[dropcap]B[/dropcap]udget estimation, planning and delivering the products on time is the most important activity for any organization. To perform all these activities within a time period according to the priority, Scrum estimation technique is used. Want to know more about Scrum Master Training please visit StarAgile.
Scrum estimation technique helps in planning the projects more attentively, helps in increasing the accuracy, hence creates positive predictability of the project. Three levels or factors are considered in scrum planning i.e. Project planning, Release and Iteration. Scrum refers to the agile framework which helps in decreasing the time period for working on a particular task. This framework helps in analysing the techniques, methods and budget required to clear all the backlog tasks with the number of team members required.
Scrum Estimation technique is used to plan the items according to the Product backlogs list. Product Backlog refers to the checklist of work which needs to be finished according to the product owner priority. There are multiple techniques which are used for Scrum estimation out of which we have chosen the top 5 scrum estimation techniques which can be useful for your company.
Following are the top 5 scrum estimation techniques which can be the best fit for your team:
1. Planning Poker
This estimation technique is commonly used in multiple organizations, even in multinational corporations. This technique helps in making sure that each and every employee participates in the assigning and planning process and is able to provide his/her own opinion. Each team member is given a set of cards with Fibonacci numbers on them (0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 and 21), this card will help them vote for an estimate of an item.
This poker card helps the participant provide their opinion and rating. The team members with the highest and lowest ratings explain their choices for the assessment. With the help of all the team member’s opinions, a single decision is taken for the task or product which is in backlog. Then the next task in the product backlog list is chosen to be discussed upon. This is the most effective method if the number of tasks is less as most of the time cannot be spent on discussing the list of product backlogs.
2. The Bucket System
This type of estimation technique is similar to the ‘Planning poker’ technique, but it is a faster process. This technique is used for a large number of items/tasks with big teams. Different buckets are created with various values and the tasks/items of various sizes are placed into these buckets after an open discussion and comparing the tasks against each other. These buckets with allocated tasks are divided according to the benchmark and priority of each task; as all the team members are working on all of the product backlog tasks, the process of estimation and evaluation is done quickly even with a large number of tasks and a large number of team members.
3. Big/Uncertain/Small
It is similar to a ‘Bucket System’ but is a very fast estimation technique. The difference between the ‘Bucket System’ and the ‘Big/Uncertain/Small’ technique is that there are only three buckets in this technique. In this process, the tasks are evaluated and assorted according to three different groups: Big, Uncertain and Small after the discussion with all the team members. It helps in evaluating all the tasks within a certain time period and the whole process of evaluating and allocating improves the productivity of the team. This technique is useful when the number of team members is smaller than the number of tasks.
4. Dot Voting
This method is used a lot in Asian countries. This technique involves stickers or magnets in the form of dots which helps the team members to give scores to each task. The tasks are placed on a table or a board upon which the participants or team members assign the score/sticker according to the priority, the number of ‘points/scores’ assigned to each member is equal as compared with other techniques (Planning Poker & Bucket system is based on random numbers). This helps in ranking the tasks according to the scores given by the employees, a very fast and simple method for tasks which are less in number. You can see this type of ranking in restaurants and departmental stores, where food tasting or product comparison events are conducted. Also within an organisation when a new product is launched the employees are asked to evaluate the products based on ‘Dot Voting’ scrum estimation technique.
5. T-Shirt Sizes
The tasks are divided into T-Shirt Sizes i.e. XS, S, M, L, XL. This technique is used when there are too many tasks left out in the Product backlog list. The tasks are allocated according to the T-shirt size; the T-Shirt size denotes the importance and priority of the task. It is an informal technique but it is a faster process as it helps in sorting out the tasks according to the priority. It can also be used with a large number of tasks or teams. It is the easiest option available when compared with other scrum estimation techniques.
There are many other techniques like Ordering rule and Divide until Maximum Size or Less which also helps in planning and estimating the tasks which are in the backlog. All the above-mentioned techniques have their own advantage but all of them serve the same purpose, it is to complete the estimation process as fast as possible and to clear the entire product backlog list. The technique is based on scores/points, it is not based on budget, but it does help in increasing the productivity of the team members and the company.
Scrum Estimation is considered as a non-value-added activity die to which the usage of the estimation techniques is less. The main factor in the above-mentioned technique is to provide the team member with an opportunity to present their own opinions while giving a score to each task, this helps in gaining the best results for estimation.
