Metrics systems to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of cross-team work on a single project

Problem Statement. The modern world of information technology has undergone significant changes, having a significant impact on the way information technology (IT) projects are organized and managed. With the development of technology, the expansion of global communication, and the increasing complexity of IT projects, one of the most important problems for organizations involved in software development and information technology in general has become the problem of cross-team effectiveness.

An analysis of recent research and publications. This problem has a direct relation to a number of important scientific and practical tasks, quite actively discussed in the scientific environment at the moment and presented in scientific publications of modern researchers.

In particular, an important task in this context is to improve the productivity and quality of IT development. Modern IT projects require high team productivity and maximum quality of work, in particular, these issues are considered in [1]. Effective cross-team work can significantly improve these parameters.

It is noted in [2, 3] that modern IT organizations often face resource constraints, and optimizing cross-team work makes better use of available resources.

Also, solving this problem helps to increase the level of customer satisfaction of IT companies, since the quality and timing of projects directly affect this level [4]. Evaluating and improving cross-team work can thus lead to higher levels of customer satisfaction. As a result, as noted in [5, 6], companies that are able to work effectively in multi-team environments are more flexible and able to innovate faster, making them more competitive in the market.

The study and application of metrics systems and models for assessing the effectiveness of cross-team work remain relevant and important scientific and practical tasks that contribute to the improvement of IT project management processes and ensure the successful fulfillment of tasks in the field of information technology.

Highlighting previously unresolved parts of the overall problem. Thus, modern scientific publications in general actively discuss the problems of the effectiveness of cross-team work, which indicates the relevance of the general issues raised in the article. At the same time, this problem has a number of underdeveloped components that require additional attention of the scientific community.

Thus, in modern conditions IT projects are becoming more and more complex, including a large number of participants using a variety of development tools and methodologies [7]. In this regard, one of the key challenges facing IT companies and organizations is the effective management of cross-team work within a single project. This creates the need to organize adequate evaluation and synergy in cross-team work to achieve optimal results in IT product development and implementation.

Thus, the focus of the paper is centered on the investigation of metrics systems for evaluating and improving the effectiveness of cross-team work on a single project, presenting an innovative approach to solving the problem of improving the productivity and quality of teams in the IT domain.

The aim of the article. The aim of the paper is to present a system of metrics and methods for evaluating and improving the effectiveness of cross-team work in IT projects. To achieve this goal, the following objectives are set:

• to analyze the existing approaches used to assess the effectiveness of cross-team work, to identify their advantages and disadvantages;
• to characterize the system of metrics taking into account the specifics of IT projects and the possibility of their application to assess the effectiveness of cross-team work on a single project;
• to formulate recommendations and scientific and methodological solutions based on the results of the study, which can be applied in the practice of IT project management to improve the effectiveness of cross-team work on a single project.

Outline of the basic material. Modern IT organizations face challenges related to cross-team work on a single project. Consequently, research and generalization of experience in the practical application of metrics systems to evaluate and improve the performance of cross-team work on a single project play an important role in today's IT industry [8, 9]. These studies and solutions contribute significantly to the productivity, customer satisfaction, and competitiveness of IT companies.

At the same time, in the process of researching and improving approaches to assessing and improving the effectiveness of cross-team work in IT projects, it should be assumed that cross-team work in IT has its own peculiarities and requires specific organization, management and communication. Let's consider the role and specificity of cross-team work in IT and the emerging problems that need to be solved through the application of specific approaches and tools of cross-team interaction.

Cross-team work in IT has several peculiarities [10, 11]:

1. Technological complexity. IT projects often utilize different technologies and programming languages. This requires good understanding and consistency between teams.
2. Rapidity of change. The IT domain is characterized by rapid changes in requirements and technologies. Teams must be prepared to adapt and react to changes quickly.
3. Availability and scalability. Products in IT are often available online and can scale to multiple users. This affects the architecture and requires careful planning.

Problems to be solved through the application of specific approaches and tools of cross-team interaction:

1. Lack of communication between teams can lead to miscommunication, duplication of work and delays. Addressing this problem requires improving communication processes and creating platforms for information sharing.
2. Lack of common development standards and methodologies can make it difficult to work together. Adopting methodologies such as Agile or DevOps can improve process consistency.
3. Difficulties in change management. In IT, change happens frequently and quickly. Ineffective change management can lead to chaos and loss of control. Therefore, improved change management processes are necessary for successful operations.

Effective coordination and synergy between different teams play a key role in the successful implementation of IT projects. Various approaches and model metrics systems have been developed to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of cross-team work (Table).

The effectiveness of cross-team work on a single IT project is critical for successful project implementation and achievement of business goals. Current metrics system approaches and models provide organizations with valuable tools to assess and improve this effectiveness. However, it is worth noting that the choice of approaches and metrics should depend on the specific characteristics of the project, its goals, and the specifics of the teams.

Each approach has unique features and benefits that can be tailored to the specific project context and objectives. For example, for projects with a high degree of uncertainty and non-standard tasks, an Agile approach may be more appropriate, while for projects where stability and security are important, DevOps may be the preferred choice.

The key to applying metrics and metrics system models is to keep them continuously updated and adapted to changing project conditions and requirements. Effective management of cross-team work requires continuous monitoring and analysis of data to identify problems and opportunities for improvement.

