I Stopped Tracking Commits and Started Tracking Outcomes - Here's What Happened to My Dev Team

It all started with that one issue! For measuring the productivity of our dev team, we have been believing that more commits mean more productivity.

But, even after having the most commits done, our projects were delayed, features had bugs, and team morale was dropping. Our developers were setting productivity metrics that did not even put any effort into moving the projects.

That time, we decided to change our belief in more commits. Instead, we will focus on outcomes that bring real, effective changes to our projects. Guess what came in the result?

Well, you need to read the full story first for that.

How We Shifted to Outcome-Based Tracking

At first, it was hard to move away from our old system. For years, we monitored productivity by how often developers committed code or how active they seemed during work hours.

Now, this time our goal was to ship features that worked better, faster, and cleaner without writing more and more lines of code. So, we stopped counting commits and started tracking what truly mattered.

Here’s how we made the shift:

• Defined measurable outcomes: Instead of tracking activity, we defined what a “successful outcome” looked like. They were sometimes finishing a feature, reducing bug reports, or improving the load. We moved with targeted goals.
• Used employee monitoring software smartly: We started measuring and analyzing the employees' focus time, task flow, and collaboration efficiency using the employee monitoring software.
• Linked goals to impact: Every sprint or task was tied to how it contributed to a larger goal.
• Encouraged team ownership: Developers started reviewing their own outcomes instead of waiting for performance feedback. It became a shared process.

The Slack Went Silent!!

A few weeks after we switched to outcome-based tracking, something strange started happening.

Our dev team, the one that used to ping every few minutes, fill chat threads, and flood updates, went completely silent. No constant status reports, no quick commits every hour, no never-ending discussions.

At first, it felt unsettling.

The Slack channels were quiet, the meetings shorter, and the activity charts flatter than ever. The worst part was, my boss even reached out to me to check if everything was okay!

To be honest, it was a challenge for me. I never tried that before, and don’t know if that approach would even work.

So, to make sure the new system brings forth its best output, I started weekly measurement of employee data.

The Data Showed Patterns Even Before a Manager Could Spot!

We launch a feature every two weeks! Before the week comes to an end, and the feature goes through all the phases, including quality assurance, there is no way to understand if everything is going right or not!

So, at that moment, I decided to get insights from the employee monitoring software. Here, the platform allowed me to check if the process is getting stuck anywhere, who needs support, and even when a feature is most likely to face delays!

It felt like having a window into the development process without ever disturbing anyone’s concentration.

By the second month, I had gathered enough data to paint a full picture of how the new system was performing.

And I did not wait long to show the result to my boss!!

It’s Time to Celebrate

The moment I showed the data to my boss, I must say he was not ready to say that massive change!

Here’s what the data revealed–

• 5% more work completed each week without adding extra hours.
• We’ve achieved fewer but more meaningful commits that contributed directly to moving the projects forward.
• Error rate dropped by 30%, as developers spent more time testing and refining instead of racing to commit.
• Project delivery improved by 40% with features going live faster and smoothly.
• Happier developers who felt trusted to focus on outcomes, without their activity logs.

Focus on What Truly Moves the Needle

In the entire journey of implementing a new tool in our system, tracking, and analyzing data, the biggest part was dropping the idea of counting commits. This is what gave us the strength and spirit to trust in our employees and expertise.

Everyone felt more valued, invested their thoughts and hours wisely, and brought output that matters.

So, if you are also measuring your team performance by the number of commits, it’s time to ask yourself, are they just busy or truly productive? Because, in the end, all it matters is quality to strengthen your product in the market, not quantity!