BSPOKE Software | Digital Transformation Partners

6 Key performance indicators in software development

In the world of software development, there are certain KPIs that need to be kept in mind when building software. If it’s your first time commissioning bespoke software for your business, you might be wondering how key performance indicators in software development are used.

So, in this blog post, we will take a look at six of the top KPIs in software development. We’ll strive to keep these in mind during every project to ensure that you receive a software development project that meets your requirements. 

1) Security incidents 

Security is one of the most important aspects of the key performance indicators in software development. However, many companies neglect to look at this until the final testing. There are many great tools to check out the security of software today. We can use these throughout the software development process. Our team will keep security as the top priority throughout the project to protect you and the end-user in the future. 

The number of endpoint incidents needs to be considered when building software. You don’t want people to get a virus from your software, as this will damage your reputation in the future. From there, we will also look at the time it takes to repair issues. Hopefully, over time, the number of these incidents and the repair time will go down to make your software more effective. 

2) Recovery time after a failure 

Sadly, most apps or pieces of software will have some form of failure over time. However, the metric we are more concerned about within the key performance indicators in software development is the recovery time. We will try to ensure that when an issue does occur, your company can bounce back immediately. We hope this figure will start off low but continue to drop as time passes by. 

Customers expect apps to work 100% of the time. When they don’t, you’ll find they get incredibly upset with your business. When the downtime is too long, they’ll soon take to social media to complain about your services. That’s why this KPI in software development is so important to ensure you maintain a good reputation online. 

3) Application crash rate 

Your application crash rate takes into account the number of times your app fails against the number of times clients use it. Of course, the more your app is in use and the fewer crashes you have, the lower this figure will be. There’s nothing worse than using a great app, only for it to crash in the middle of your session. 

No matter what type of app you are having developed, you need to make sure this KPI is taken into account during the software development process. The fewer times your app crashes, the more likely your customers will return to use it over and over again. We’ll make sure we thoroughly test your app during the software development process so that the chance of this happening is as low as possible. 

4) Cycle time 

Depending on the software development methodology used, this key performance indicator in software development gives you a good indication if the project is sticking to the timeframe. Cycle time should be as short as possible in order to make releases quicker. Of course, you don’t want the cycles rushed. However, if your developer says they will be two weeks long, you need to monitor whether they meet this timeframe. 

When working with our team, you’ll find this will give you a good indication of how the project is going. We’ll be very open about any delays, so you understand why this KPI in software development is the way it is. However, we can use this to track the rough end date of the work. It also helps to ensure the methodology we are using aligns with the end goal. 

5)  Flow efficiency 

Flow efficiency is one of the key performance indicators in software development, this is a ratio of active time and total time. Sometimes, work in progress is just a phrase to use even when there is a pause in work. A pause can often be due to issues with the software development or that your developer is too busy on other projects. Low flow efficiency can indicate that your developer doesn’t have the resources to work on your project.

We use this KPI to share how we are doing with your project, so you know that we are focused on your work. It’s a good way to check the efficiency of your project and ensure it’s going to be finished on time. 

6) Code stability 

Stable code is something that any good software development project needs. This KPI in software development can be hard to measure but can be a good indicator that they’ll be fewer issues in the future for the project. 

A chart can be created that shares the number of times code is changed. Changes should be minimal, where possible, to avoid disrupting the rest of your code. You can also track other KPIs in software development to do with code, such as code simplicity. 

To conclude 

These are just six of the many key performance indicators in software development that BSPOKE Software can use during your upcoming software development project. We use these KPIs to ensure the quality of the work is as high as expected. They are also a great way to measure how we are doing as far as sticking to your timeframe. The more KPIs we can track, the greater chance of success when it comes to the finished project. 

Are you looking to design a piece of bespoke software for your team this year? If the answer is yes, contact us today. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you have and discuss how we can bring your vision to life. 

 

BSPOKE Software - Developers discussing key performance indicators in software development