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<h2>Do you know when a feature/fix will be released?</h2><p>Performance monitoring extends beyond just your IT infrastructure. It also applies to your engineering team and their ability to deliver projects on time. The question you should always be able to answer is, "Do you know when a feature or fix will be released?"</p><h3>Estimations are Challenging, But Necessary</h3><p>Despite the complexities of software development, establishing timelines is crucial for accountability and planning. It's fair to say that estimations can be challenging - software engineering is a highly intricate process with numerous variables at play. Yet, the ability to provide a ballpark release date for a feature or fix is essential for efficient business operations. Deadlines enable wider business planning, ensuring engineering is synchronized with marketing, sales, and other critical business functions.</p><h3>"We Don't Know": A Red Flag from Engineering</h3><p>Should you ever hear "we don't know" as an answer from your engineering team regarding delivery timelines, consider it a red flag. This response could hint at several underlying issues - from a lack of care or motivation to a deficit in understanding the scope of work. It could also suggest the existence of blockers that you, as a non-technical executive, might not be aware of.&nbsp;</p><h3>Chronic Lateness: Time to Investigate</h3><p>Repeatedly missing deadlines is another warning sign that cannot be ignored. If your engineering team is consistently late in delivering features or fixes, it could be indicative of poor management, lack of accountability, or even poor performance by the engineers. Such patterns need to be addressed promptly to prevent ongoing business disruption.</p><figure id="figure-5iyn5xqmfplvycphq3"><img id="5iyn5xqmfplvycphq3" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1630754157718-8b7b3aaa57e2?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwzNnx8QXVkaW8lMjBFZGl0aW5nfGVufDB8fHx8MTcwNjc0MTQ3Mnww&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=1080" alt="black and white audio mixer" title="black and white audio mixer" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure><p>Understanding the state of your engineering performance monitoring is crucial in ensuring your technology aligns with your business objectives. If you find yourself unsure about when your next feature or fix will be released, or if you're troubled by the red flags we've outlined, it's time to take action.</p><h3>Contact us</h3><p>Our tech consultancy is dedicated to helping non-technical executives like you grasp the complexities of your engineering department and improve its performance. In our upcoming article, we will delve into the critical subject of security, another essential pillar of successful tech management. We invite you to reach out to us today to learn how we can help transform your tech department into a reliable, high-performing part of your business.</p><p><br></p><p><a data-mce-href="https://techaikido.com/about" href="https://techaikido.com/about" title="CTA-TechAikido">Contact us</a></p>

Engineering Performance Monitoring: Do You Know When Your Next Feature Will Be Released?

<h2>Do you know which part of your development process is giving you problems?</h2><p>A robust development process is the backbone of a thriving tech company. However, just as vital is your understanding of this process and your ability to pinpoint any inefficiencies. As leaders, you should always ask: "Do I know which part of our development process is giving us trouble?" Here are a few key things to consider.</p><h3>Logging, Trackability, Accountability, Responsibility</h3><figure id="figure-u79p1778golvycoxu3"><img id="u79p1778golvycoxu3" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1606327054517-6bf0b2e84cc4?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyMnx8cGxhbm5lcnxlbnwwfHx8fDE3MDY4MjQ4NjN8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=1080" alt="black pen on white printer paper" title="black pen on white printer paper" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure><p>The ability to monitor your team’s performance is contingent on the visibility of the actions and decisions made within your process. Logging, trackability, accountability, and responsibility are fundamental for comprehensive understanding. You need to ensure that every decision and action is documented, the progress of tasks is easily trackable, and individuals are held accountable for their responsibilities. This transparency helps identify bottlenecks or issues early, preventing them from turning into larger problems down the road.</p><h3>Correct Use of Management Tools</h3><p>A common challenge many organizations face is the incorrect or incomplete use of management tools. This can often stem from a lack of clarity about what is needed, a failure to setup processes correctly, or a lack of engagement with the tools provided. The correct use of management tools is a critical component in understanding your engineering process. Ensuring your team has been adequately trained and understands the value of these tools can drive efficiency and performance.</p><h3>Approaches: Passive, Active, Automated</h3><p>Your approach to process management can vary depending on your leadership style. If you're more passive, you might prefer to observe the process and rely on reports generated by tools to monitor progress. An active approach involves direct engagement, such as driving progress by asking probing questions or providing suggestions for improvement. An automated approach relies on tools with predefined alerts and triggers to monitor progress and alert you when something goes astray. Each of these methods has its merits, and you may find a blend of all three to be most effective.</p><p>Understanding where your development process might be failing is a crucial step in improving the overall performance of your engineering department. If any of the issues we've discussed resonate with your current situation, our tech consultancy is here to help.</p><h3>Contact us</h3><p>Our expertise is in helping non-technical executives like you improve the performance of your engineering department. In our upcoming article, we'll delve into the topic of Security, a critical aspect of tech management. We invite you to reach out to us today to learn more about how we can assist you in navigating the complexities of tech management.</p><p><br></p><p><a data-mce-href="https://techaikido.com/about" href="https://techaikido.com/about" title="CTA-TechAikido">Contact us</a></p>

