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Agile Estimating and Planning: A Comprehensive Guide by Mike Cohn

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Agile estimating and planning are essential processes for any agile team. They help teams to understand the scope of work, estimate the effort required, and create a plan to deliver the work on time and within budget.

Agile Estimating and Planning

by Mike Cohn

4.6 out of 5

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In this article, we will explore the different techniques and tools that can be used for agile estimating and planning. We will also discuss some of the best practices that can help teams to improve their accuracy and efficiency.

Agile Estimating Techniques

There are a number of different agile estimating techniques that can be used. The most common techniques include:

T-shirt sizing: This is a simple technique that uses T-shirt sizes (e.g., small, medium, large) to estimate the effort required for a story.
Planning poker: This is a more sophisticated technique that uses a deck of cards to estimate the effort required for a story.
Wideband delphi: This is a technique that involves multiple rounds of estimation. In each round, the team members provide their estimates, and the estimates are then discussed and refined.

The best agile estimating technique for a particular team will depend on the size of the team, the complexity of the work, and the level of experience of the team members.

Agile Planning Tools

There are a number of different agile planning tools that can be used to help teams to create and manage their plans. The most popular tools include:

Jira: This is a popular issue tracking tool that can be used for agile planning. Jira allows teams to create and track stories, assign stories to team members, and estimate the effort required for stories.
Asana: This is a project management tool that can be used for agile planning. Asana allows teams to create and track tasks, assign tasks to team members, and estimate the effort required for tasks.
Trello: This is a collaboration tool that can be used for agile planning. Trello allows teams to create and track boards, lists, and cards. Cards can be used to represent stories, tasks, or other items that need to be tracked.

The best agile planning tool for a particular team will depend on the size of the team, the complexity of the work, and the level of experience of the team members.

Agile Best Practices

There are a number of best practices that can help teams to improve their accuracy and efficiency in agile estimating and planning. These best practices include:

Involve the team: When estimating and planning, it is important to involve the entire team. This ensures that everyone has a say in the process and that the estimates are realistic.
Break down the work: Large stories or tasks can be difficult to estimate. Breaking them down into smaller, more manageable pieces makes it easier to estimate the effort required.
Use historical data: If you have historical data from previous projects, it can be used to help you estimate the effort required for new stories or tasks.
Be flexible: Estimates are just that: estimates. They are not set in stone. As the project progresses, you may need to adjust your estimates based on new information.
Get feedback: After you have created your plan, get feedback from other stakeholders, such as the product owner or the customer. This feedback can help you to identify any areas that need to be improved.

By following these best practices, teams can improve their accuracy and efficiency in agile estimating and planning, which can lead to faster delivery of higher quality software.

Agile estimating and planning are essential processes for any agile team. By using the right techniques, tools, and best practices, teams can improve their accuracy and efficiency, which can lead to faster delivery of higher quality software.

Agile Estimating and Planning

by Mike Cohn

4.6 out of 5