Measuring Engineering Productivity

Overview This post presents a lightweight system for measuring engineering productivity that places the measurement overhead on managers rather than engineers. It leverages existing artifacts such as changelogs and daily standups to provide visibility without intrusive surveillance.

Key Takeaways

• Use changelogs as a data source for tracking work output.
• Align standup updates with productivity metrics.
• Prioritize manager-driven measurement to reduce engineer distraction.
• Focus on visibility and transparency over surveillance.

Who Would Benefit

• Engineering managers looking for simple productivity metrics.
• Technical leaders who want to improve team visibility.
• Developers interested in low-overhead measurement practices.

Frameworks and Methodologies

• Changelog-driven productivity tracking.
• Standup-based reporting.
• Visibility-first approach.