DORA Metrics
Also known as: DevOps Metrics, Software Delivery Metrics
Definition
DORA metrics measure software delivery performance through deployment frequency, lead time for changes, change failure rate, and time to restore service. In diligence and turnaround work, they translate engineering throughput and operational reliability into business risk.
DORA metrics matter because they connect engineering behavior to revenue risk. Slow lead time delays roadmap commitments. High change failure rate burns customer trust. Long restore times turn incidents into board issues.
The EBITDA-DevOps conversation starts when DORA metrics become dollars: customer-impacting incidents, delayed delivery, support load, and team attrition.
Related terms
- SOC 2 — A controls attestation for security, availability, confidentiality, processing integrity, and privacy. Often required for enterprise software sales and diligence.
- Technical Debt — The cumulative cost of architectural, platform, testing, and operational shortcuts in software systems — convertible to dollar EBITDA drag and exit-multiple turns.
Where this gets applied
- Project Recovery — Stalled programs unblocked. We've rescued $13M and $3M Fortune 500 initiatives in under 30 days.
- Technical Debt — Quantification in dollars, not adjectives. Then a remediation plan that runs in parallel with delivery.
- Compliance & Security — SOC 2, CMMC, FedRAMP, security baselines for post-acquisition standardization.