DORA | Lead time for changes

Applicability

Scrum and Kanban projects

Definition (Hover Text)

Gauges the speed of software delivery by measuring the time it takes from committing a change to the codebase until that change is successfully deployed to production.
This metric encompasses the entire software delivery pipeline, including code integration, testing, and deployment processes.

Source Tools

Jira
OR,
SCM tools (Github, Gitlab, Bitbucket)

Graph type

Line chart

Filters

-

Hover Format on KPI

Date Range: <<Lead time in Days>>

Fields on Explore Overlay

• Project Name

• Date

• Story ID

• Lead time

• Completion date

• Merge date

• Release date

• Merge Request ID

• Branch

Business Logic

Calculation Formula

1. If Jira is selected in the KPI level custom setting ‘Lead Time KPI calculation logic’, the following custom field mappings are considered:

   1. Issues types to be included (optional) : Issues of the mentioned issue types will be considered. Else, default settings from global field mappings of the Jira connection will be considered

   2. Status to identify DOD (optional) :

      1. Lead time calculation begins when an issue reaches the earliest of the mentioned workflow statuses. Else, the ‘CLOSED’ status will be considered by default.

      2. Lead time calculation ends when an issue is released to production,i.e., when the associated Jira fixVersion gets released
         Lead time = Sum {Duration between workflow status transition from DOD status to Released Date for each issue}
         
         

         Open

         

2. If Repo is selected then
   Lead time = Sum {Time taken in days from the time of code commit to the time an issue moves to production}

   Open

   

Trend

A downward trend is desirable

Maturity Levels

M1: >3 Months 

M2: 1-3 Months,

M3: <1 Month,

M4: < 1 week,

M5: < 1 Day
Please note:- KPI widget denotes the average maturity over data points

Instance level thresholds

Set the desired weekly lead time for change in days

Global Configurations (Field Mapping )

Processor Fields

NA

Mandatory fields

NA

How to Validate KPI

Suggested ways of working

If you want to drive the KPI using Jira issues and statuses then ensure the following:

1. A shared Definition of Done is created and ensure that team members understand when a task is completed

   1. Code is written, reviewed, and merged.

   2. Tests are written, executed, and reviewed.

   3. Documentation is updated.

   4. Acceptance criteria are met.

   5. The work is deployed to a staging environment.

   6. The Product Owner has reviewed and accepted the work.

2. Translate DoD into Jira Workflow Statuses: ensure that specific workflow statuses are available that reflect DoD
   Eg., Ready for Delivery, Ready for Sign-off

Best Practices

Automate Testing and Deployment

Implement automated testing and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to streamline the process and reduce manual intervention.

Reduce Batch Size

Deploy smaller, incremental changes rather than large, infrequent updates to minimize risk and speed up the delivery process.

Optimize Code Review Process

Streamline code review processes to ensure timely feedback and avoid bottlenecks.

Monitor and Measure

Continuously monitor the lead time for change and other related metrics to identify areas for improvement.

Benefits of KPI

Efficiency Measurement

It reflects how efficiently a team can deliver new features, bug fixes, and improvements to production.

Adaptability

Teams with shorter lead times can respond more quickly to market changes, regulatory updates, or customer feedback, providing a strategic advantage.

Customer Satisfaction

Shorter lead times enable quicker delivery of value to customers, enhancing user satisfaction and competitiveness.

Risk Mitigation

Reducing lead time helps in identifying and addressing issues sooner, thereby lowering the risk of large-scale failures.