Welcome to the world of Agile development, where flexibility and adaptability are key to delivering successful projects.
One of the core concepts in Agile is the use of story points as a way of estimating the size and complexity of tasks.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what story points are, why they’re important, and how to effectively estimate them in your projects.
What Are Story Points?
Story points are a way of measuring the relative size and complexity of a task or user story.
Unlike traditional methods of estimation, which use hours or days to measure task size, story points are more abstract and are based on the team’s understanding of the task at hand. This allows for more accurate and consistent estimation across different projects and teams.
Story points are used in Agile development to plan and track the progress of a project. By assigning story points to each task or user story, the team can gain a better understanding of how much work is involved and how long it will take to complete. This allows the team to effectively plan their work and track progress towards their goals.
In order to effectively estimate story points, it’s important to involve the entire team in the process. The team should work together to understand the task at hand and assign a relative size and complexity to it.
This can be done through techniques such as relative estimation, where the team compares the task to similar tasks they have completed in the past, or through planning poker, where the team assigns story points through a consensus-based process.
Story Points vs Time-Based Estimation
In Agile, story points are a unit of measure used to estimate the relative size and complexity of a user story or task. They are a way to assign a value to a piece of work, without using time.
Instead of hours, team members assign story points based on factors like complexity, risk, and uncertainty. This allows for a more accurate estimate of how much work is involved, and how long it will take to complete.
But how do you estimate story points? There are different methods, but one popular approach is called Planning Poker, which will be explained in the next section.
So, if you want to improve your Agile project’s estimation process, start thinking in story points. It’s a more accurate and collaborative way to estimate the size and complexity of tasks and user stories.
Six Steps to Estimate Story Points
Now that you know what story points are, let’s go over how you can estimate them to scope user stories.
1. Introduce Story Points to Your Team
It’s important to keep in mind that story points are not a measure of time, but rather a measure of effort.
This means that a task assigned a story point of two should be twice as much effort as a task assigned a story point of one.
And a task assigned a story point of three should be one and a half times the effort of a task assigned a story point of two.
The key is to make sure that the team understands that the story point numbers need to scale relative to each other. This way, the team can work together to estimate and plan tasks more accurately.
2. Determine Your Story Points Sequence
When it comes to Agile, understanding story points is key. To help your team grasp the concept, explain the basics and benefits of using story points. Keep in mind that the numbers assigned to tasks should be relative to each other.
When deciding on a story point sequence, consider the Fibonacci sequence or t-shirt sizing. Fibonacci is a popular method but can be complex, while t-shirt sizing breaks tasks down into more manageable chunks.
Some teams even modify the Fibonacci sequence to make it easier to use. Remember, the key is to focus on the relative size between the numbers to make estimating complex tasks simpler.
3. Create A Story Points Metrix
But, don’t worry if you’re not sure where to start, creating a story point matrix is not a one-time thing, it’s an ongoing process.
As your team works on more projects and gains more experience, your matrix will become more accurate.
It’s also important to keep in mind that, the matrix should be flexible and adaptable, as the team’s understanding of the tasks and projects grow.
With a solid story point matrix in place, your team will be better equipped to estimate tasks accurately and efficiently, resulting in a more streamlined workflow.
4. Hold A Planning Poker Meeting
Don’t worry, it’s not as complicated as it sounds. It’s just a meeting where your team discusses each task and assigns a story point value based on the task’s complexity, uncertainty, and effort.
Think of it as a team effort to accurately estimate how much work can be accomplished in the upcoming sprint.
And the best part? It’s a fun and interactive way to get everyone involved in the planning process. So grab your deck of planning poker cards, and let’s get to work!
Here are the steps to run a successful planning porker meeting:
1. Define Story metrix for references
2. Select user story
3. Discuss the story with your team
4. Have each team member privately select the story point card they feel represents the amount of effort required to complete the story.
5. Have your team reveal their card selections at the same time.
If the story points align, move on to the next user story. If the story points don’t align, continue to discuss the user story until you reach an agreement.
6. Repeat the process
7. Using your story point matrix as a baseline,
5. Plan and Execute Your Sprint
As you continue to use story points, you’ll get a better sense of how many you can realistically complete in a sprint. But, don’t worry if you’re not sure at first.
Use your best judgement and estimate based on the complexity of tasks and the story point value. Keep in mind that your first sprint might include a variety of low and high-value story points, and that’s okay.
Over time, you’ll learn what works best for your team and can adjust the process based on feedback. Remember, it’s all about collaboration and making sure the team is on the same page.