> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.periscope.sh/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# SPACE metrics

> Understand the SPACE framework for developer productivity and how Periscope implements it through PR analytics.

SPACE is a developer productivity framework introduced by researchers at Microsoft, GitHub, and the University of Victoria. It argues that productivity is multidimensional and cannot be captured by a single metric. Instead, it proposes five dimensions:

| Dimension                           | What it captures                                |
| ----------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| **S**atisfaction and well-being     | How developers feel about their work            |
| **P**erformance                     | Outcomes of the development process             |
| **A**ctivity                        | Volume and frequency of engineering actions     |
| **C**ommunication and collaboration | How effectively the team works together         |
| **E**fficiency and flow             | Speed and smoothness of the development process |

## SPACE metrics in Periscope

Periscope focuses on the dimensions that can be measured objectively from your GitHub pull request data.

### Available now

| Periscope metric                      | SPACE dimension | What it measures                            |
| ------------------------------------- | --------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| [Throughput](/metrics/throughput)     | Activity        | PRs merged per week                         |
| [Cycle time](/metrics/pr-cycle-time)  | Efficiency      | Time from PR open to merge                  |
| [Size vs time](/metrics/size-vs-time) | Efficiency      | Relationship between PR size and cycle time |

### Coming soon

| Metric                 | SPACE dimension | What it will measure                   |
| ---------------------- | --------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| Pickup time            | Efficiency      | Time from PR open to first review      |
| WIP (work in progress) | Efficiency      | Number of PRs open simultaneously      |
| Reviews per PR         | Communication   | Average number of reviews before merge |

<Info>
  SPACE's Satisfaction dimension requires surveys and qualitative data, which Periscope does not collect. If you use developer experience surveys, the quantitative SPACE metrics in Periscope provide useful context for interpreting survey results.
</Info>

## Throughput (Activity)

Tracks the number of PRs merged per week. Throughput gives you a high-level view of your team's shipping cadence. Consistent throughput suggests healthy flow; drops may indicate blockers, context switching, or team capacity issues.

[Learn more about throughput](/metrics/throughput)

## Cycle time (Efficiency)

Measures the time from when a pull request is opened to when it is merged. Long cycle times indicate bottlenecks in code review, CI pipelines, or team coordination. Periscope provides p50, p75, and p95 percentiles so you can distinguish between typical and worst-case experiences.

[Learn more about cycle time](/metrics/pr-cycle-time)

## Size vs time (Efficiency)

Plots PR size against cycle time to reveal whether larger changes are creating review bottlenecks. This helps teams set data-informed guidelines for maximum PR size.

[Learn more about size vs time](/metrics/size-vs-time)

## Using DORA and SPACE together

DORA and SPACE are complementary. DORA focuses on the output of the delivery pipeline (how fast and reliably you ship), while SPACE focuses on the inputs and experience of the development process.

A practical approach:

1. Use **DORA metrics** to track your delivery pipeline health — are you shipping frequently, quickly, and reliably?
2. Use **SPACE metrics** to understand *why* — are cycle times long because of large PRs? Is throughput dropping?

<Card title="DORA metrics" icon="gauge-high" href="/concepts/dora-metrics">
  Learn about the four DORA metrics and performance benchmarks.
</Card>