How to Improve Productivity by Analyzing Time Spent on Tasks

To effectively utilize issue charts, engineering managers must have a clear understanding of each type of task and its significance in the development process.

• Defects: Defects are problems or issues found in the software product that need to be fixed. These may include errors, crashes, or functionality issues. The percentage of defects closed is an important metric to track as it indicates the quality of the product being developed.
• Features: Features are new functionalities or enhancements added to the software product. The percentage of features closed is an important metric to track as it indicates the team's progress in developing new functionalities and delivering value to the end-user.
• Support: Support tasks are related to helping end-users with their queries or problems. These may include responding to support tickets or providing technical assistance. The percentage of support tasks closed is an important metric to track as it indicates the team's responsiveness and effectiveness in addressing end-user issues.
• Documentation: Documentation tasks involve creating or updating user manuals, design documents, and other technical documentation. These tasks are important for ensuring that the software product is well-documented and can be maintained and improved in the future. The percentage of documentation tasks closed is an important metric to track as it indicates the team's attention to detail and commitment to maintaining high-quality documentation.
• Average Time: Average time to complete tasks can help engineering managers understand how much time their team is spending on tasks and whether there are any areas where the team is struggling to meet deadlines. For example, if the average time to complete tasks is consistently high, it may indicate that the team is experiencing workflow issues, communication problems, or lacks the necessary resources to complete their tasks effectively.

Understanding the breakdown of tasks is crucial for engineering managers as it allows them to identify areas for improvement and optimize their team's performance. For example, if the percentage of defects closed is high, it may indicate that the team needs to spend more time on testing and quality assurance to prevent defects from arising in the first place. On the other hand, if the percentage of features closed is low, it may indicate that the team needs to prioritize feature development to deliver more value to the end-user. By analyzing the breakdown of tasks, engineering managers can make informed decisions to improve their team's development process.

Here are some examples of how engineering managers can use this feature to make data-driven decisions, optimize their team's performance and improve their development process

• Planning and aligning objectives: Engineering managers can use issues charts to understand what type of issues were solved in a given time frame and if they are in alignment with the set objectives. For instance you may want to focus on features as that is what is going to help you bring more customers but when you analyze issues chart it turns out most of your teams time was spent on answering questions from other stake holders. This indicates need to change the priority to working on features.
• Set targets for each task type: Based on the breakdown of tasks, engineering managers can set targets for each task type and track progress against those targets. For example, if the team has a high percentage of defects closed, the manager may set a target to reduce the percentage of defects closed by improving the quality assurance process.
• Identify areas for improvement and allocate resources effectively: By analyzing the breakdown of tasks, engineering managers can identify where their team's efforts are focused and allocate resources accordingly. For example, if a high percentage of tasks are support tickets, the manager may consider allocating more resources to the support team to ensure that these tickets are resolved quickly.
• Optimize the development process: Engineering managers can optimize the development process by identifying bottlenecks and inefficiencies. For example, if the average time to complete tasks is consistently high, the manager may identify a need to streamline the workflow or allocate additional resources to the team to complete their tasks more efficiently.
• Prioritize tasks: The breakdown of tasks can also help engineering managers prioritize tasks based on their importance and urgency. For example, if a high percentage of tasks are defects, the manager may prioritize resolving these defects to ensure that the software product is of high quality.
• Identify training needs: Analyzing the breakdown of tasks can help identify areas where team members may require additional training or support. For example, if a high percentage of tasks are related to documentation, the manager may identify a need to provide training on documentation best practices.

Issue charts feature of providing a breakdown of tasks closed by type and the average time it took to complete them can be an incredibly useful tool for engineering managers looking to improve their development process. By understanding the breakdown of tasks and analyzing the average time, managers can identify areas for improvement, optimize their team's productivity, and deliver high-quality software products. To make the most of the feature, managers should regularly review the data, focus on outliers, and collaborate with their team.