Agile estimating - what's the point(s)?
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This document provides guidance on estimating user story sizes using planning poker. It recommends estimating the size separately from estimating duration. Relative estimating is important, where a simple login screen may be a 2 and a complex search feature an 8. Basic math properties like 5 + 5 = 10 should hold. Examples are provided of planning poker card values and an iterative approach is described where estimators provide initial estimates, discuss differences, and re-estimate until consensus is reached.
Agile estimating - what's the point(s)?
- 2. IBusiness Analyst for 6 years and IIBA NW&E Branch member Joined Sigma in July 2012 Working on Agile projects for the past 4 years Certified Scrum Product Owner
- 3. Understand the importance of estimating size and duration separately. Understand how a team can use relative estimating. Give it a go!
- 6. • How long a user story will take (effort) • Influenced by complexity, uncertainty, risk, volume of work, etc. • Relative values are what is important: • A login screen is a 2. • A search feature is an 8. • Basic math properties should hold • 5+5 = 10
- 9. • Look for the things you know, that have known estimates or sizes • Use them to help compare tasks to ensure that they are relatively similar in size
- 10. • A little effort helps a lot • A lot of effort only helps a little more
- 11. • Can you distinguish a 1-point story from a 2? • How about a 17 from an 18? • Use a set of numbers that make sense; I like: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 20, 40, 100 • Stay mostly in a 1-10 range
- 12. An iterative approach to estimating Steps 1. Each estimator is given a deck of cards, each card has a valid estimate written on it 2. Product owner/Scrum master reads a story and it’s discussed briefly 3. Each estimator selects a card that’s his or her estimate 4. Cards are turned over so all can see them 5. Discuss differences (especially outliers) 6. Re-estimate until estimates converge
- 13. Round 1 Round 2 Player 1 5 8 Player 2 5 8 Player 3 8 8 Player 4 20 13
- 14. Task (backlog item) Estimate? Read (and understand) a high-level, 10-page overview of agile software development in a celebrity news magazine. Read (and understand) a densely written 5-page research paper about agile software development in an academic journal. Your uncle owns a clock store and wants to sell clocks over the internet. Write a product backlog for him that he can use to get bids from teams in India to build his site. Recruit, interview, and hire a new member for your team. Create a 60-minute presentation about agile software development for your co- workers. Wash and wax your boss’ Camper Van. 2 Read (and understand) a 150-page book on agile software development. 8 Write a 5 page summary on this for your line manager
- 16. • Estimate size; derive duration • A little effort helps a lot • Triangulate • Use the right scale / range • Estimate as a team • Discuss differences (especially outliers) • Re-estimate until estimates converge