Downloaded 28 times
Uploaded byShaju Rasheed
Estimation
The document provides guidance on best practices for estimating user stories in agile software development. It describes story estimation as assigning story points to stories based on their complexity relative to a baseline story. The core development team participates in estimation through planning poker sessions facilitated by the Scrum Master. Estimation occurs during regular backlog grooming and sprint planning meetings to size all stories in the backlog and those being considered for the next sprint.
In this document
Powered by AI
Introduction to Story Estimation, including topics such as Story Points, their significance, and estimation best practices.
Definition of Story Estimation and Story Points, explaining their role in project backlog management.
Advantages of using Story Points for estimation, including accuracy, collaboration, and employing Fibonacci Sequence.
Key participants in the estimation process and timing of estimations during backlog grooming and sprint planning.
Steps to estimate stories, importance of estimation for planning, scheduling, and team agreement.
Guide to key roles involved in story estimation and their responsibilities in the process.
Detailed steps for estimating a story using Planning Poker, with emphasis on the role of team discussions.
Frequently asked questions regarding the story estimation process, participant roles, and scope of estimation.
More Related Content
![[HCM Scrum Breakfast] Agile estimation - Story points](https://cdn.slidesharecdn.com/ss_thumbnails/storypointsestimations-160827052054-thumbnail.jpg?width=640&height=640&fit=bounds)
Estimation
- 1. Contents Story EstimationBest Practices • What is Story Estimation? • What are Story Points? • Why Use Story Points? • Why Use Fibonacci Sequence for Estimation? • Who Participates in Story Estimation? • When Do We Estimate Stories? • How Do We Estimate Stories? • Why Do We Estimate Stories? Facilitation Guide • Who Are The Key Players? • Steps to Estimating a Story FAQ
- 2. Story Estimation BestPractices What is Story Estimation? What are Story Points? Why Use Story Points? Why Use Fibonacci Sequence for Estimation? Who Participates in Story Estimation? When Do We Estimate Stories How Do We Estimate Stories? Why Do We Estimate Stories?
- 3. Product Backlog What isStory Estimation? Story estimation is the process of taking stories from the Product Backlog and assigning them ‘Story Points’ based on complexity relative to a ‘Baseline Story’ The Baseline Story should be reviewed, understood by the team and sized prior to estimating any other stories The end result is stories that are sized in points relative to each other and can be assigned to a Sprint Backlog Story 1 Points: ? Baseline Points: 3 VS. Product Backlog Story 1 Points: 5 Story 3 Points: 8 Story 2 Points: 3 Story 4 Points: 5 Story 1 Points: ? Story 3 Points: ? Story 2 Points: ? Story 4 Points: ? Un-estimated Stories Sized StoriesStory Comparison 3 Estimation is the process of sizing stories by assigning them Story Points
- 4. What are StoryPoints? 4 • Story Points Are: • Arbitrary measure / relative scale used for estimating effort to complete a user story • It is easy to understand by everyone • Easy method to estimating fast • Take in multiple facets (Complexity, Unknowns, Effort) – CUE • Allows for meaningful metrics and reporting • Story Points Are Not: • Directly correlated to development hours
- 5. Why Use StoryPoints? Story Points Are Relative • Story that is assigned a 2 should be twice as much as a story assigned as 1 • Studies show humans are better at relative estimates rather then actuals; we can’t estimate to 2.68 or 3.20 More accurate estimates • Drastically reduce planning time • More accurately predict release dates • We can determine how fast the team builds software and how long it will take to complete the work in our backlog Team Collaboration • Team discusses work and collaborates on the estimations