Let's characterize the main metrics that contain the analyzed approaches to assessing and improving cross-team performance:

• To assess Agile effectiveness, the Velocity metric is used, which is defined as the sum of the scores of completed tasks per iteration:

Velocity = Σ(Story Points per iteration)

• DevOps performance measurement can include the Deployment Frequency metric, which is defined as the number of deployments over a certain period of time:

Deployment Frequency = (Number of deployments) / (Time)

Table

Approaches and models used to assess and improve the effectiveness of cross-team work

Source: compiled by the author on the basis of analysis of [5, 7, 11, 12]

• The Balanced Scorecard uses a comprehensive approach to assess performance, including a number of metrics, each with its own weighting:
• financial performance assessment:

F = Σ(W_i * F_i),

where W_i – metric weight,

F_i – metric value.

• customer satisfaction assessment:

C = Σ(W_i * C_i),

where W_i – metric weight,

С_i – metric value.

• process efficiency assessment:

P = Σ(W_i * P_i),

where W_i – metric weight,

P_i – metric value.

• assessment of learning and development:

L = Σ(W_i * L_i),

where W_i – metric weight,

L_i – metric value.

• KPIs are specific metrics chosen depending on the project objectives.
• SLA metrics may include task completion dates, quality of service, and other parameters agreed upon with clients.

All approaches and metrics systems are aimed at increasing team productivity. Successful project execution directly depends on achieving high scores in Velocity (Agile), Deployment Frequency (DevOps), as well as high scores in Balanced Scorecard and achieving KPIs and SLAs.

DevOps emphasizes test automation and monitoring, which contributes to a high-quality product. Successful project execution is linked to achieving high scores in product quality metrics and SLAs.

Successful project execution requires effective resource management, which is achieved through more accurate allocation of tasks and resources across teams. Effective resource utilization implies that Agile, DevOps and Balanced Scorecard metrics, including KPIs and SLAs, play an important role in cost and time optimization.

Directly related to successful project execution is the level of customer satisfaction. High scores in customer satisfaction metrics in Balanced Scorecard and achievement of SLA and KPI metrics related to customer satisfaction contribute to customer and client satisfaction.

It should also be noted that organizations that actively apply modern approaches and metrics systems are more competitive in the market. They are able to respond faster to changes in market requirements and promptly implement innovations, which contributes to successful project implementation and increased customer satisfaction.

Choosing the best approach and metrics system depends on the objectives, project type, and specifics of the teams. However, regardless of the choice, properly applied metrics and assessment approaches can improve productivity, quality of work, customer satisfaction, and an organization's IT competitiveness. While highlighting the appropriate approach to cross-team project performance measurement depends on the specific context and goals of the organization, in the context of IT companies, a few general considerations can be highlighted.

For example, DevOps can be considered the most effective approach, in terms of its impact on cross-team project performance, because it strongly emphasizes automation, standardization, and closer collaboration between development and operations teams. The introduction of DevOps allows for faster deployment, reduced response time to changes, and fewer bugs and product failures. High deployment frequency, as measured by the Deployment Frequency metric, is one of the indicators of successful DevOps implementation.

The link between cross-team efficiency and IT performance is usually mediated through several important processes and procedures:

1. Adopting DevOps as an approach requires changes in organizational culture, processes, and tools. The company must invest in automation, employee training and development, and the adoption of tools for continuous integration and deployment. The indirect result is improved cross-team effectiveness.
2. Highly effective project management and team communication are key to achieving high cross-team effectiveness. The indirect result here is increased productivity and improved quality of work.
3. Testing and quality control processes play an important role in ensuring product quality. Improving cross-team efficiency can reduce defects and improve product stability. This also has an indirect effect on customer satisfaction and the competitiveness of the company.

Thus, the optimal choice of approach for measuring and improving cross-team performance will depend on the specific goals, resources and context of the company. But in the context of IT companies, DevOps usually has the greatest potential to influence the efficiency and therefore the performance of the company as a whole.

Conclusions and propositions. Cross-team work in IT is characterized by technological complexity, rapidity of change, and a high degree of product availability and scalability. In the context of addressing the challenges of assessing the effectiveness of cross-team work on a single IT project, the research presented in this article revealed a number of key aspects that are important for understanding and optimizing the performance of IT companies. Thus, the study examined various approaches to assessing the effectiveness of cross-team work in IT: Agile, DevOps, Balanced Scorecard, KPIs and SLAs, which are a variety of tools, each of which can be effective depending on the context of the project and the company's goals.

It is identified that the key aspects of successful IT project delivery are improved productivity, product quality, effective resource management and customer satisfaction. The choice of approach to assessing the effectiveness of cross-team work has a direct impact on these parameters and, consequently, on the performance of the company as a whole. The link between cross-team effectiveness and IT company performance is usually mediated through several important processes and procedures: the introduction of modern methodologies such as DevOps can be a catalyst for improving cross-team effectiveness; project management and team communication play a crucial role in achieving high cross-team effectiveness and, therefore, in company performance; quality management and defect control contribute to improving product quality and customer satisfaction.

The effective organization of IT companies is crucial to the effectiveness of cross-team project work. It includes resource optimization, process management, communication, staff training and development.

The prospects for the development of the issues raised in this article are conditioned by the possibility to continue researching the effectiveness of specific metrics and approaches in different scenarios in order to form systematic formalized evaluation methods for IT companies seeking to optimize cross-team work on individual projects.