The use of software metrics to manage and control project development and delivery is an accepted industry-wide best practice. Even though standardized metric definitions and practices are not yet fully developed, measurement programs are evident in more than 80% of IT organizations today. However, the content and the deployment of these measurement programs vary widely across IT organizations. No IT manager will argue with the adage you can't manage what you don't measure. What is often debated is the effectiveness and usefulness of particular metrics.