Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile Storytelling from the Trenches
Episode: BONUS Measure and Visualize Software Improvement for Actionable Results | Mooly Beeri
Host: Vasco Duarte
Guest: Mooly Beeri, Founder and CEO of BetterSoftware.dev
Release Date: March 10, 2025

Overview

In this bonus episode of the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast, host Vasco Duarte engages in a deep and insightful conversation with Mooly Beeri, a seasoned professional with over 30 years of experience in the software industry. Mooly, the founder and CEO of BetterSoftware.dev, shares his innovative approach to measuring and visualizing improvements within software organizations. The discussion delves into practical strategies for continuous improvement, effective visualization techniques, and fostering accountability within teams and management.

Key Topics Discussed

1. Introduction to Mooly Beeri’s Framework
2. Visualization Techniques for Software Improvement
3. Measuring Code Review Effectiveness
4. Shifting Accountability from Management to Teams
5. Adapting the Framework Across Diverse Industries
6. Integrating Agile Perspectives into the Measurement Model

1. Introduction to Mooly Beeri’s Framework

Mooly Beeri introduces his data-driven approach to assessing and enhancing the effectiveness of software development teams. With extensive experience working with industry giants like Microsoft, Philips, and Aptiv, Mooly emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive measurement system that spans the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC).

Notable Quote:
"Our framework is supercharging Agile with quantitative data, which helps drive meaningful discussions and improvements."
— Mooly Beeri [05:16]

2. Visualization Techniques for Software Improvement

Mooly explains the concept of using heat maps to visualize the effectiveness of various stages in the SDLC, from requirements gathering to deployment and customer support. This visualization allows teams and management to quickly identify areas that require attention and investment.

Key Points:

• Heat Maps: Utilize color-coded indicators (red, yellow, green) to represent effectiveness levels across different SDLC phases.
• End-to-End Assessment: Unlike traditional methods that focus solely on coding, this approach assesses the entire lifecycle, providing a holistic view.
• Case Study - Philips: Faced with diverse teams from multiple acquisitions, the heat map enabled Philips’ management to understand and improve software craftsmanship uniformly across the organization.

Notable Quote:
"Imagine a heat map where every part of the practice gets a red, green, yellow indication, then at a single glance you can look at the team and understand where they need help."
— Mooly Beeri [02:37]

3. Measuring Code Review Effectiveness

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the measurement of code review processes. Mooly introduces the concept of "code review escapes" to quantify the effectiveness of code reviews in identifying defects before deployment.

Key Points:

• Code Review Escapes: Defects that should have been caught during code reviews but were missed.
• Implementation: At the end of each iteration, sample defects are reviewed to determine if they were preventable through better code reviews.
• Actionable Metrics: Teams can adjust their code review processes based on the escape ratio, allowing for targeted improvements.

Notable Quote:
"If you say 3 out of 10 defects could have been found if we did a better code review, you have a 30% code review escape."
— Mooly Beeri [11:27]

4. Shifting Accountability from Management to Teams

Mooly addresses the challenge of top-down improvement mandates, where management imposes specific areas for improvement without considering the unique contexts of different teams. He advocates for a framework that empowers teams to identify and act upon their own improvement needs based on measurable data.

Key Points:

• Empowerment: Teams decide where to invest their improvement efforts, fostering ownership and accountability.
• Management’s Role: Instead of prescribing specific improvements, management focuses on overall organizational effectiveness and supports teams in their chosen paths.
• Philips Example: The CTO allowed teams to define their own improvement strategies, leading to a structured and quantifiable enhancement of effectiveness across the organization.

Notable Quote:
"From the team's point of view, they are doing the proper effort and investing in the right thing for them. From management’s point of view, it's a win-win because the overall effectiveness of the organization is growing."
— Mooly Beeri [19:58]

5. Adapting the Framework Across Diverse Industries

Mooly highlights the flexibility of his framework in accommodating various industries, such as healthcare and automotive, each with unique software development challenges. The framework’s adaptability ensures that it remains relevant and effective regardless of the specific requirements of different sectors.

Key Points:

• Industry-Specific Adjustments: Teams define what aspects of the SDLC are critical to their context, allowing for tailored measurement and improvement plans.
• Dynamic Analysis: Teams can choose relevant metrics based on their operational environments, such as CPU usage for one team and resource utilization for another.
• Contextual Flexibility: Whether a team releases software quarterly or daily, the framework adjusts to measure and support their specific needs.

Notable Quote:
"When you move from 40, 50, 60% effectiveness, there are many ways of doing that. It’s like an Olympic athlete wanting to improve versus a couch potato starting to get in shape."
— Mooly Beeri [20:50]

6. Integrating Agile Perspectives into the Measurement Model

Vasco and Mooly explore the potential of incorporating Agile principles and perspectives into the effectiveness measurement framework. This integration aims to provide a more comprehensive view that encompasses both software development practices and organizational Agile adoption patterns.

Key Points:

• Evidence-Based Management: Leveraging quantitative data to inform Agile practices and improvements.
• Holistic Organizational View: Combining the SDLC-focused model with Agile-centric metrics to capture the full scope of organizational performance.
• Community Contribution: Encouraging the Agile community to contribute to and refine the framework, ensuring its relevance and effectiveness.

Notable Quote:
"You can’t ask a team to improve the daily scrum without showing some quantitative evidence that it needs to improve."
— Mooly Beeri [32:08]

Conclusions and Actionable Insights

• Data-Driven Improvement: Adopting a quantitative approach to measure various aspects of the software development lifecycle leads to more informed and effective improvement strategies.
• Visualization for Clarity: Heat maps and other visualization tools serve as powerful information radiators that facilitate swift identification of improvement areas.
• Empowering Teams: Shifting accountability to teams ensures that improvement efforts are contextually relevant and driven by those directly involved in the work.
• Flexibility Across Industries: The framework’s adaptability makes it suitable for diverse organizational contexts, ensuring broad applicability and effectiveness.
• Integrating Agile Practices: Combining traditional measurement frameworks with Agile principles can enhance overall organizational performance and Agile adoption.

Further Resources

For more information on Mooly Beeri’s framework and case studies, visit BetterSoftware.dev. Engage with Mooly directly through LinkedIn or explore available resources and proof-of-concept opportunities on the website.

Upcoming Event Promotion

Vasco briefly promotes the Global Agile Summit in Tallinn, Estonia, highlighting its focus on real-life Agile success stories, diverse speaker lineup, and opportunities for networking with over 200 Agile professionals worldwide. Interested listeners are encouraged to visit Global Agile Summit for more details and to secure their tickets.

Notable Quote:
"The Global Agile Summit is bringing you real-life first-person stories of Agile succeeding out there in the real world that will inspire you to take action and transform the way you work."
— Vasco Duarte [38:57]

Thank you for tuning into this insightful episode of the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast. Stay agile and keep improving!