Integration Frequency
How often developers integrate code changes to the trunk. A leading indicator of CI maturity and small batch delivery.
Metrics
Detailed definitions for key delivery metrics. Understand what to measure and why.
2 minute read
These metrics help you assess your current delivery performance and track improvement over time. Not all metrics are equally useful at every stage of a CD migration.
Leading Indicators
Leading indicators reflect the current state of team behaviors. They move immediately when those behaviors change, making them the most useful metrics for driving improvement during a CD migration. When a leading indicator is unhealthy, the cause is visible and addressable today.
| Metric | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| Integration Frequency | How often code is integrated to trunk |
| Build Duration | Time from commit to artifact creation |
| Development Cycle Time | Time from starting work to delivery |
| Work in Progress | Amount of started but unfinished work |
DORA Outcome Metrics
The four DORA key metrics are lagging indicators drawn from the DORA research program. They reflect the cumulative effect of many upstream behaviors and confirm that improvement work is having the expected systemic effect. Because they are outcome measures, they move slowly: changes in leading indicator behaviors take weeks or months to surface in these numbers. Use them to validate the direction of improvement, not to drive it.
| Metric | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| Lead Time | Time from commit to production |
| Change Fail Rate | Percentage of changes requiring remediation |
| Mean Time to Repair | Time to restore service after failure |
| Release Frequency | How often releases reach production |
Build Duration
Time from code commit to a deployable artifact. A leading indicator of feedback speed and the floor for mean time to repair.
Development Cycle Time
Average time from when work starts until it is running in production. A leading indicator of batch size and delivery flow.
Lead Time
Total time from when a change is committed until it is running in production. A DORA lagging outcome metric for pipeline efficiency.
Change Fail Rate
Percentage of production deployments that cause a failure or require remediation. A DORA lagging outcome metric for delivery stability.
Mean Time to Repair
Average time from when a production incident is detected until service is restored. A DORA lagging outcome metric for recovery capability.
Release Frequency
How often changes are deployed to production. A DORA lagging outcome metric that confirms delivery throughput.
Work in Progress
Number of work items started but not yet completed. A leading indicator of flow problems, context switching, and delivery delays.