OK - somewhere around here is a brief list of what I do. However it is missing the quantify. This is not the first time I've been asked nor will it be the last time. So how do you quantify what you do?
The first metric is easy - you think:
On time, under budget.
Really is it so easy? There are a million and one things you are doing and that project gets stuck in the middle. Sometimes it stays top priority. Some times something on fire jumps above it. So unless you plan on increasing the hours you work every week, that usually doesn't work. If you are project manager on that team you have a bit more control. You can advocate where your project fits and get stuff moved around so your resources stay your resources
Under budget:
Well I always take my estimates and double them. Then I keep track of all the "little tweaks" people want to make on the way. Then I let my project manager (if I have one - sometimes that's me) and my boss of what will be pushed out based upon these small changes.
Next metric:
Happy internal customers.
Oh boy, see the comment above. Nine times out of ten they don't get everything in version 1. And they are changing the way they do something. Are they happy? Usually not. "The old way I did things was so much better" - Yes, I hear that.
Metric:
Use something New - I learned this year:
I use something new that I learned that year. Sure, I love this one. I have to have a project that will allow me to use something new
I answer questions - support very quickly:
Again go back to one - It depends on where it falls. I do let them know it's on the list.
And the best Metric of all time:
Lines of code... Number of programs...
Yes, I never use that one.
So do you have any suggests and/or not so great metric to add? I'd love to see them. It's probably going to take me to times past or future metrics. My answer to every single one of these is that it depends.
