The objective of this phase is to create an environment in which the use of quantitative data is an accepted component of the management process. The four steps for accomplishing this are:

Define the objectives for the measurement program- how it is to be used. Consider how to implement the four uses of measurement, given the maturity level of the organization. The use of measurement should be tied to the organization’s mission, goals and objectives.

Create an environment receptive to measurement.Begin with the prerequisites listed earlier in this section. Establish service level agreements between IT and the users to define quality and productivity that must be defined before they can be measured. People involved with the measurement should help develop the measure. Establish a quality management environment and ensure the work processes being used have been implemented.

Define the measurement hierarchy, which has three levels of quantitative data: measures, metrics, and a strategic results dashboard (also called key indicators). This measurement hierarchy maps to a three-level IT organizational tier: staff, line management and senior management. IT staff collects basic measures, such as product size, cycle time, or defect count. IT line management uses fundamental metrics, such as variance between actual and budgeted cost, user satisfaction or defect rates per LOC to manage a project or part of the IT function. Senior management uses a strategic results dashboard, where the metrics represent the quantitative data needed to manage the IT function and track to the mission, vision, or goals. For example, a mission with a customer focus should have a customer satisfaction metric. A metric of the number of projects completed on time gives insight into the function's ability to meet short and long-term business goals.

Define the standard units of measurement.