Velocity
Velocity is the amount of work a Scrum team completes in a Sprint, typically measured in story points, used to forecast how much work the team can handle in future sprints.
Explanation
Velocity is calculated by summing the story points of all Product Backlog items that meet the Definition of Done at the end of a Sprint. It is a trailing indicator, meaning it reflects past performance. Over several sprints, velocity stabilizes and becomes a useful planning tool for forecasting how much work the team can take on.
Velocity is unique to each team and should never be used to compare teams or as a performance metric for individual team members. Its sole purpose is to help the team and Product Owner plan sprints and releases. Using velocity as a performance measure creates perverse incentives, such as inflating estimates.
A team's average velocity over the last three to five sprints is typically used for release planning. By dividing the total remaining story points in the backlog by the average velocity, the team can forecast how many sprints are needed to complete the remaining work.
Key Points
- •Measured in story points completed per Sprint
- •Based on work that meets the Definition of Done
- •Used for forecasting, not for comparing teams or measuring individual performance
- •Average of three to five sprints provides the most reliable forecast
Exam Tip
Velocity is a planning tool, not a performance measure. Exam answers that use velocity to compare teams or pressure individuals are incorrect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Topics
Story Points
Story points are a unit of measure for expressing the overall effort, complexity, and uncertainty involved in completing a Product Backlog item, used for relative estimation rather than measuring time.
Sprint Planning
Sprint Planning is the Scrum event that initiates each Sprint by defining the Sprint Goal, selecting Product Backlog items to work on, and creating an actionable plan for delivering the Increment.
Burndown Chart
A Burndown Chart is a graphical representation of work remaining versus time in a Sprint or release, showing whether the team is on track to complete the planned work.
Release Planning
Release Planning is an agile practice where the team and Product Owner determine the scope, timing, and goals for the next product release by mapping backlog items across future iterations based on team velocity.
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Burndown Chart
A Burndown Chart is a graphical representation of work remaining versus time in a Sprint or release, showing whether the team is on track to complete the planned work.
Relative Estimation
Relative Estimation is an agile technique where work items are sized in comparison to each other rather than in absolute units like hours or days, providing faster and more accurate estimates.
Sprint Review
The Sprint Review is a Scrum event held at the end of the Sprint where the Scrum Team presents the Increment to stakeholders, gathers feedback, and collaborates on what to do next.
Sprint Backlog
The Sprint Backlog is the set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint, plus the Sprint Goal and the plan for delivering the Increment.
Timeboxing
Timeboxing is the practice of allocating a fixed, maximum amount of time for an activity, after which the activity stops regardless of whether it is complete.
Resource Leveling
Resource leveling is a resource optimization technique in which adjustments are made to the project schedule to keep resource usage at or below a defined limit, often resulting in a longer project duration.
Risk Register
The risk register is a project document that records the details of individual project risks, including their identification, analysis results, response plans, and current status.
Stakeholder Mapping
Stakeholder mapping is the visual representation of stakeholder relationships, influence, interest, or other attributes using grids, matrices, or diagrams to support analysis and engagement planning.
Cost Performance Index (CPI)
Cost Performance Index (CPI) is an EVM efficiency metric that measures cost performance as the ratio of earned value to actual cost: CPI = EV / AC.
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