Bus Factor
What is Bus Factor?
The bus factor represents the minimum number of team members who need to be hit by a bus (or win the lottery) before a project is in serious trouble due to lack of knowledge.
Key Indicators of Low Bus Factor
- Single person maintaining critical systems
- Undocumented knowledge
- Complex legacy systems
- Specialized domain expertise
- Lack of knowledge sharing
How to Improve Bus Factor
- Document everything
- Code documentation
- System architecture
- Deployment procedures
- Business logic
- Implement pair programming
- Regular knowledge sharing sessions
- Cross-training team members
- Code reviews
Benefits of High Bus Factor
- Reduced project risk
- Better team collaboration
- Improved code quality
- Faster onboarding
- Sustainable development
Measuring Bus Factor
| Bus Factor | Risk Level | Action Needed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Critical | Immediate action required |
| 2-3 | High | Knowledge sharing needed |
| 4+ | Healthy | Maintain practices |
Learn More
For more detailed information, visit the Wikipedia article on Bus Factor.