When the dimensions framework is used with GQM, it may not be immediately evident to the researcher or practitioner what should be framed as a goal and what should be framed as one or more questions, as a goal could be stated as a research question or vice versa. As mentioned earlier, the HEART framework offers an alternative of using signals instead of questions. We have found it useful in practice to iteratively break down productivity measures along these three dimensions, and GQM is one approach for this.