Engineering Performance Monitoring: Do You Know What Part of Your Development Process is Troublesome?

<h2>Are your engineers doing their job?</h2><p>In the tech industry, the question "Are your engineers doing their job?" is a critical one. As leaders, it's essential to ensure your engineering department operates like a well-oiled machine, driving your company towards its goals. Here are five indicators to help gauge your team's performance.</p><h3>Task Progress</h3><p>A key aspect of performance monitoring is understanding the progress of tasks. Tickets should move, and there should be engagement on them. If an engineer isn’t asking questions or encountering problems, it might indicate a lack of activity. Active participation, queries, and problem-solving are the signs of a committed and engaged engineering team.</p><h3>Code Reviews</h3><p>Code reviews aren’t just standard practice; they serve as a vital checkpoint for quality, knowledge sharing, and collaboration. It's important for engineering leads to review code changes to understand the quality of work and provide feedback where necessary. It’s not just about identifying issues - it's about fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.</p><figure id="figure-2idpjdpv0llvyco5a4"><img id="2idpjdpv0llvyco5a4" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1536148935331-408321065b18?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHxJVCUyMENvbnN1bHRpbmd8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzE1MTQzNjI0fDA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=1080" alt="A man who writes code" title="A man who writes code" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure><h3>Test Results</h3><p>Quality Assurance (QA) loops offer valuable insight into feature development or bug fixing. A high number of back-and-forths between development and QA might indicate a problem with the implementation or misunderstanding of the requirement. Using these test results to improve your process is an integral part of enhancing performance.</p><h3>Support Problems</h3><p>Your users or clients are an invaluable source of information. Pay attention to their complaints and feedback - they can provide insights into areas needing improvement. A well-organized company can quickly identify and address the root cause of these issues.</p><h3>Deployments</h3><p>Finally, consider the frequency and success of your deployments. If code changes are not being tested and deployed regularly, something is likely going wrong. Regular deployments are a sign of a healthy, agile, and productive engineering team.</p><p>Understanding the performance of your engineering team and ensuring they're delivering their best work is key to your company's success. If any of the concerns we've discussed resonate with you, our tech consultancy is here to assist.</p><h3>Contact us</h3><p>We specialize in helping non-technical executives like you improve the output and efficiency of your engineering department. In the next article in this series, we will dive into the crucial topic of security. Reach out to us today to discover how we can help you navigate the complexities of tech management.</p><p><br></p><p><a data-mce-href="https://techaikido.com/about" href="https://techaikido.com/about" title="CTA-TechAikido">Contact us</a></p>

Engineering Performance Monitoring: Are Your Engineers Doing Their Job?

