Dora Metrics
Lead Time For Changes
Dora Metrics
Lead Time For Changes
Time from the first commit to production deployment
How We Calculate It
Using your source code management tool, we retrieve all deployments within a specified period and identify the first commit for each deployment. From this, we calculate the time from the first commit to deployment.
For Lead Time For Changes to work, you need to configure how we identify your team’s deployments in the settings.
Why It Matters
Lead Time for Changes indicates how quickly you can deliver new features to production. A high lead time can signal large batch sizes, lengthy code reviews/QA, or extended CI/CD wait times.
Benchmark
| Elite | Good | Average | Needs Attention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 day | Between 1 and 7 days | Between 7 days and 1 month | More than 1 month |
How to Use Lead Time For Changes
Measure Lead Time for Changes alongside other deployment and DORA metrics to ensure a healthy balance between speed and stability in your delivery process.