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Estimation ​

In Agile methodologies, some principles and tools are often used for planning and time estimation.

Story points ​

Story points can be used instead of absolute time units, such as hours or day.

Principles

  • Abstract metric that measure work complexity, amount, risk, uncertainty and difficulty.
  • They shouldn't be used as a way to assign detailed deadlines and resources.

Guidelines

  • Define an upper limit. No individual task should be more than 16h of work, as it's too difficult to estimate large tasks with confidence.

Burndown chart ​

The burndown chart is a graphical representation of work left to do versus time.

Velocity ​

Velocity is a metric to measure the amount of work done.

Planning poker ​

Planning poker is a gamified estimation technique.

Preparation

  • Select a Moderator (e.g. the Product Owner) who usually don't play
  • Define cards with numbers on it
    • Values represent time (hours, days) or more likely Story points.
    • You can even define a card with an unsure option, like a "?" sign.
  • Team members receive all the same cards

Procedure

  • The Moderator gives an overview of a task, typically a User Story.
  • Discussions occur with the team members to clarify assumptions and risks.
  • Team members vote by putting a card down.
  • Everyone reveals their card simultaneously.
  • People with high and low estimates justifiy their choice, discusssion is opened.
  • We repeat the estimation until a consensus is reached.

About cards values A non-linear suite is better since the estimation get harder when the choice is between two close numbers. Different sequences can be used:

Read more: Weber–Fechner's law of change

Resources