Definition of Complexity

While going through some SEI Presentations, I came across a term Design Complexity which was one of the contributing factors for the Delivered Defect Density. As we have chosen this as one of the PPMs in our organization, I would like know how to define the "Design Complexity". I have been searching in Google for the definition, but unable to find it.

I see a problem right from the start in your approach. You have elected to use a term and build a Process Performance Model that has no definition within your organization. Don’t do a literature search to determine what Process Performance Baselines (PPBs) and Process Performance Models (PPMs) to build for your organization. You need to start from the basics. What are your organization’s Quality and Process Performance Objectives (QPPOs)? You need to determine these first. Then you analyze the data in your measurement repository to build PPBs and PPMs that support the QPPOs.

The next step to use Measurement and Analysis (MA) to take the QPPOs, derive the information needs for the QPPOs, and then the measurement specifications that support the information needs and QPPOs. Once you have performed the MA process for your QPPOs, then you will be able to determine if you in fact need to look at Delivered Defect Density and/or Design Complexity. And keep in mind these two terms are just labels. The data you collect and analyze for Delivered Defect Density in one organization may be different from the data for Delivered Defect Density that are collected and analyzed for a different organization. The concepts are important, but going through the MA process will help you define what you need for your organization. Then you can apply whatever label makes sense for you. The MA process will also focus you on what data to analyze to build the PPBs and PPMs that will support your QPPOs.

Obviously Delivered Defect Density and Design Complexity are interesting things to look at, but do they support your organization’s QPPOs? If not, then there is no point in investigating them any further.

Now having said all that, I am surprised that you haven’t been able to locate any information on Design Complexity on the internet. In fact here is an SEI link on this subject http://www.sei.cmu.edu/str/descriptions/cyclomatic_body.html and a Wikipedia definition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclomatic_complexity

Tom McCabe has developed a whole collection of complexity measures, which you find out more about here http://www.mccabe.com/

Bottom line, work through the OPP and MA processes first, THEN look for help with definitions and building PPBs and PPMs. Don’t adopt someone else’s PPBs and PPMs just because these worked for them.