Philippines staffing research ·
Mean time to review in outsourced programming teams
A measurement study for separating review delay from implementation time in distributed software delivery.
Review delay and coding time are different operational signals. A pull request can be technically complete while waiting for a reviewer, so combining both intervals hides where work is actually stalled.
DORA treats software delivery performance as a system outcome rather than an individual productivity score. GitHub records review requests, comments, approvals, and merge events, which gives teams a reproducible event trail for measuring review flow.
A useful baseline records the median and upper-quartile time from review request to first substantive review. Draft time, weekends, automated bot comments, and author self-reviews should be classified consistently before comparisons are made.
The evidence should also distinguish queue delay from review duration. Queue delay ends when a qualified reviewer begins; review duration covers the period until approval or a clear request for changes.
The strongest interpretation is comparative, not universal. Track the same repository and ticket classes over time, then examine whether reviewer coverage, pull-request size, or unclear ownership explains changes.
Research takeaway: measure the review system and its queues, not developer presence, and retain merge authority with the company technical owner.
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FAQ
What should happen first?
Begin with a bounded ticket, approved access, and a named reviewer.
Who approves production changes?
The company’s technical owner keeps final merge and release authority.