Velocity
Story Points vs Cycle Time: Which Metric Should You Track?
In the world of software development, metrics are essential for understanding how your engineering teams operate, identifying areas for improvement, and aligning technical output with business objectives. Among the most frequently discussed metrics are story points and cycle time. While both serve critical functions in the development lifecycle, choosing the right metric to track can have a profound impact on developer productivity, team efficiency, and project outcomes.
This post explores story points and cycle time in depth, examines their pros and cons, and discusses which metric you should prioritize according to your team’s needs—and how platforms like Gitrolysis can help you get the actionable insights you need. Whether you’re an engineering manager, product owner, or executive seeking data-driven decisions, understanding these metrics is key to successfully guiding your teams.