# How to improve Speed?

Speed is one of the pillars in software delivery performance, directly impacting how quickly features and fixes reach your customers. But improving speed is not just about accelerating the process; it's about optimizing every phase to ensure quicker delivery without compromising quality.

In this section, we focus on key speed metrics:

* **Cycle Time**
* **Coding Time**
* **Review Time**
* **Merge Time**
* **Pick Up Time**

Each of these metrics reflects a distinct phase of the software delivery process. By understanding and improving each, teams can shorten their time to delivery and respond more quickly to changing business needs.

In the following pages, we’ll dive into each metric, explore strategies for improvement, and look at the tools and practices that can help optimize your team's delivery speed. Whether you're looking to streamline your development process, accelerate code reviews, or reduce merge delays, this guide will provide actionable insights.

#### Key Metrics to Track Speed

Understanding and improving speed starts with tracking the right metrics. These are the key metrics that represent different stages of the software delivery cycle:

* **Cycle Time**\
  The total time it takes from the *First Commit* till *PR Merge*;  shorter cycle time means faster feedback and quicker delivery.
* **Coding Time**\
  The time from the *First Commit* till *PR Open*. Efficient coding processes and practices reduce bottlenecks and help speed up delivery.
* **Review Time**\
  The time spent in review i.e from the time *PR is Open to Review* till *PR is Approved*. Minimizing review time is critical for faster iterations.
* **Merge Time**\
  The time taken to integrate changes into the main codebase after approval. Reducing merge time ensures faster deployment.
* **Pick Up Time**\
  The time before a developer picks up new work after finishing previous tasks. A streamlined process helps maintain consistent flow.

While bottlenecks can certainly slow down progress, improving speed is not solely about identifying issues. It's about understanding the processes behind each metric and applying strategies that boost efficiency across the entire delivery pipeline.

In the following sections, we’ll break down each of these metrics in detail and provide actionable strategies to optimize them. Whether you want to:

* Streamline the **development process**
* Speed up **code reviews**
* Reduce delays in **merging code**
* Minimize **pick up times**

We’ll guide you through practical steps and best practices that can make a significant impact on your team's speed.

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