DORA Metrics Are Not Enough: The Missing 5th Metric Engineering Leaders Need in 2026-new

📰 Medium · DevOps

DORA metrics are insufficient for measuring engineering team performance, as they focus on speed rather than value, and a new 5th metric is needed to capture this aspect

intermediate Published 15 Apr 2026

Action Steps

Assess your current use of DORA metrics
Identify the value-driven goals of your engineering team
Research alternative metrics that capture value, such as customer satisfaction or business outcomes
Implement a new metric that complements DORA and focuses on value
Monitor and adjust your metrics to ensure they align with your team's goals and priorities

Who Needs to Know This

Engineering leaders and managers can benefit from understanding the limitations of DORA metrics and the need for an additional metric to measure value, in order to make informed decisions about their team's performance and priorities

Key Insight

💡 DORA metrics focus on speed, but value is the new key metric for engineering teams