Session 5.6 - Postmortem Analysis & Improvement
Chapter 10: The Postmortem | Duration: 1 hr
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, you will be able to:
- Analyze time, size, and defect data to assess performance
- Summarize key findings for the team
- Identify process changes for the next cycle
- Capture lessons learned in the project notebook
Introduction
With clean data collected, the team can learn and improve. Chapter 10’s postmortem closes the loop: measure results, decide what to change, and record lessons for the next cycle.
Analyzing Results
- Compare planned vs. actual time and schedule.
- Review size vs. estimates.
- Analyze defect injection/removal by phase; yields of reviews/tests.
Findings & Insights
Common Findings
- Estimate accuracy (size/time) and causes of variance
- Phase yield effectiveness (reviews vs. tests)
- Tooling or environment issues
- Team communication/coordination gaps
Process Improvements
Convert insights into actions for the next cycle:
- Update standards, checklists, and scripts as needed.
- Adjust estimation baselines and buffers.
- Plan specific quality actions (earlier inspections, more test scenarios).
- Document lessons and action items in the project notebook.
Summary
- Postmortem analysis turns data into decisions for improvement.
- Evaluate time, size, and defect metrics; capture findings.
- Update processes, standards, and plans for the next cycle.
- Record lessons so they persist beyond the team.