Docs/Metrics & Definitions/Work Breakdown

Work Breakdown

What is the Work Breakdown Feature?

The Work Breakdown dashboard is designed to give teams detailed insights into the types of code changes made over a set period, breaking down work into New Code,Refactor, and Rework. This dashboard helps teams assess their focus areas and manage their development practices effectively.

Metrics

Code Changes

  • What: The card displays the average number of lines of code modified per change during a specific period, while the chart shows the total sum of all code modifications made in that timeframe, encompassing all types of code activities.

  • Why it matters: Provides a comprehensive view of the team's overall coding activity, helping assess productivity levels and the scale of development work.

  • How to use it: Compare code changes over different periods to track development trends and understand fluctuations in activity.

  • User interface:

New Code

  • What: The card displays the average percentage of code added for features, functionalities, or enhancements during the period, while the chart shows the total lines added for these purposes.

  • Why it matters: Indicates the team's focus on innovation and delivering new value to users. A higher proportion of new code suggests active feature development.

  • How to use it: Balance new code with other work types to ensure that innovation doesn’t come at the cost of code quality or increased technical debt.

  • Example: A spike in new code might be expected during a feature launch phase, signaling a productive period for development.

Refactor

  • What: The card displays the average percentage of changes to code older than 21 days, focused on improving structure, readability, or performance without altering functionality, while the chart shows the total amount of such code modified during the period.

  • Why it matters: Regular refactoring is crucial for maintaining a clean, efficient codebase and preventing the accumulation of technical debt.

  • How to use it: Monitor refactoring efforts to ensure they’re part of the development cycle, helping maintain long-term code health.

  • User interface:

Rework

  • What: The card shows the average percentage of recent code (modified within 21 days) adjusted to fix issues, refine functionality, or adjust based on feedback, while the chart represents the total volume of such changes during the period.

  • Why it matters: High levels of rework can signal potential issues in initial development, such as unclear requirements or insufficient testing.

  • How to use it: Monitor rework percentages to identify underlying causes and improve initial coding practices or requirement gathering.

  • Example: A steady or rising amount of rework could indicate a need to revisit planning or testing strategies to minimize post-development changes.

Filters

Use the Squad Filter to view Work Breakdown metrics for individual squads. If you want a broader overview of all teams, select the "All" filter to see the breakdown across all squads at once.

The Date Filter allows you to view data for specific time periods. You can filter for the last month, quarter, or 365 days. If you need more granular control, you can filter by a custom date range.

Use the Players Filter to focus on individual team members or a specific group within your squad. You can select one member for a detailed view, a group of team members if they form a sub-squad, or all team members for an overview of the entire squad's Work Breakdown metrics.

Use the Repository Filter to focus on specific repositories or view Work Breakdown metrics across all repositories. This filter is especially valuable for identifying trends and analyzing development focus in individual codebases, which is particularly helpful when managing multiple repositories.

Use the Issue Type Filter to analyze Work Breakdown metrics for specific types of issues, such as Features, Bugs, Enhancements, or Hotfixes. This filter allows teams to monitor the distribution and focus of work across different issue types, providing insights into development priorities and workflow balance.

Tracking work breakdown by issue type helps identify trends, particularly in critical areas like bug fixes and hotfixes. This ensures that these are addressed promptly to maintain code quality and product stability.

Controls

Select Code Changes, New Code, Refactor, or Rework to use Controls for that metric. Each card offers Average, Mode, and Percentile under Statistical Measure. Chart Settings and PR Cycle Time Stages are not available in this report.

Click the adjustments button on the Controls bar and select Save after choosing your options. See the Controls guide for details.

Explore Best Practices

How To Detect Patterns In Development Time

Conclusion

Understanding and leveraging the Work Breakdown Metric enables teams to balance their development efforts, maintain high code quality, and optimize their workflow. By regularly monitoring the proportion of new code, refactoring, and rework, teams can proactively address technical debt, refine their processes, and enhance collaboration for more efficient and high-quality code delivery.