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2 examples of Engineering metrics and KPIs

What are Engineering metrics?

Crafting the perfect Engineering metrics can feel overwhelming, particularly when you're juggling daily responsibilities. That's why we've put together a collection of examples to spark your inspiration.

Copy these examples into your preferred app, or you can also use Tability to keep yourself accountable.

Find Engineering metrics with AI

While we have some examples available, it's likely that you'll have specific scenarios that aren't covered here. You can use our free AI metrics generator below to generate your own strategies.

Examples of Engineering metrics and KPIs

Metrics for Backend Developer Performance

  • 1. Code Quality

    Measures the standards of the code written by the developer using metrics like cyclomatic complexity, code churn, and code maintainability index

    What good looks like for this metric: Maintainability index above 70

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Conduct regular code reviews
    • Utilise static code analysis tools
    • Adopt coding standards and guidelines
    • Refactor code regularly to reduce complexity
    • Invest in continuous learning and training
  • 2. Deployment Frequency

    Evaluates the frequency at which a developer releases code changes to production

    What good looks like for this metric: Multiple releases per week

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Automate deployment processes
    • Use continuous integration and delivery pipelines
    • Schedule regular release sessions
    • Encourage modular code development
    • Enhance collaboration with DevOps teams
  • 3. Lead Time for Changes

    Measures the time taken from code commit to deployment in production, reflecting efficiency in development and delivery

    What good looks like for this metric: Less than one day

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Streamline the code review process
    • Optimise testing procedures
    • Improve communication across teams
    • Automate build and testing workflows
    • Implement parallel development tracks
  • 4. Change Failure Rate

    Represents the proportion of deployments that result in a failure requiring a rollback or hotfix

    What good looks like for this metric: Less than 15%

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Implement thorough testing before deployment
    • Decrease batch size of code changes
    • Conduct post-implementation reviews
    • Improve error monitoring and logging
    • Enhance rollback procedures
  • 5. System Downtime

    Assesses the total time that applications are non-operational due to code changes or failures attributed to backend systems

    What good looks like for this metric: Less than 0.1% downtime

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Invest in high availability infrastructure
    • Enhance real-time monitoring systems
    • Regularly test system resilience
    • Implement effective incident response plans
    • Improve software redundancy mechanisms

Metrics for Business Development Performance

  • 1. Revenue Growth Rate

    Percentage increase in revenue over a specified period, calculated as (Current Period Revenue - Previous Period Revenue) / Previous Period Revenue * 100

    What good looks like for this metric: 5-10% annually for stable growth

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Enhance sales team training
    • Expand product/service offerings
    • Improve market analysis for new opportunities
    • Increase customer referrals and testimonials
    • Implement targeted marketing strategies
  • 2. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

    Total cost of acquiring a new customer, calculated as total sales and marketing expense / number of new customers acquired

    What good looks like for this metric: Typically $1 to $300 per customer

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Optimize marketing channels for efficiency
    • Improve targeting of ideal customer profiles
    • Enhance website conversion rates
    • Leverage partnerships and collaborations
    • Increase use of digital marketing tools
  • 3. Customer Retention Rate

    Percentage of customers retained over a given period, calculated as ((End of Period Customers - New Customers) / Start of Period Customers) * 100

    What good looks like for this metric: 70-90% depending on the industry

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Improve product/service quality
    • Enhance customer support experience
    • Develop customer loyalty programmes
    • Regularly gather and act on customer feedback
    • Create engaging communication and content
  • 4. Net Revenue Retention (NRR)

    Percentage of recurring revenue retained from existing customers, including upgrades/downgrades, calculated as (Starting Revenue + Expansion Revenue - Churn) / Starting Revenue * 100

    What good looks like for this metric: Over 100% indicates good growth

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Upsell existing customers to higher-tier plans
    • Introduce new features to drive value
    • Regularly communicate new offerings to customers
    • Reduce churn by addressing common concerns
    • Conduct regular account reviews with key clients
  • 5. Profit Margin

    Percentage of revenue that exceeds total costs, calculated as (Net Income / Revenue) * 100

    What good looks like for this metric: 10-20% is common in the industry

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Reduce operational and production costs
    • Negotiate better supplier contracts
    • Optimize pricing strategies
    • Increase operational efficiency
    • Enhance financial management and reporting

Tracking your Engineering metrics

Having a plan is one thing, sticking to it is another.

Having a good strategy is only half the effort. You'll increase significantly your chances of success if you commit to a weekly check-in process.

A tool like Tability can also help you by combining AI and goal-setting to keep you on track.

Tability Insights DashboardTability's check-ins will save you hours and increase transparency

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We have more examples to help you below.

Planning resources

OKRs are a great way to translate strategies into measurable goals. Here are a list of resources to help you adopt the OKR framework:

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