Lead Time

Software development lead time refers to the duration between the initiation of a software project (or deciding to implement a specific feature) and its completion or delivery to end users. This period encompasses several stages, from ideation to deployment. Lead time is a critical metric in software development as it reflects the efficiency of the entire process. Shorter lead times can indicate streamlined workflows and quicker time-to-market, while longer lead times may suggest bottlenecks or inefficiencies. Reducing lead time often involves optimizing collaboration between development and operations teams, improving code quality, and automating testing and deployment processes.

Note that lead time is defined differently in DevOps! Per DORA (DevOps Research and Assessment), it is defined as the time elapsed between committing code and deploying it to production.

Resources

A brief article outlining lead time and how it differs from cycle time.
Did you know that lead time is defined differently in lean software development and DevOps? This article explores the various definitions of lead time, compares them with cycle time, and explains how each is used and why they are valuable.