Productivity Quote by Tom DeMarco
““Productivity has to be defined as benefit divided by cost. The benefit is observed dollar savings and revenue from the work performed, and cost is the total cost, including replacement of any workers used up by the effort.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Mythical Man-Month, 1975
Productivity equals the monetary benefit of work divided by its total cost, including labor replacement.
In simple terms: Benefit divided by cost measures productivity.
Key Takeaway
Focus on net value, not just output.
Themes
efficiency
cost‑benefit
management
Mood
analytical
pragmatic
Type
business
financial
When to use this quote
- project planning
- budget reviews
- process improvement
- performance metrics
Key Concepts
economics
value measurement
resource allocation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can non‑financial gains be quantified?
- What costs are often overlooked?
A Different Perspective
Ignores qualitative benefits like morale or learning.
![“While this [10 to 1] productivity differential among programmers is understandable, there is also a 10 to 1 difference in productivity among software organizations” quote by Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d65/tom-demarco-12134_productivity_while-this-10-to-1-productivity-differen_444032.jpg)
