Our company has been trying to improve its processes for almost
three years now but our efforts were and are still fruitless.
Although we were recording four core metrics (we were using
conventional productivity not process productivity so I'm
counting this one out) -- effort, time, size and defects
(although not the defect rate), we didn't know their
relationship until now. The knowledge we have gained from this
book will help us renew our efforts next year.
Statistics know-how is somewhat needed to understand some of the
chapters although you won't actually be computing anything. I
mean if you don't know what normal curves, medians, standard
deviations are, then you'd be at a lost. I've bought a book
on statistics to relearn it along with my colleagues. However,
the graphs make up for it.
The book was also somewhat lacking in giving actual values to
put in the formulas. I think I'm interpreting the data
incorrectly because I'm getting very big or very small values
from the process productivity formula. I've e-mailed QSM but
they haven't replied yet but I do hope they will.
Nevertheless, the book is a good companion to other software
quality books that focus on people, methods, processes, tools
but don't mention how to measure them objectively.
Get this book if you're part of the software industry regardless
of your title, rank, responsibilities, or party (client or
developer).