Wideband Delphi and Planning Poker
Last Updated :
23 Jul, 2025
Wideband Delphi and Planning Poker are two well-known methods used in decision-making and project estimates. Planning Poker is a cooperative technique used in agile approaches to estimate the effort required for accomplishing projects, whereas Wideband Delphi concentrates on obtaining expert viewpoints and encouraging agreement through iterative rounds of feedback. Both approaches provide organized frameworks to improve project planning accuracy and dependability, guaranteeing effective resource allocation and excellent project outcomes.
What is Wideband Delphi?
Wideband Delphi is an organized process for predicting and decision-making based on consensus. It consists of a facilitator moderating several rounds of anonymous comments from a group of specialists. As the group's collective insights inform each round, participants review and adjust their estimations or opinions, resulting in convergence toward a consensus. By reducing individual biases and uncertainties, this iterative process produces forecasts or judgments that are more accurate.
Advantages of Wideband Delphi
- Efficiency: When compared to other estimation techniques, Wideband Delphi usually requires fewer iterations, which makes it a more efficient choice for time-constrained projects. Its methodical methodology reduces the need for lengthy talks and speeds up the estimation process.
- Expert Input: Wideband Delphi makes use of the knowledge of people who are acquainted with the topic or domain of the project. It reduces the impact of individual biases and raises the accuracy of estimations by combining the opinions of several experts.
- Anonymity: By allowing participants to submit estimates anonymously, Wideband Delphi lessens the chance that groupthink or peer pressure would sway participant's opinions. Participants are encouraged to give candid evaluations based on their expertise because of their anonymity.
Disadvantages of Wideband Delphi
- Complex Project Management Difficulties: Wideband Delphi may find it difficult to manage complicated projects with a lot of interdependencies, uncertainties, and dynamic factors.
- Delphi Diversity of Perspectives: If the experts in the Wideband Delphi group have similar histories or points of view, there may not be as much diversity in their perspectives.
- Time-Consuming Process: The process of developing agreement through several rounds of estimation, feedback, and consensus building is a common feature of wide-band Delphi.
What is Planning Poker
Planning Poker is a cooperative method for estimating the amount of work needed to finish tasks or user stories in agile project management, especially in Scrum. It contains team members ranking various backlog items according to their effort and complexity, frequently using narrative points as a unit of measurement. As they work towards an agreement through open discussion and compromise, participants explain why they believe the values they have been allocated are appropriate. It promotes teamwork and leverages common knowledge to enable more relevant and accurate estimations, which improves project planning and execution.
Advantages of Planning Poker
- Fun and Engagement: Organizing poker is often viewed as a fun and engaging activity that boosts morale and fosters team collaboration. Its interactive nature enhances estimation accuracy, encouraging innovation and active participation, making the estimation process more enjoyable for team members.
- Relative Estimation: Teams can assess the relative size and complexity of various user stories or jobs by using Planning Poker, which places more emphasis on relative estimation than absolute values. This method makes estimating easier and makes relative effort-based prioritization easier.
- Engagement and Cooperation: Throughout the estimation process, Planning Poker promotes team member's active involvement and cooperation. It encourages a common understanding and sense of responsibility over the project integrating the whole team in conversations and decision-making.
Disadvantages of Planning Poker
- Opposition to Change: Teams who are not experienced with Agile approaches or estimate techniques may experience resistance or suspicion when introducing Planning Poker. Facilitators may need to invest in training, knowledge, and patience to overcome resistance and guarantee buy-in from team members.
- Dependency on Team Dynamics: Good teamwork and communication are critical components of planning poker. Estimates may not be as accurate if team members are not involved or if they are impacted by biases like groupthink or anchoring.
- Uncertainty in Estimates: Planning Poker can not promise exact or accurate estimates, but it does attempt to provide relative estimates of effort or complexity.
Difference between Wideband Delphi and Planning Poker
Parameters
| Wideband Delphi
| Planning Poker
|
|---|
Approach
| It uses a structured process where experts submit anonymous estimates, have a discussion about them, and then update their estimates in response to input from the group.
| Team members estimate tasks or user stories simultaneously while using this collaborative estimation technique.
|
|---|
Anonymity
| By providing estimates anonymously, participants in Wideband Delphi lessen the possibility of bias or outside influence.
| Team members actively participate in discussions and freely share their estimations, thus anonymity is not an issue.
|
|---|
Participants Involvement
| Usually, a smaller number of stakeholders or experts participate and offer anonymous estimations.
| All members of the team, developers, testers, and product owners are involved.
|
|---|
Focus
| Absolute estimation is the main focus when participants give estimates expressed in absolute terms (e.g., hours, days).
| It places a strong emphasis on relative estimate, in which team members evaluate the relative complexity and magnitude of various tasks or user stories.
|
|---|
Future Trends and Innovations in Wideband Delphi and Planning Poker
- Predictive Analytics and Forecasting: By analyzing project parameters and historical data, predictive analytics can be used to foresee project risks and forecast results more precisely.
- Blockchain for Transparency and Trust: By offering unchangeable records of estimating sessions and decisions, blockchain technology may be used to guarantee the integrity and transparency of estimation processes.
- Hybrid Estimation Approaches: Creating hybrid estimation methodologies that handle particular project issues and requirements by combining components of Planning Poker, Delphi, and other techniques will provide customized solutions for complex projects.
- Enhanced Integration with Agile and DevOps Practices: To facilitate ongoing planning and estimate improvement as a component of iterative development processes, a deeper integration with these approaches is real integration with AI and Machine Learning: Using AI and machine learning algorithms to assess past data and make insightful suggestions for more precise estimations, integrating these technologies into the Planning Poker and Delphi processes.
- Enhanced Collaboration Platforms: Creating online tools that let remote teams collaborate in real-time and estimate tasks. These tools may also include elements of gamification to boost user engagement.
Conclusion: Wideband Delphi and Planning Poker
In conclusion, organizations looking to enhance their project estimation and decision-making procedures might benefit greatly from the use of Wideband Delphi and Planning Poker. These methods promote cooperation, reduce biases, and improve forecast accuracy, which eventually results in more effective resource allocation and good project outcomes. Project planning activities inside organizations can be made more transparent, agile, and effective by utilizing the collective experience of specialists or team members.
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