Evaluating the Productivity of Software Engineers in Enterprise Development

Abstract

Managing and evaluating the work of software engineers creating complex products at large corporations is particularly challenging with no standardized system to recognize productivity. Cerner Corporation, a leading supplier of healthcare information technology solutions, gives managers substantial latitude in tracking productivity, yielding high variance. The research reported here involves an examination of relevant background literature and interviews of Cerner associates with multiple roles in the organization as well as the author's own background. By identifying the essential components of good software engineering and potential measurement systems, the research yields a design that the author will use to track the productivity of his direct report engineers in the next annual performance period. In it, the primary metric is the completion of story points, an Agile software development representation of the relative size and complexity of work to be done. Tracking the introduction of defects is an indicator of an engineer's code quality, although sufficient context must be captured. Finally, a peer feedback system helps ensure the manager recognizes performance from other perspectives.