How we reduced MR review time with Value Stream Management

What this post added

This post details how GitLab engineers used Value Stream Management (VSM) and Value Stream Analytics (VSA) to identify and address bottlenecks in the Merge Request (MR) review process. They customized VSA by adding a new stage 'Review Time to Merge' to track time from reviewer assignment to MR merge. They utilized the Total Time Chart for visualization and the Stage Navigation Bar for deeper insights into individual MRs, identifying issues like reviewer assignment delays, slow review start times, multiple feedback loops, and idle time post-approval. This dogfooding experience is leading to the development of a new VSA event, 'Merge request last approved at', for more granular visibility into the review process.