====== 2020-06-14 - measuring KPIs... up to a point ======

recently at work we had a lot of discussions around [[wp>performance indicator|KPIs]] for projects: what shall be measured, how and what to do with the results?

i'm all for measuring -- i.e. how can you tell you have improved sth if you cannot measure values a priori and a posteriori? i'm however far more careful when talking about setting fixed thresholds -- i'm in a //"metrics are there to help your brain, not to replace it"// club, here.

the problem is that the moment you start drawing consequences from raw numbers ppl tend to optimize for what they are being rewarded/punished for. this often leads straight to "creative booking" class of problems and thus defeats the whole purpose of measuring in a first place. i came up with an analogy to [[wp>Heisenberg]]'s [[wp>uncertainty principle]] here -- the more you depend on a metric, the less it will reflect reality.

none of the best-tested (i mean automated tests) projects i have worked on had any thresholds on test coverage. all of them however did measure test coverage.

yes -- measure. but also do diversify and do not over-relay on the numbers alone. that's my call.