- 6. Why Use FibonacciSequence for Estimation? • Points are a relative indication of size. In other words, • Why Fibonacci and not 1-10 or something else? • Each number is the sum of the previous two. This builds a natural distribution curve into the estimates. • Is it easier to distinguish between a 6, 7 and 8 OR between a 3, 5, and 8? Similar relative to each other Approximately twice the size
- 7. Who Participates inStory Estimation? 7 Business SMEs Legend Does Not Estimate Estimates Tester Scrum Master* The “Core Team” Dev 1 Dev 2 Dev 3 Solution Architect Product Owner Tester Business System AnalystBusiness System Analyst Release Manager Program Manager Business Stakeholders *The Scrum Master facilitates but only estimates only if he/she is also part of the development team (Tech Lead, BSA etc.) The Product Owner helps facilitate but does not estimate The entire ‘Core Team’ participates in Estimation except for the Product Owner
- 8. When Do WeEstimate Stories? Initial Backlog Grooming: Start with initial Product Backlog Perform high-level estimation for all un- estimated stories Team will have multiple Backlog Grooming meetings during this cycle Amount and frequency of Backlog Grooming meetings contingent on size of the Backlog and progress made Sprint 1 Planning Held on first day of Sprint 1 Review only stories assigned to Sprint 1 Backlog Revisit story sizes and perform additional estimation in more detail if necessary 8 Sprint Zero Sprints 1-N Backlog Grooming Meetings: • Regularly held meetings during Sprints • Usually one meeting per week; no more than 10% of total Sprint time • Start with estimation of stories by priority • Size all new stories that have not yet been estimated • Revisit any stories that have requirements changes (e.g. change in story summary, scope, acceptance criteria) Sprint Planning Meetings: • Held on first day of each Sprint (some teams prefer to have this on the last day of the sprint) • Review only stories assigned to upcoming Sprint’s Backlog • Revisit story sizes and perform additional estimation if more detail is necessary *Estimation preferably occurs during the grooming sessions so time during the planning sessions can be spent on selecting which stories will be part of a sprint and start breaking those into tasks Story Estimation occurs during Backlog Grooming and *Sprint Planning meetings both during Sprint Zero and Sprints 1-N
- 9. How Do WeEstimate Stories? 9 Story Estimation consists of reviewing the Story, playing Online ‘Planning Poker’ to assign team- agreed Story Points and updating the Story in the Product Backlog Stories are reviewed in the Jira Product Backlog; facilitated by Product Owner or Proxy Product Owner (BSA) Product Owners should maintain a prioritized Product Backlog Ensure that development team fully understands story details prior to choosing a size Online Planning Poker method should be used. Sizes are in Story Points and should include all aspects of “completing” the story (e.g. developing, testing, documentation) by default Definition of Done Team Members with highest and lowest point estimates should share their reasoning Team should expect varying Story Point estimates in first round; complete 2-3 rounds max to converge on a Team agreed-upon Story Points
- 10. Why Do WeEstimate Stories? To Plan – When will something be done? To Schedule – What order should we do things in? To Hire – Do we need more people to do the work? To Price – How much will it cost? To Guide Investment – Is doing something worth it? To Reach Agreement – How much work effort do we, as a team, think the story will take. (Think whole team) To Be Sure We Understand the Story. 10
- 11. Facilitation Guide WhoAre the Key Players? Steps to Estimating a Story?
