Suma Mudumbi – QA Manager, Symphony Services.

Metrics in project level vis-à-vis Metrics at organization level.

Abstract:

Understanding the “Metrics” as a key differentiator to business growth is the main theme of this paper. Most organizations feel that the metrics are related only up to the project level, but this paper would discuss on how the metrics benefits the organization to achieve their goals. The metrics project will include identification of the top metrics required by management to support the organization goals. The top 3 focus areas would be:

• Portfolio Management (Financials)
• Excellence in Ops
• Resource Strategy

Possible metrics to be considered would be: the voice of the client (customer satisfaction), On time Delivery Index (OTD), Process Compliance Index (PCI), Attrition Rate, Average cost per employee, Average Project Duration, Average ROI, Cost Variance, Problem Resolution time, Schedule Variance etc.

While the leads or managers concentrate on the project level metrics and their trend analysis, the higher management gets a trend analysis of all the projects in their accounts and gives them a better insight to make few predictions and take decisions.

• The Project Manager’s analysis for any variance in the current project would benefit the management to understand the situation within each project and would let take corrective actions at the proper time
  
  
• The historical data from the Metrics collected at every project stored in a process database at a company level should be reviewed and analysed further for the upcoming projects (for similar domains) for predicting the estimations and planning.
  
  

• Models should be developed that are capable of predicting process or product parameters, not just describing them. This is facilitated by measures and resulting metrics that are:
  Simple and precisely definable
  Objective
  Easily obtainable at reasonable cost
  Valid
  Robust

This White Paper provides interesting ideas not only to the project managers but also to the delivery managers / senior management to analyse the metrics collected at the project level and make a trend analysis at an organization level to achieve the organization goals. The target audience includes Test Leads, Test Managers, Delivery leadership, senior management, the Metrics Council Leads and Members.

Speaker Profiles:

Suma Mudumbi

Suma Mudumbi carries a total experience of 10+ years, in which 9+ years is in software testing. She is STQC Certified Software Test Manager. She possesses quality experience in software testing disciplines and having successfully executed multiple assignments with independent charge in test management and leadership roles. Experience in Managing the QA with team sizes of 25+ in an onsite-offshore service model and significant exposure of working in an international business environmen

Having played roles as a QA Manager/ QA Lead since past 6 years, she has extensive experience in metrics collection and analysis and also having played a key role as onsite-offshore coordinator from both the sides, she gained good real time experience using the data collection and implementing the same in the projects. Had privilege of working in several domains (Web Based applications - Google, Banking - JP Morgan Chase, CRM – Siebel & epiphany, Insurance – Churchill, and Web Portal Security – Entrust GetAccess) and contributed her part for the metric collection and analysis.

Was part of the team from the inception phase for all the projects and was the core member in defining the estimates, schedules, Quality Indicators and analysing and reporting the trends. Have been part of the process audits for the projects handled and was part of the team which was audited for achieving CMMI level 4 in the last organization.

Has extensive experience using the Quality Indicators through out the project life cycle and have the same reviewed by the delivery leadership regularly to achieve the organizational goals.

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