A structured goal based measurement framework enabling traceability and prioritization

Software measurement has become a vital process in software organizations due its significant role in software management and software process improvement. A number of models and frameworks have been developed to support organizations to plan their measurement processes based on their goals. Goals Questions Metrics (GQM), Goal Question Indicator Model (GQIM) and Measurement Information Model (MIM) are among such models with various extensions. However, as the sizes of the software organizations and the number of stakeholders become larger, the measurement frameworks become more complex due to the high number of goals as well as the horizontal and vertical dependencies among them. These call for the need to have more visible and structured measurement process, which would enable prioritization and traceability. This paper discusses such a framework, called Structured Prioritized Goal Question Metrics (SPGQM) and a case study conducted in a CMMI Level 5 certified company in order to validate this framework.