Framework | Focus | Key Metrics | Strengths | Limitations |
DORA | Software delivery performance | Deployment Frequency, Lead Time for Changes, Change Failure Rate, Mean Time to Recovery | Outcome-focused, empirically linked to organizational success, provides clear benchmarks | Primarily focuses on the delivery pipeline, might not capture all aspects of developer productivity |
SPACE | Holistic developer productivity | Satisfaction and Well-being, Performance, Activity, Communication and Collaboration, Efficiency and Flow | Comprehensive view, considers human factors and the development ecosystem | Requires more data collection and analysis, might be challenging to implement universally |
Metric | Elite | Good | Fair | Needs Improvement |
Deployment Frequency | > 1 per day | Weekly | Monthly | < Quarterly |
Lead Time for Changes | < 1 day | < 1 week | < 1 month | > 1 month |
Change Failure Rate | 0-15% | 0-15% | 16-30% | 31-45% or higher |
Mean Time to Restore (MTTR) | < 1 hour | < 1 day | < 1 day | > 1 week |
Task | McKinsey Study Time Savings (%) | Developer Sentiment |
Writing New Code | ~50% | More fulfilled, less frustrated, able to focus on more satisfying work 165 |
Documenting Code | ~50% | Increased happiness, fulfillment, and flow 163 |
Refactoring Code | ~63% | - |
Debugging | - | Can help find bugs quicker 224, reduces mental load 198 |
Complex Tasks | ~25-30% | More likely to complete tasks within timeframe, helps brush up on unfamiliar code 163 |
Medium Tasks | ~10% | - |