QAPE · v0.1-provisional
Quality-Adjusted Production Efficiency
Measure qualified software output per unit of attributable production cost, so that lower cost alone never counts as higher efficiency.
Index and class measurements
Awaiting validated data
This index has a defined methodology but no validated observations yet. Values are published only after inputs are validated under the governance procedure — no illustrative figures are shown here.
DefinedEvidence
PendingPublication
Not established
- QAPE — Quality-Adjusted Production Efficiency
Measures qualified software output relative to the resources required to produce it.
Status: METHODOLOGY ONLY · Awaiting validated data
Availability: Awaiting validated data — no series drawn.
Evidence: UNVALIDATED
- S1 · Utility Software
Narrow functionality, limited integration, low operational criticality.
Examples: A file-conversion utility; a standalone calculator.
Complexity, integrations and operational demands change production effort and quality requirements; compare like-for-like software within its class, not raw costs across classes. Examples illustrate scope, not automatic class assignments.
Status: METHODOLOGY ONLY
Availability: Awaiting validated data — no series drawn.
Evidence: UNVALIDATED
- S2 · Commercial Applications
Customer-facing products, persistent data, defined commercial workflows.
Examples: An online booking application; an e-commerce storefront.
Complexity, integrations and operational demands change production effort and quality requirements; compare like-for-like software within its class, not raw costs across classes. Examples illustrate scope, not automatic class assignments.
Status: METHODOLOGY ONLY
Availability: Awaiting validated data — no series drawn.
Evidence: UNVALIDATED
- S3 · Enterprise Platforms
Multiple roles, enterprise workflows, integrations, operational controls.
Examples: An enterprise resource-planning platform; an integrated customer-management platform.
Complexity, integrations and operational demands change production effort and quality requirements; compare like-for-like software within its class, not raw costs across classes. Examples illustrate scope, not automatic class assignments.
Status: METHODOLOGY ONLY
Availability: Awaiting validated data — no series drawn.
Evidence: UNVALIDATED
- S4 · Critical Infrastructure
Elevated security, reliability, governance or regulatory requirements.
Examples: A payment-processing system; an operational infrastructure-control system.
Complexity, integrations and operational demands change production effort and quality requirements; compare like-for-like software within its class, not raw costs across classes. Examples illustrate scope, not automatic class assignments.
Status: METHODOLOGY ONLY
Availability: Awaiting validated data — no series drawn.
Evidence: UNVALIDATED
- S5 · Composite Systems
Multiple integrated products or services with substantial orchestration.
Examples: A multi-product enterprise ecosystem; an orchestrated logistics network.
Complexity, integrations and operational demands change production effort and quality requirements; compare like-for-like software within its class, not raw costs across classes. Examples illustrate scope, not automatic class assignments.
Status: METHODOLOGY ONLY
Availability: Awaiting validated data — no series drawn.
Evidence: UNVALIDATED
No validated observations are available for this index or its class comparisons. Selection never creates a series.
What this index will measure
Measures qualified software output relative to the resources required to produce it.
Unit: Index level (base period = 100)
Methodology — provisional, not validated
- Formula / method
- QAPE(c,t) = 100 × E(c,t) / E(c,0), where E = qualified output units / attributable cost
- Inputs
- Qualified output units (provisional functional sizing)
- Attributable incremental production cost
- Mandatory quality-gate results
- Scope
- Per software class, per observation period; projects failing any mandatory gate contribute zero qualified output.
- S1–S5 class normalization (method only — no class comparison figures until validated observations exist)
- Efficiency is computed within class before indexing; cross-class comparisons use relative levels only.
- Baseline
- First validated observation period per class = 100
- Limitations
- Functional sizing of output units is provisional and unvalidated.
- No published values: requires calibrated, attributable cost data.
Version history & limitations
- v0.1-provisional2026-10-20Initial provisional definition drafted for research review. Not validated.