This book describes a rigorous framework for software metrics. It is a product of the EEC ESPRIT program's educational focus and uses the philosophy that software metrics could be taught effectively by placing the emphasis on rigorous measurement.

It describes the requirements for measurement what things to measure and at what point to take the measurement.

It will help you determine when the metrics and models are working as designed. It will also show you what to do if they are not. Finally, it will show you how and where the metrics and models seen in industry fit into a software engineering measurement framework.

AN IMPORTANT BOOK. It describes an actual implementation of a metrics program in industry (Hewlett-Packard). It also discusses the Goal/Question/Metric (GQM) methodology. NOTE: Refer to Norman Fenton's book as a follow-up to this reference, since Fenton expands on Grady's ideas.

GREAT STARTER BOOK. This book emphasizes proven practices and results including:

• Which software development rules are supported by measured evidence;
• How measurement should be tightly linked to organizational strategies
• How the metrics that engineers find useful help project managers as well;
• What people feel about metrics and what approaches you can take to gain their support
• How metrics are used to achieve continuous process improvement; and
• Which measures are meaningful for a large organization. This book has over 70 charts and graphs from real projects that will help you to manage software projects and process improvements more effectively.

This book: reports on a long, successful journey to improve and promote the work done by Landsbaum's information systems support department for Monsanto. The authors introduce the objectives, lay out their approach, then describe how their methods were applied in this particular environment. Landsbaum uses a metrics program to measure the costs of producing a product with the necessary quality. He offers some low cost common sense approaches to evaluating and establishing a metrics program. He also explains how he was able to use the department's metrics to convince upper management of the value of his department.