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

Understand the importance of estimating size and

duration separately.

Understand how a team can use relative

estimating.

Give it a go!

• 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

Lion Kangaroo Rhinoceros Bear Giraffe Gorilla Hippopotamus Tiger

• 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

• A little effort helps

a lot • A lot of effort only

helps a little more

• 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

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

Round 1 Round 2

Player 1 5 8

Player 2 5 8

Player 3 8 8

Player 4 20 13

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

www.planningpoker.com

• 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