<h2>Do you have metrics to know if productivity is good?</h2><p>In the world of tech companies, productivity isn't about hours spent at the desk, it's about value delivered, and, more importantly, the impact it brings to your users. But how do you quantify productivity? In this post, we'll examine some key metrics and tools to measure and enhance productivity within your engineering department.</p><h3>Project Management Tools</h3><p>Having a well-set project management tool can provide invaluable insights into your team's performance. It can track and analyze various metrics such as resolved tickets, average time spent on tasks, average idle time, estimation accuracy, and load distribution. This data helps you identify bottlenecks, redistribute work efficiently, and streamline processes for better productivity.</p><h3>Code Versioning</h3><p>The code repository is like the diary of an engineering team. It can tell you who is contributing what and when. Monitoring activity on your code repository can provide insights into the health and productivity of your engineering team. By keeping an eye on commits, contributors, code reviews, and pull requests, you can ensure that everyone is contributing, quality standards are met, and projects are moving forward as expected.</p><h3>Cross-Departmental Alignment</h3><p>Productivity doesn't operate in a vacuum. It's crucial to ensure that engineering work aligns with the overall company objectives and other departments' needs. Regular sync-ups and feedback loops with other department leads can help ensure that deliverables meet expectations and are delivered on time. Fostering a culture of transparency and honesty can lead to a more productive and harmonious working environment.</p><p>Productivity is a multifaceted concept, especially in engineering teams. It's not just about how much is being done, but also about the quality, relevance, and impact of the work. Understanding and tracking these metrics can give you a clear picture of your engineering team's productivity.</p><figure id="figure-wci2iker3lvycnf3l"><img id="wci2iker3lvycnf3l" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1567855354833-ac2c4f967b0c?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxOHx8cGxhbm5lcnxlbnwwfHx8fDE3MDY4MjQ4NjN8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=1080" alt="four assorted-color pens" title="four assorted-color pens" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure><h3>Contact us</h3><p>If you've identified areas for improvement or if these issues sound familiar, our tech consultancy firm is here to help. We specialize in helping non-technical executives and founders like you understand and optimize their engineering departments.</p><p><br></p><p><a data-mce-href="https://techaikido.com/about" href="https://techaikido.com/about" title="CTA-TechAikido">Contact us</a></p>

Engineering Performance Monitoring: Do You Have Metrics to Measure Productivity?

<h2>Is your development process well structured to support your business?</h2><p>Welcome back to our insightful series designed to guide you through the labyrinth of your tech department, particularly if you're from a non-technical background. The goal is to help you identify problems you might not even know exist and guide you towards actionable solutions. Today, we dive into an essential topic: "Is your development process well structured to support your business?"</p><h3>Clearly Defined Roles: The Blueprint of Success</h3><p>The key to an efficient development process begins with understanding. Every actor involved needs to know their role and the associated responsibilities. This clarity gives a sense of purpose and direction, making the process seamless and efficient. In other words, having a well-defined map of who does what can turn an arduous trek into a well-planned journey.</p><h3>Proactivity: The Driving Force</h3><p>Processes shouldn't be passive conveyor belts, simply carrying one task from one stage to another. Instead, they should be powered by proactive contributors who provide quality input.&nbsp;</p><p><br>It's the age-old wisdom of computing: garbage in, garbage out. If the quality of input is compromised, the output inevitably suffers. As such, every team member needs to understand their importance in the process, actively contribute and drive the process forward.</p><h3>A Balanced Equation: Process + Structure + Accountability</h3><p>A common pitfall is to view the process as a solution to all problems. However, a process is only as good as the structure that supports it and the individuals who execute it. A well-structured development process, paired with clearly defined roles, serves as the foundation. Yet, it's individual accountability and responsibility that cement it all together.</p><figure id="figure-3tm44o72whlvyclhd4"><img id="3tm44o72whlvyclhd4" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1564510714747-69c3bc1fab41?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyNHx8cGxhbm5lcnxlbnwwfHx8fDE3MDY4MjQ4NjN8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=1080" alt="white printer paper beside filled mug" title="white printer paper beside filled mug" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure><p>Taking onboard the advice from our previous articles about effective hiring and managing practices can significantly help in nurturing a culture of accountability. When team members are selected, onboarded, and managed correctly, they are more likely to assume their responsibilities in the process and contribute positively.</p><p>A well-structured development process is a powerful tool for business success. Upcoming articles will explore other crucial areas like IT infrastructure, engineering performance monitoring, and security. Each one promises to deepen your understanding of your tech department and empower you to make better decisions.</p><h3>Contact us</h3><p>We're here to support you through these challenges, offering industry insights and best practices. Reach out to us today and find out how we can help you structure a successful, high-performing development process for your business.</p><p><br></p><p><a data-mce-href="https://techaikido.com/about" href="https://techaikido.com/about" title="CTA-TechAikido">Contact us</a></p>

