Video: how Citation is measuring the impact of AI on software engineering productivity

Citation, an Hg portfolio company with more than 170 engineers globally, is using Plandek to support its transition to AI-augmented engineering.

In this short interview, Beccy Weeks, Chief AI Officer at Citation, explains how Plandek gave the team the visibility to turn AI adoption into measurable productivity improvement. By establishing a delivery baseline, identifying high-value constraints, and tracking quality alongside speed, Citation is using data to guide its transition to AI-augmented engineering.

“As we accelerated with AI, we’d see productivity improve, then plateau. Plandek helped us identify the next high-value constraint so we could unlock the next stage of improvement.”

- Beccy Weeks, Chief AI Officer, Citation

Key takeaways

• Measure before you optimise. Citation established a delivery baseline before rolling out AI, making it possible to measure genuine improvements over time.

• AI doesn’t remove bottlenecks - it moves them. As engineering output increased, new constraints emerged. Plandek helped identify where flow was slowing and which constraints to tackle next.

• Productivity and quality must improve together. Citation tracks engineering productivity alongside software quality to ensure AI accelerates delivery without increasing defects.

• Benchmark against peers. Quarterly business reviews and industry benchmarks provide context on performance and help prioritise continuous improvement.

• Turn data into action. Engineering managers, agile coaches, and product leaders use Plandek to identify bottlenecks, coach teams, and measure the real impact of AI across the SDLC.

As engineering teams transition to AI-augmented software delivery, understanding adoption is only the beginning. The real challenge is measuring impact, identifying constraints, and continuously improving the system as AI changes the way software is built.