Introducing the DX Core 4

When we published the DevEx framework last year, it sparked an unexpected wave of questions from engineering leaders. CTOs, CEOs, and developer productivity leaders wanted to better understand the differences between DORA, SPACE, and DevEx—and what exactly they should be measuring given these different frameworks.

DORA, SPACE, and DevEx each contribute important perspectives on what to measure. But none of the frameworks alone provide a complete answer:

• DORA offers prescriptive metrics but has limited scope and usefulness due to focus on system performance.
• SPACE provides a framework for defining your own metrics, which is difficult to actually do.
• DevEx focuses on developer experience and self-reported metrics, but it is isolated from the broader concept of productivity.

For these reasons, we developed the DX Core 4, a unified approach to measuring developer productivity that encompasses DORA, SPACE, and DevEx. The DX Core 4 provides a single, practical, and balanced framework that supports decision making at every level of the organization.

The DX Core 4 was developed by Laura Tacho (DX CTO) and Abi Noda (DX Co-founder and CEO), in collaboration with the authors of DORA, SPACE, and DevEx (who are DX advisors): Dr. Nicole Forsgren, Dr. Margaret-Anne Storey, Dr. Thomas Zimmerman, and others.

This framework has been tested and refined with over 300 organizations, helping organizations achieve outcomes such as 3-12% increases in engineering efficiency and 14% increases in R&D time spent on feature development.

For more about the framework and how to apply it, read the whitepaper and download our 2024 industry benchmarks. To learn about how DX can help you measure the DX Core 4, request a demo today.