Is Your Dev Process Lagging? Discover TechAikido's Blueprint for Business Success

<h2>Are you using the right tools? Are they set up efficiently?</h2><p>Continuing our series to guide non-technical leaders through the labyrinth of their engineering department, today we explore the question, "Are you using the right tools?" Harnessing the power of the right tech tools can be instrumental in supercharging your development process.</p><h3>The Right Tool for the Right Task</h3><p>When it comes to development, the phrase 'good enough' just doesn't cut it. The efficiency of your team and the quality of the end-product is directly proportional to the tools they have at their disposal. This includes everything from the code editor to project management tools, right down to business reporting and benchmarking systems. These tools are more than just auxiliary components - they improve, document, enable, and evaluate your process, ensuring it aligns with your business goals.</p><h3>Sophistication Demands Mastery</h3><p>Procuring a sophisticated tool is only the first step. To fully leverage its capabilities, it's essential to ensure that the person in charge of the tool is familiar with its functionalities and can navigate its intricacies. Like a master musician with his instrument, your team should be trained to extract the maximum performance from your tech toolkit.</p><figure id="figure-3wr00k927lvyckb5i"><img id="3wr00k927lvyckb5i" src="https://cdn.durable.co/image-library/3TTqJrwGuzRPGQxoVrNtfC62Qi2hgZXm3yUNW0nXw0Il3ATRtWjZajISQnMCdwcU.jpg" alt="Taller than the Trees This image has 98 million views on Unsplash and over 1 million downloads. If you'd like to support me as a creator, please consider sending a donation via Paypal: https://paypal.me/SeanPollockON?country.x=CA&locale.x=en_US" title="Taller than the Trees This image has 98 million views on Unsplash and over 1 million downloads. If you'd like to support me as a creator, please consider sending a donation via Paypal: https://paypal.me/SeanPollockON?country.x=CA&locale.x=en_US" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure><h3>Stay Ahead: Evolve and Integrate</h3><p>In the rapidly evolving tech landscape, staying on top of the latest developments and features is vital. Most tools used in an engineering process offer at least some level of integration, giving you a competitive edge. But it's not just about leveraging what's on offer - sometimes, it's about blazing your own trail. If a desired feature isn't offered by your tool of choice, consider finding a way to mimic it, or better yet, innovate!</p><p>In conclusion, selecting the appropriate tools, training your team to utilize them effectively, and continually adapting to the latest trends can significantly optimize your development process.&nbsp;</p><h3>Contact us</h3><p>Our upcoming articles will further delve into critical topics such as IT infrastructure, engineering performance monitoring, and security. Through this series, we aim to provide you with a comprehensive roadmap to understanding and improving your tech department.</p><p><br>Does your tech department need an expert hand? We're here to help. Reach out to us today and let's work together to optimize your toolkit for business success.</p><p><br></p><p><a data-mce-href="https://techaikido.com/about" href="https://techaikido.com/about" title="CTA-TechAikido">Contact us</a></p>

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Engineering Performance Monitoring: Do You Know When Your...

Engineering Performance Monitoring: Do You Know What Part...

Engineering Performance Monitoring: Are Your Engineers Do...

Engineering Performance Monitoring: Do You Have Metrics t...

Is Your Dev Process Lagging? Discover TechAikido's Bluepr...

Are Your Tools Holding You Back? Discover TechAikido’s Pr...