Velocity is a key metric for measuring Scrum teams’ development. And in a project in which the Scrum framework is used, we hear many perspectives on how to organize sprint planning meetings. The more typical question is which is better: velocity-driven sprint planning or commitment-driven sprint planning.
The idea of velocity-driven sprint planning is that the amount of work a team accomplishes in the current sprint is generally equivalent to what they did in previous sprints.
The following are the steps in velocity-driven sprint planning:
- Determine the team’s desired speed.
- Determine the Sprint Goal.
- Choose the number of product backlog items (typically stories) that correspond to that velocity.
- Divide your stories into tasks.
- Eliminate tasks.
Commitment-driven sprint planning is similar to Velocity-driven sprint planning in that the team’s commitment is evaluated before determining the volume of sprint work. In other words, the team commits to one product backlog item at a time, approximately defining and estimating the work required and stopping when they believe they are finished.
Commitment-driven planning includes the following steps:
- Determine the Sprint Goal.
- Choose a product backlog item (usually a story) to add.
- Divide your story into tasks.
- Tasks should be estimated.
- Request Team Commitment.
- If the team agrees, go on to the next narrative and repeat Steps 2-5 until the team is satisfied.
Why is velocity-based Sprint Planning required?
The velocity of a crew is used as a contribution to the next sprint during sprint planning. They leverage this velocity data to provide client value by evaluating and improving its application in Scrum. By assessing its velocity throughout the previous sprints, the team may learn how a change in the specific process affects the delivery of quantifiable customer value.
Furthermore, we can:
- Estimate how much revenue can be provided by a specific date.
- Estimate the delivery date for a committed quantity of work.
- Understand our objectives when determining the amount of work we should commit to for a sprint.
The Scrum Master, Product Owner, as well as all development team members attend a velocity-driven sprint planning meeting. In the meeting, the Product Owner shows the highest product backlog items & introduces them to the team.
The development team compares their projections to actual deliveries and estimates the time from the current sprint to release appropriately. And the team’s velocity is the best metric to utilize when predicting.
What effect does velocity-based sprint planning have?
Without velocity, release planning is impossible. A Product Owner can forecast the number of sprints necessary by the team to accomplish a particular level of functionality, which can then be dispatched by calculating the velocity. As a result, based on the sprint length, the Product Owner can set a precise release date.
Sprint Commitment for Higher Velocity
Sprint planning is difficult, but we can significantly increase team velocity by just committing to 80 % of team capacity. And here’s why:
Unfortunately, no one estimates accurately, and given human bias, narrative point estimates can become currency. Many things go wrong when teams begin altering estimations. There are several reasons for this, ranging from “I don’t like to do this; therefore, I’ll estimate higher” to “Let’s score this lower so it can slip into the next sprint with the other critical sections.”
Read a blog on: Scrum Master vs. Project Manager
So, how do you manage the team’s velocity? As usual, 80% commitment in a two-week sprint indicates you have a decent chance of finishing two days early. You can gradually alter if the team regularly finishes the sprint more than a day ahead of schedule. If your team isn’t regularly finished on time, you’ll have to adjust your expectations. We believe that having one day for non-sprint development is great.
Here’s what happens to the team if you do not commit to 100% workload in a sprint – the team will:
- Acquire consistency.
- Have a good attitude.
- Will not burn out.
- Be more helpful throughout the company.
- Be able to increase your own pace and invest in the future.
- Be more consistent.
- Prepare yourself for the unexpected.
- Increase your chances of success.
- Have boosted productivity.
Scrum Velocity Best Practices
The recommended practices listed below can prevent you from getting some of the antipatterns and help Scrum teams progress faster:
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Set expectations using empirical evidence.
Examine current team velocity for similar jobs and anticipate future velocity accordingly. Set unrealistic “goals” that force teams to work faster without addressing the underlying elements that determine their productivity.
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Sprints should be carefully planned.
Agile/Scrum is known for doing away with thorough planning. We don’t want 400-page required papers. However, breaking down functionalities into stories and tasks appropriately, delving into detail, and revealing complications or unknowns during the sprint planning step can increase your capacity to predict and anticipate velocity.
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Allow for expansion.
A Scrum team, like individuals in their daily life, is unhappy when overburdened and under pressure. Allowing for unforeseen occurrences, teamwork, and issue resolution will go a long way toward developing a productive Scrum culture.
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Include Quality Intelligence in your toolkit.
Testing, issue fixing, and technical debt account for a major portion of each Scrum team’s workload. A new category of products known as Quality Intelligence Platforms can assist you in obtaining precise data on which tests are worthwhile to invest in. Which new tests, on the other hand, are a waste of time since they pertain to features with a very minimal chance of quality issues?
You may save time for the new user requirements and assist teams in moving quicker by intelligently prioritizing testing tasks.
Final Words
New demands come even while teams are making their promises and increasing their velocity. However, some tools and techniques can assist in managing unknown factors and risks, including external events that might make it difficult for teams to meet their commitments.
It’s all about the inspect and adjust strategy. However, self-organization is essential.
Begin your Scrum Master journey with Cognixia
Take advantage of online certified scrum master training if you want to pursue a profession in project management. Scrum Alliance awards the CSM credential to learners who have completed a Certified Scrum Master course and verified their expertise through the CSM test.
As a Certified Scrum Master, you can perform the following functions:
- Assist your project teams in effectively implementing Scrum.
- Contribute knowledge beyond that of a project manager.
- Assist your team with cooperation and structure by acting as a ‘servant leader.’
- Defend your team against both internal and external distractions.
The need for Scrum Masters has grown tremendously as more businesses adopt agile methodologies. Therefore the CSM certification course is already so popular. As a result, getting a scrum master certification online is highly advised.
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Under this online certified Scrum Master training, you will cover the following –
- Agile Thinking
- The Scrum Framework
- Implementation Considerations
- Scrum Roles
- The Scrum Team Explored
- Agile Estimating and Planning
- The Product Owner
- The Scrum Master Explored
Prerequisites Participants must have a basic understanding of software development concepts to take this Scrum Master course from Cognixia. This CSM course is mainly for –
- Members of Scrum teams – developers, Scrum Masters, and product owners
- Managers of Scrum teams
- Teams transitioning to Scrum
- Professionals intending to pursue the Professional ScrumMaster certification
