Agile metrics that actually help

What to measure, and what to avoid measuring.

Good practice

• Use velocity only as a planning aid for one team, never to compare teams.
• Watch cycle time (start to done) to see where work is waiting.
• Track defects found late to see whether your quality practices work.
• Limit work in progress, because too many open items slow everything down.
• Use a burnup chart to show scope and progress against a release goal.
• Review metrics with the team and act on trends rather than single numbers.