that encapsulates DORA, SPACE, and DevEx.

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Whether you’re a C-level leader or a frontline manager, there is no denying that measuring developer productivity—whether to understand<br>performance or guide improvement—is a daunting challenge.

As the authors of frameworks like DevEx and SPACE, we’re constantly being asked by engineering leaders: “How do we effectively measure<br>productivity?” Or, “Between DevEx, SPACE, and DORA, which one should we use?”. The leaders we speak to have sometimes spent months or even<br>years wading through dashboards, but still find themselves lost. Or, they’ve established an initial set of metrics, but are struggling to<br>get alignment and traction.

To help simplify the landscape, we’ve developed a unified approach to measuring developer productivity called the DX Core 4. The DX Core 4<br>encapsulates DORA, SPACE, and DevEx and includes four dimensions: speed, effectiveness, quality, and business impact. The DX Core 4 provides<br>a focused set of metrics that work effectively at any sized organization, and can be augmented with additional metrics for specific goals.

Our approach has been implemented at over 300 tech, finance, retail, and pharmaceutical companies delivering successful results including<br>the following:

3%-12% overall increase in engineering efficiency

14% increase in R&D time spent on feature development

15% improvement in employee engagement scores

The foundation for data-driven improvements

With access to productivity data and insights, leaders can address complex questions about their engineering organizations such as the<br>following:

How can we innovate and deliver software faster?

What are the top areas of friction that are slowing engineers down?

Is developer time being spent on activities that drive the most value?

The DX Core 4 (Table 1) offers a practical way for organizations to get immediate, actionable insights into the above questions. The DX Core<br>4 dimensions and metrics are based on decades of research combined with proven methods from the world’s leading technology companies.

Below are several features of the DX Core 4 that are critical to success:

Multi-dimensional. Multiple dimensions are needed to capture software development comprehensively because changes to one<br>dimension, such as speed, may negatively affect others (e.g., quality or effectiveness). The DX Core 4 includes four counterbalanced<br>dimensions with metrics that encompass DORA, SPACE, and DevEx.

Supports all levels of the organization. The DX Core 4 metrics are useful for discussion and decision making at all levels<br>of the organization, from the boardroom down to frontline teams. This alignment ensures focus on clear goals, helping drive more coordinated<br>action and improvements.

Deployable in weeks, not months. Organizations can spend months or even years building metrics dashboards, while not<br>realizing value from these efforts. The DX Core 4 leverages readily-available system-based metrics and self-reported data, minimizing time<br>and cost to stand up.

Avoid fear and gamification. Speed and throughput metrics, when used in isolation, often incite fear and counterproductive<br>behaviors from developers. The DX Core 4 equally weights speed and output metrics with the<br>Developer Experience Index (DXI) and additional experience<br>data, fostering balanced conversations about developer productivity.

One of the DX Core 4 key metrics, diffs per engineer, requires caution. We at DX—along with many leading industry voices—have written<br>extensively on the dangers and pitfalls of engineering throughput metrics.

We have found, however, that diffs per FTE is a useful signal when utilized carefully. Many of the organizations we work with, and leading<br>technology companies like Meta, Microsoft, and Uber, rely on this metric as a key input for understanding and improving productivity.

Organizations can effectively utilize diffs per FTE successfully under three preconditions: first, by counterbalancing with oppositional<br>metrics like the Developer Experience Index. Second, by not setting targets or rewards tied to them. Last, by properly communicating and<br>rolling out metrics in such a way that does not result in abuse.

Data collection and analysis

The DX Core 4 metrics are collected through several methods including system metrics, self-report, and experience sampling, as listed in<br>Table 2 below.

Self-reported metrics provide fast and<br>comprehensive measurements in areas where system metrics are unavailable or do not apply. For example, self-reported metrics are critical<br>for perceptual measures of developer experience, as well as useful for collecting data about software quality that is difficult to measure<br>objectively.

System metrics provide...