Scrum is one of the most popular Agile frameworks that lays emphasis on the significance of accuracy and effectiveness in estimating and planning accordingly for the most satisfactory product delivery. Moreover, estimation plays an indispensable role in planning and prioritizing tasks, assisting teams to project timelines and listing all the resources required. An accurate estimation within the Scrum framework helps in setting realistic goals during every sprint, creating transparency among various teams and providing deliverables as per the stakeholders’ expectations and customers’ satisfaction. Estimation also enables teams to manage workload efficiently by breaking complex tasks into smaller chunks that are comparatively manageable and trackable in terms of their progress. An appropriate and calculated estimation practice assists in fostering collaboration among the team members of the Scrum framework, where every member contributes and defines the scope, direction and vision according to the business.
Individuals pursuing CSM Training and certification courses tend to master, upgrade their career graph and excel in the game of estimation in Agile with the assistance of different techniques. Well, in this document, we are all set to explore the concepts of estimation, like what it is, why it is important and various types of estimation techniques
An Introduction To Estimation In An Agile Environment
In the core concepts of estimation in an Agile atmosphere, it is mandatory to have a quick recap of what lies deep within Agile methodology that is taking the tech industry by storm all across the globe. The Agile method of product development is all about flexibility, collaboration and continuous progress that is highly adaptive and responsive to further modifications, if necessary. Significantly, it is evident that traditional methods of product or software development had certain limitations that ultimately offered a scope for the evolution of all-new Agile methodologies in practice. Estimation lies within the core of Agile principles as it enables all the team members to determine the calculative efforts, complexity and the resources needed for successful completion. Also, it helps teams to focus on flexibility that allows them to consider uncertainty and be adaptive to the changes as needed, along with the metrics to measure the complexity of the tasks and their deliverables.
This approach promotes planning according to the reality checks, assisting teams to be accountable for achievable goals in every sprint according to their competencies and progress, ensuring consistent, improving and reliable deliveries. Estimation in Agile involves collaborative sessions where all the team members are included for a shared understanding and alignment with the tasks of priority.
Importance Of Estimation In Agile
Individuals holding A-CSM Certification know the worth of estimation in Scrum. It is a component of Agile product development methodology, and is of immense importance as it plays a critical role in increasing effectiveness and team alignment. It helps in analyzing time and effort required to finish the project because it provides a foundation for creating realistic plans according to the priority by breaking down complex tasks into minor chunks that can be managed, tracked and controlled accordingly.
Here’s how estimation plays an indispensable role in your Scrum framework:
- Enhances collaboration among team members.
- Improves accuracy in planning.
- Facilitates transparency along with stakeholders.
- Estimation brings flexibility that supports adaptability.
- Encourages the idea of consistent progress.
- Assists in prioritizing tasks and managing backlogs.
- Builds compatibility between sprint goals and business values.
- Reduces the risk of burnout.
You must be wondering if there are any specific techniques for estimation in Scrum? Well, yes, there are.
Various Types Of Scrum Estimation Techniques In Agile
The following are some of the estimation techniques that are used in the Scrum framework, satisfying all the core principles of Agile methodology:
- Dot Voting
- Affinity Estimation
- Three-Point Estimation
- Wideband Delphi Method
- Comparative Estimation
- Planning Poker
- T-Shirt Sizing
1. Dot Voting
Widely known as ‘Multi-Voting’ or ‘Priority Voting’, ‘Dot Voting’ is one of the most democratic techniques of estimation that fosters team collaboration and transparency. This method of estimation is used to prioritize or estimate tasks according to preferences. In this technique, the tasks are presented visually and the team members are given a set of votes that are represented as ‘dots’ or stickers and the tasks with the maximum dots are considered to be complex, require more effort and are of highest priority. This method is used when the number of tasks or features and the team have to decide which one to proceed with.
2. Affinity Estimation
Affinity estimation is one of the most prominent techniques of estimation in an Agile environment, which is solely based on the concepts of relative estimation, where a large number of user stories or tasks are categorized according to their relative size, complexity, effort, expected time for completion, etc.
This method plays a key role while estimating a large backlog during product development, as it allows teams to quickly assess relatively complex tasks from a large number of tasks without much detailed discussion on individual ones. This method also helps teams in maintaining momentum while making sure that the estimated tasks are relative to one another, allowing it to be an equally valuable tool for grooming and sprint planning.
3. Three-Point Estimation
The ‘Three-Point Estimation’ technique considers three expected certainties of a task, where one includes the best-case scenario or the optimistic, the worst-case scenario or the pessimistic and the last, the most likely scenario. This comprehensive mode of estimation allows teams to account for uncertainty, which eventually assists them in managing risks.
| Formula of the Three Point Estimation technique: (Optimistic + 4 * Most Likely + Pessimistic) / 6 |
This method offers a more realistic range of possibilities rather than a fixed number or any value. Also, it is perfect for complex projects as it helps in identifying expected risks in prior and looks out for preventive measures during planning and offers more detailed and accurate estimates.
4. Wideband Delphi Method
‘Wideband Delphi’ method of estimation in Scrum is a much structured technique that includes a group of experts to have their refined estimation on a particular project with the help of a discussion and consensus. In this process, the individual estimates of the experts engage in further discussion to converge and reach a final and agreed-upon estimate. This method allows teams and professionals to mitigate bias and leverage a collective expertise for more accurate planning of projects.
5. Comparative Estimation
As the name suggests, ‘Comparative Estimation’ is one of the techniques of estimation in Agile, where tasks or user stories are compared to some other tasks that have already been completed or estimated. This method focuses on similarity between previously completed tasks and the ones that are supposed to be estimated based on the past experiences, historical data and collective knowledge of the team. This technique is highly advantageous due to its simplicity and speed, as it is effective in case the team is looking to streamline the process of planning and making informed decisions in a short time.
6. Planning Poker
Widely known as ‘Scrum Poker’, ‘Planning Poker’ is a consensus-based and gamified method of Agile estimation technique that allows teams to collectively estimate the time and effort needed to complete a task from the list of their product backlog. The name of this technique has been derived from its process, as unlike the deck of poker cards, it involves using numbered cards for representing the user stories or the tasks and are revealed gradually based on the discussions until the team reaches a consensus with the help of estimated effort.
7. T-Shirt Sizing
‘T-Shirt Sizing’- one of the simplest and intuitive methods of estimation in the Agile environment and categorizes the user stories or the tasks based on their relative sizes or the level of complexity that resonates with the sizes of the T-Shirt, like XS (extra small), S (small), M (medium), L (large) and XL (extra large). Each size denotes the level of complexity, where XS stands for the least and XL stands for the most. This method of estimation is highly useful during the early stages of product development with a large number of features that need to be fully explained, as it easily and quickly segregates tasks without indulging deeper into the discussions.
The Final Notes
In recent times, Agile principles and practices are widely adopted by the majority of tech industries and their significant growing demand in the market has led to the need for a deeper understanding of the core concepts and techniques. This eventually assists them in their career growth with the help of pursuing courses like CSM, A-CSM and CSP-SM. Learning about these techniques while pursuing these courses can surely make you grow in your career.