Programmer productivity metrics

[eek]

You must spread some Reputation around before negging to BusinessAnalyst2012 again.

But as a measure I would a very simple one. If after working with you for a week they arrive the following Monday they are probably crap on the basis that any one decent would get another contract, escape the hellhole you want and tell you exactly what they think of you.

[SueEllen]

What is a good metric of productivity of programmers?

Meeting the realistic deadlines set for them where you are all in agreement?

Seriously get people to take some control over their work and work to deadlines you all agree.

People will over or under estimate.

However it's not hard to deal with.

Just use normal management skills i.e. anyone who over estimates but gets on with the next task gets thanked in public and then the next time a little reward in public. Anyone especially if they senior who under estimates gets a talking to in private and a bollocking if they do it frequently in private. If they are a contractor they get canned.

[jmo21]

Must be a troll surely?

A better, more experienced programmer will write less code than someone with less experience.

A smart arse programmer will try to write code that is TOO concise.

[Zippy]

Personally I've found that popping round to the dev's desks (every half hour, say) asking "where are we with x" works wonders. The devs will soon cut out the dead wood/fat (possibly with the aid of some concrete boots)

[adubya]

Daily, agile styleeee standup meetings. What's been accomplished, what the issues are and how they're going to be resolved.

Repeat until complete.

[Gentile]

What is a good metric of productivity of programmers? I get the impression some of my dev team are slacking off and have asked the lead to send me a weekly report by developer of how many Lines Of Code each has written. However I am getting strong push back on this so I need an alternative.

What does the panel recommend. Also, what is so wrong with LOC as a metric. If I was running a potato factory I would want to know how many spuds each worker had peeled, same difference in my view.

Fecking prima donnas

There is only one true measure of who is top dog. Their daily rate. Just ask The Other Contractor.

[oscarose]

There is only one true measure of who is top dog. Their daily rate. Just ask The Other Contractor.

+1

[NotAllThere]

What is a good metric of productivity of programmers? I get the impression some of my dev team are slacking off and have asked the lead to send me a weekly report by developer of how many Lines Of Code each has written. However I am getting strong push back on this so I need an alternative.

What does the panel recommend. Also, what is so wrong with LOC as a metric. If I was running a potato factory I would want to know how many spuds each worker had peeled, same difference in my view.

Fecking prima donnas

Sir, you are without a doubt a complete tool. Your understanding of the development process could be written on a piece of paper the size of a postage stamp, with a marker pen. Lines of code as a metric? Yes, sure. As a trolling attempt 0/10. I'm bored with this sockie - perm-ban.

[NotAllThere]

Must be a troll surely?

A better, more experienced programmer will write less code than someone with less experience.

A smart arse programmer will try to write code that is TOO concise.

I've often wondered what would happen if companies really measure the TCO of every development. I.e. initial development, rework, costs results from errors when the code is live etc.

Research last century suggested that a "good" programmer is 20x better than an "average" programmer, in terms of TCO. And 50x better than a "poor" one. My experience this century is that even half-way decent programmers have become quite rare. All due to saving money by offshoring.

[mudskipper]

I've often wondered what would happen if companies really measure the TCO of every development. I.e. initial development, rework, costs results from errors when the code is live etc.

Research last century suggested that a "good" programmer is 20x better than an "average" programmer, in terms of TCO. And 50x better than a "poor" one. My experience this century is that even half-way decent programmers have become quite rare. All due to saving money by offshoring.

I think it's easier for bad coders to get away with it. You can knock up something that looks half decent with a bit of drag and drop. You can write pages of inefficient code and bad database queries, but because the machines are powerful, performance isn't a problem.