25
votes
Accepted
Is velocity a valid measure of team and process improvement?
Velocity is not a valid measure of team or process improvement.
Velocity, especially when it is based on Story Points, is extremely unstable. By itself, Velocity doesn't reflect the capacity of the ...
- 19.8k
14
votes
Is gauging a team's performance using scores assigned by other stakeholders valuable?
There is nothing wrong with this type of scoring. This type of customer confidence score is the same general idea as NPS and a multitude of other score. Whether or not it is healthy is largely ...
- 16.9k
14
votes
Is a project manager responsible for completing a project on time?
All work is probabilistic. It has an extremely improbable best case result, an extremely improbable worst case result, and an extremely probable most likely result. That probabilistic distribution ...
- 37.2k
13
votes
Accepted
Is gauging a team's performance using scores assigned by other stakeholders valuable?
Do other companies do this? Is it considered Agile? Can it show real insight?
No. No. No.
Why not? Because it's completely pointless. You said you have sprints. I guess they have tickets or stories ...
- 8,650
10
votes
Accepted
What metrics can we generate from t-shirt sizes (rather than story points) when estimating user stories?
Summary
To calculate velocity when using non-numeric relative sizing, you first need to map your story sizes to numeric values. I provide a working example of how to do this with tee shirt sizes, and ...
- 50.7k
8
votes
Accepted
What Does "Commitment" Look Like with Agile Projects?
What You're Offering
This is a good question, because it highlights a common misunderstanding of agile principles and contracting. In practice, you aren't promising to deliver something with a fixed ...
- 50.7k
8
votes
Is tracking billable time for Scrum ceremonies in JIRA an anti-pattern?
The direct answer to your question is that how you bill your time to the client is not addressed in Scrum. Therefor there is no billing model that is expressly anti-scrum. If adding a place on the ...
- 16.9k
8
votes
Is a project manager responsible for completing a project on time?
Yes, a project manager is responsible for completing a project on time. However, "on time" is a date that will often move during the life of the project, and it is the agreed date that the ...
- 6,868
7
votes
Is tracking billable time for Scrum ceremonies in JIRA an anti-pattern?
Scrum works best if you have good product ownership, fixed-length iterations and a stable team. If the backlog is determined by the client and the team is stable then (barring leave and unexpected ...
- 6,340
6
votes
Is a project manager responsible for completing a project on time?
A project manager has the overall responsibility for the project's success.
But what is project success, you may ask?
Many executives see project success as delivering software on time, on budget and ...
- 15.4k
5
votes
Accepted
Measuring code productivity between team members
I understand where you are coming from. However, I am unable to understand what you are trying to achieve from this kind of measurement.
This practice of capturing productivity per programmer / ...
- 332
5
votes
Accepted
How to calculate velocity when using fibonacci estimates
TL;DR
Calculating velocity is relatively straightforward if and only if you treat it as a rough estimate for forecasting. If your metrics imply great precision, you're using velocity wrong.
Having ...
- 50.7k
5
votes
What is the difference between metric and KPI?
A metric would be a standard of measurement in the context of PM. A performance indicator on the other hand is also just a type of performance measurement. Both terms could be and are used ...
- 195
5
votes
Accepted
Sprint planning, review: velocity,capacity, forecast and how this values relate?
Velocity is not something that is calculated, it is measured. Velocity is the amount of work that is completed in a Sprint. In this particular case, since you estimate work in Story Points, you will ...
- 19.8k
5
votes
Is velocity a valid measure of team and process improvement?
Your concern is absolutely correct. Velocity as a team improvement metric is problematic because an improving team will often see their velocity increase but just because the velocity increases doesn'...
- 16.9k
5
votes
Is gauging a team's performance using scores assigned by other stakeholders valuable?
Since you ask if this is considered Agile, I'll provide an answer in that direction.
And the answer is "most likely no".
All the individuals involved (business owners, managers, stakeholders) ...
- 15.4k
5
votes
Is tracking billable time for Scrum ceremonies in JIRA an anti-pattern?
TL;DR
Scrum is based on an empirical control methodology. While not directly stated in the Scrum Guide, it essentially posits a roughly-constant run rate for each Sprint, allowing predictable ...
- 50.7k
5
votes
Is a project manager responsible for completing a project on time?
I agree with the other two answers, but I'd phrase it slightly differently.
The Project Manager's primary responsibility is to manage the expectations about the project's completion date. This can ...
- 8,738
4
votes
Accepted
Should we count a story that is no longer required by Client/PO/Management in our velocity?
We have finished a story which is no more required by PO/Management. Surely this story is not going to add any business value. What to do in this case? Should we count the effort in velocity or not?
...
- 50.7k
4
votes
What is the difference between metric and KPI?
I once read a case about a development organization - they were trying to improve the administration of justice in an underdeveloped country. They had a way to measure the administration of justice (...
- 8,738
4
votes
Is gauging a team's performance using scores assigned by other stakeholders valuable?
It sounds like an assessment performed by people outside the team. How do you expect that the score will be received by the team members? What is expected from the team when they receive the score?
...
- 601
4
votes
Is tracking billable time for Scrum ceremonies in JIRA an anti-pattern?
I'm confused. You say you bill hours to the client. By that I understand "hours of work".
Scrum ceremonies are part of the work the team is doing. When you hold a daily standup for example, ...
- 15.4k
4
votes
Is a project manager responsible for completing a project on time?
I can only speak for software projects. The team as a whole ought to be responsible for success and timely delivery. If you are dependent on a PM to get the project done on time then you surely have a ...
- 6,340
3
votes
A simple estimation accuracy formula that always yields 0-100?
First we need to define 'Accuracy'.
If we overerestimated, then it's simple - if we spent 1/3 as much time, our accuracy was 1/3. 1/N x estimate = 1/N accuracy.
Underestimating, though, is the ...
- 14.8k
3
votes
A simple estimation accuracy formula that always yields 0-100?
Estimation accuracy formula
You said:
I cannot find any simple (estimation accuracy) formula that would
return a number between 0 and 100%
When the actual is the same as estimation, we want the ...
- 11.1k
3
votes
How can I track time spent by assignees on each ticket in JIRA?
Tracking Workflow Transitions
Tracking ticket assignments between people is generally considered a workflow or state transition. According to an Atlassian Confluence document, there are some ...
- 50.7k
3
votes
How much volatility should be acceptable among Scrum teams?
I've only just read up on "volatility" but to my understanding I don't see much wrong with it. It is a measure how fluid your project is. This is what scrum was designed to handle.
I'd say the ...
- 1,633
3
votes
How to calculate velocity when using fibonacci estimates
If 2x5 does not equal 10x1 then your relative sizes are off. A 5 means it 5 times more complex then 1 on average. On average it will also take 5 times more time to complete.
Still velocity is defined ...
- 5,553
3
votes
Accepted
What is your focus: increasing metrics or improving processes?
I'll answer this more generally because I am not an Agile guy. You are hitting on a systemic issue with the concepts of metrics and that is you can end up rewarding and promoting the wrong behavior ...
- 37.2k
3
votes
What is your focus: increasing metrics or improving processes?
This is a great question as it is not an uncommon concern.
What are metrics? A way to measure something. Of course they need to be valuable; if not, stop collecting them. If metrics are the basis ...
- 1,645
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible