Before we begin the discussion of steps to initiate a measurement program, some basic definitions need to be presented. Two of these definitions appear in Chapter 2 and will be repeated here for review. Relevant definitions also appear in IEEE standards documents, and in a metrics text and a paper by Fenton. [3–6]. Measure A measure is an empirical objective assignment of a number (or symbol) to an entity to characterize a particular attribute. Measurement Measurement is the act of measuring. Metric (A similar definition can be applied to the term “software quality metric.”) A metric is a quantitative measure of the degree to which a system, system component, or process possesses a given attribute [4].