Introduction
Global Capability Centers (GCCs) have become a strategic model for engineering organizations to access specialized talent and optimize operational costs. However, without a structured performance measurement framework, many GCCs risk being perceived as support-oriented or limited in strategic impact. At Aeries Technology, we address this challenge by embedding performance reporting from the outset – through clear objectives, well-defined team structures, and effective work allocation. This ensures GCCs are positioned as integral, high-performing extensions of the core engineering organization, focused on innovation and long-term value creation.
Challenges in Software Engineering Metrics
Historically, Software Engineering has been one of the least measured departments compared to Service Delivery, Customer Care, and Sales. However, with the adoption of frameworks like DORA (DevOps Research and Assessment) and SPACE (Satisfaction, Performance, Activity, Communication and Collaboration, Efficiency and Flow), measuring Software Engineering performance has gained prominence.
Opportunities in Establishing Engineering Measurement Frameworks (EMFs)
In many cases, offshore engineering teams inherit basic metrics from their parent (onshore) teams – a reflection of how these teams are often viewed through a staff augmentation lens. However, when positioned as standalone centers of excellence (CoEs), GCCs offer a unique opportunity to establish robust Engineering Measurement Frameworks (EMFs) that not only elevate local performance but also influence measurement practices across the broader organization. Through EMFs, GCCs can serve as a benchmark for best practices and inspire widespread adoption across the entire organization, enhancing overall performance and integration.
Setting up an EMF, particularly for remote GCCs, is a delicate balance – it requires selecting metrics that are comprehensive enough to drive performance and improvement, yet simple and context-aware enough to avoid overwhelming teams or creating a culture of surveillance. The goal is to enable visibility and accountability while maintaining autonomy, trust, and innovation within the GCC. The implementation of an EMF aims to drive continuous improvement in people and processes, steering GCCs towards becoming value-driven centers.
Aeries Engineering Measurement Framework (EMF)
The Aeries EMF maps the journey a remote GCC engineering organization follows as it moves from making work merely visible to tying every release to business impact. It is structured as a three-stage maturity model – Crawl (Foundational), Walk (Scaling), and Run (Optimized) – and tracks progress across four high-level performance dimensions:
- Delivery Flow & Predictability – How quickly and consistently is code being shipped?
- Process Health & Collaboration – How effectively does the team collaborate and operate?
- Product Quality & Reliability – How stable and defect-free are the releases
- Business & Customer Impact – How much does each release contribute to user value and ROI?
PERFORMANCE DIMENSION 
CRAWL (FOUNDATIONAL)
WALK (SCALING)
RUN (OPTIMIZED)
- Basic throughput (e.g., stories/sprint)
- Work-in-progress limits
- Lead / cycle time
- Flow efficiency (e.g., active vs waiting)
- Balanced work distribution
- Deployment frequency
- Change failure probability
- Pull-request responsiveness (e.g., time-to-first review)
- Merge latency
- Automated governance (policy compliance rate)
- Engineering cadence predictability
- Defect containment (escape rate)
- Initial reliability baseline
- Mean-time-to-recover (MTTR)
- Release stability trends
- Availability SLAs met
- Customer-facing incident rate
Employee Satisfaction and Well-Being
It is vital to maintain a focus on employee satisfaction and well-being while monitoring these metrics. Engaging in comprehensive feedback mechanisms such as sprint retrospectives and one-on-one meetings can provide valuable insights. These interactions should address key areas:
- Start Doing: Identify new practices that could enhance current processes.
- Stop Doing: Recognize and eliminate ineffective or harmful practices.
- Continue Doing: Acknowledge and maintain effective actions and behaviors.
Leveraging Technology for Metrics Implementation
The implementation of these metrics is facilitated by various integrated platforms such as Harness, ClickUp, and others. Adjunct systems like Jellyfish and Pluralsight Flow enhance this integration, allowing for seamless compatibility with existing tools such as JIRA and GitHub, thereby simplifying the reporting process.
Transforming GCCs with Aeries EMF
The Aeries Engineering GCC team supports clients in defining success by assessing the current stage of their Engineering teams and guiding them towards advanced monitoring stages using the Aeries EMF. This tailored approach not only identifies key areas for improvement but also implements sustainable practices that drive long-term growth and innovation. By continuously evolving with the dynamic demands of technology and markets, we ensure that our clients remain at the forefront of engineering excellence.