- 12. Who are theKey Players? 12 Key Players Roles and Responsibilities Product Owner • Maintains a groomed and prioritized backlog on an on-going basis and prior to Backlog Grooming meetings • Attends Backlog Grooming meetings to provide context about stories and requirements to the development team; does not participate in actual estimation of stories Business System Analyst • Facilitates the team viewing the story in the Jira Product Backlog prior to estimation • Assists the Product Owner in clarifying any details about the stories and requirements prior to story estimation • Participates in estimation Scrum Master • Facilitates using the Online Planning Poker tool to perform the actual estimation • Works together with the PO/ BSA to ensure that meeting logistics are set-up prior to the meeting • Facilitates team discussions after each estimation round; ensures that team members are sharing the appropriate information and that the team comes to an agreement on story size Development Team • Developers • Testers • Architects • Asks clarifying questions to the Product Owner and Business System Analyst when reviewing the story prior to estimation • Assists in defining the story wording and acceptance criteria • Submits individual estimations for stories that are uninfluenced and unbiased using the Planning Poker Online Tool • Drives the discussion following each round of estimation • Comes to an agreement on story size
- 13. Steps to Estimatinga Story 13 • Story Estimation consists of three (3) steps: 1. Reviewing the Story 2. Playing online ‘Planning Poker’ to assign team-agreed Story Points since not all team members will be co- located 3. Updating the Story in the Product Backlog
- 14. Step 1: TeamReviews Story 14 View story in Jira Product Backlog PO/BSA shares story with the team Ensure there is enough detail to estimate Team members ask clarifying questions and make updates to story details in real-time (acceptance criteria, story wording)
- 15. Step 2: OnlinePlanning Poker 15 http://www.planningpoker.com 2.1 – Scrum Master creates an account
- 16. Step 2: OnlinePlanning Poker 16 2.1 – Scrum Master creates a New Game http://www.planningpoker.com
- 17. Step 2: OnlinePlanning Poker 17 http://planningpoker.com// 2.2 – Scrum Master sends link to Game to Team Members Team can view Participant List HERE
- 18. Step 2: OnlinePlanning Poker 18 2.3 – Scrum Master manually enters Story to be estimated in free-form field • Enter Story Summary OR Story ID # http://www.planningpoker.com
- 19. Step 2: OnlinePlanning Poker 19 http://planningpoker.com// 2.4 – Team Members choose individual Story Point estimates • Sizes are hidden until all team members have chosen • Secrecy eliminates bias and influence from other team members • Stories should be estimated relative to Baseline Story size
- 20. Step 2: OnlinePlanning Poker 20 http://planningpoker.com// 2.5 –Story Point estimates are revealed when all team members have submitted their individual estimates • Team should expect varying results after Round 1 2.6 –Team discusses results of Planning Poker round • Discussion facilitated by Scrum Master • Team Members with highest and lowest estimates explain their reasoning • Team takes into consideration all aspects of ‘completing’ the story during discussion (e.g. developing, testing, documentation etc.)
- 21. Step 2: OnlinePlanning Poker 21 2.7 – If Round 1 yielded varying Story Point estimates, team estimates again by clicking ‘Play again’ • Team should play 2-3 rounds maximum as Story Point estimates converge to a unanimous size • If estimates vary after Round 3, team engages in a group discussion until a team-agreed size is reached 2.8 – When final Story Point size is agreed upon, the Scrum Master enters the size into the Estimation box and clicks ‘Accept’. Team moves onto the next story. http://www.planningpoker.com
- 22. Step 3: UpdateStory in the Product Backlog 22 PO/BSA updates story in Product Backlog with agreed-upon Story Point size in real-time Next Story to estimate is chosen based on priority of Product Backlog
- 23.
- 24. Frequently Asked Questions Who participates in story estimation? • The entire ‘Core Team’ participates in the story estimation process although the Product Owner does not estimate. The Product Owner, Business System Analyst, and Scrum Master facilitate reviewing the Story’s details and Planning Poker. The development team (developers, testers, architects) provide sizes for estimation. If the Scrum Master is also part of the development team, then he/she estimates as well; if not, then he/she does not estimate. What is the “scope” to be considered by those that are participating in the planning poker? Is this the story itself or their part of the tasks to complete a story? • Team Members should estimate the entire story. Sizes are in Story Points and should include all aspects of “completing” the story (e.g. developing, testing, documentation) by default Definition of Done • The Story should be estimated relative to the Baseline Story Who is responsible for facilitating Planning Poker? • The Scrum Master should facilitate all aspects of Planning Poker including creating an account, creating a Game, providing the team with the Game Link, beginning multiple rounds of estimation and accepting an estimated size 24