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September 2, 20226 min read

Relative Estimation vs. Absolute Estimation – Which One is Right for Scrum Teams

Relative estimation delivers comparison-based estimates, while absolute estimation delivers fixed estimates. So, what suits well for Scrum teams? Let's find out in this article.Estimation is an integral part of any project work. The end goal of estimation is to know the efforts required to complete a certain set of work. When done rightly, estimation helps in determining the timeframe, feasibility, and similar other insights. Moreover, estimation also encourages…
August 5, 20227 min read

Everything You Need to Know about Dot Voting Estimation Technique

Dot Voting estimation technique is an easy and quick way of prioritizing items using dots without going into deep discussions. Find out all the details about Dot Voting in this article.Estimation is the core part of the Scrum framework that helps teams to prioritize tasks and estimate the required efforts. Scrum teams mostly do estimates at two stages. The first stage is estimating the product backlog, while the second stage is during sprint planning. There are different…
August 1, 20229 min read

5 Alternatives of Planning Poker Estimation Technique

Estimation is an essential activity for agile teams to have a mutual understanding of the product backlog and become more committed to the work. Keep reading to learn about the 5 alternatives of Planning Poker estimation technique.Planning Poker is one of the most widely used estimation techniques in agile projects. Its consensus-based estimation, driven by a fun and easy gamified approach helps teams accurately estimate their product backlogs. Although agile teams around the world are using Planning Poker, still there are…
July 22, 20227 min read

The Bucket System Estimation Technique – A Detailed Guide

The Bucket System estimation technique is a simple, fast, and effective estimation technique for large product backlog items. Find out more in-depth details about this technique in this article.Agile methodology is seeing unprecedented popularity among organizations no matter what industry they belong to. Agile eradicates the traditional way of product development and implements a more iterative-based development approach. One stage in agile-based development is "estimation", which plays…
July 18, 20226 min read

Affinity Estimation - What, How, and Why

Affinity Estimation is a relative estimation technique that empowers agile teams to quickly, easily, and efficiently estimate a large number of backlog items. Find out more on Affinity Estimation in this article.Estimation of product backlog items is an important stage in agile-based development. Estimation helps the team and key stakeholders to get a better view of the upcoming work and the required efforts. There are multiple techniques available today to estimate product backlog items. Organizations…
July 8, 20229 min read

8 Tips New Scrum Teams Must Know Before Proceeding

Teams that are new to Scrum must take the proper time to grab the basics of the Scrum framework and adhere to its core principles to set a solid foundation and then gradually master it. Find out more tips for new Scrum teams in this article.Scrum - The Most Popular Agile Methodology Scrum is an Agile development methodology that relies on teamwork to carry out iterative-based incremental development processes. The project is broken down into small prioritized development cycles (called sprints) that are completed on an incremental…
June 24, 20226 min read

Why Should You Use Async Poker to Estimate a Product Backlog?

Async Poker or Asynchronous Planning Poker is the powerful evolution of the Planning Poker estimation technique that makes estimation straightforward for remote, distributed, and co-located agile teams.In the present globalized corporate system, there are many agile teams that don't share office space, even not the time zone. In fact, some teams are so far from each other that they just get just one hour as the shared office time. That one hour is mostly utilized for stand-ups and other updates…
June 17, 20226 min read

10 Planning Poker Tips & Tricks

Planning Poker is a simple and fun way to estimate user stories. Scrum teams can elevate their Planning Poker sessions by following some key tips and tricks.One of the great aspects of agile software development is its emphasis on effort estimation. A product backlog is difficult to prioritize if the team is unaware of the efforts required to complete user stories. Planning Poker is one of the most widely used estimation techniques due to its simple…
June 10, 20229 min read

Scrum Master vs. Project Manager – Let's Discuss

A Scrum Master is more focused on coaching Scrum Team to implement Scrum principles, while Project Manager plays a leadership role for timely project completion.Both Scrum Master and Project Manager role seems to be the same, i.e., to manage the team, but they are not synonyms of each other. They both are distinct and have plenty of differences. On a bigger picture, consider the Project Manager as a leader who plans the execution of the project. On the…
June 3, 20224 min read

What is the Expected Output of a Planning Poker Meeting?

Planning Poker is a consensus-based estimation technique that requires the contribution of the key team members to make the meeting result in fruitful outputs.Planning Poker is a popular estimation technique used by thousands of Scrum teams to estimate their product backlogs efficiently. Its simple consensus-based estimation approach has attracted many Scrum teams to regularly conduct Planning Poker estimation sessions for their product backlog items…
May 27, 202210 min read

What Makes Planning Poker the Best Estimation Technique?

Planning Poker is an easy and engaging estimation technique that has become a core part of most Scrum teams that regularly use it to do estimates in a fun way.Whether it is a small or large project, there are three common things to know about any project, i.e., the requirements of the tasks, the size of the tasks, and the prioritized tasks. Over the past two decades, software project management and development has experienced a major change with the…
May 20, 202210 min read

Why Product Backlog & Sprint Backlog Should be Estimated as Two Different Units

Product backlog and sprint backlog are two backlogs with different purposes. Estimating them is vital to have a better team understanding of the lined-up work.The software industry is in full swing in the present era. Ever-growing customer demands are urging software firms to adopt smart and fast development approaches for fast releases. Owing to that, most software firms are using Agile for fast and responsive work. Agile teams orient themselves around…
May 13, 20227 min read

9 Common Mistakes with Planning Poker & Their Remedies

Planning Poker is an estimation technique that is easy to learn but difficult to master. By avoiding mistakes linked with it, you can have accurate estimates.Planning Poker is one of the widely used estimation techniques by Scrum teams to estimate the efforts required to complete product backlog items. If done rightly, it can deliver outstanding results and accurate estimates of the work. However, if done wrongly, it can lead to inaccurate estimates…
May 4, 20226 min read

8 Tips to Improve Cross-Functionality Within Your Scrum Team

Scrum-based development relies on a cross-functional Scrum team, as it ensures that the team, as a whole, is capable to deliver the project as per expectations.Scrum methodology relies on three basic pillars to ensure successful outcomes for any given project you may have. These are transparency, inspection, and adaptation. The dynamic and flexible nature of Scrum means you can adopt an incremental approach to optimization and management, allowing your…
April 29, 202210 min read

8 Reasons To Use Scrum Over Waterfall

With the growing competitive software industry, scrum is getting more attention from organizations. Let's discuss some key reasons why to use scrum over waterfall.Scrum and waterfall are both well-known project management methodologies, but both are a lot different from each other. Waterfall has dominated the project management world for decades until the agile manifesto started to gather attention. Today, organizations are actively shifting to scrum-based…
April 27, 20227 min read

7 Common Sprint Planning Mistakes You Should Avoid

Sprint Planning is a crucial part of Scrum-based product development. So, it is important to know what are the common mistakes around it and their remedies.Sprint Planning is one of the crucial events in the Agile world that is meant to set the team's direction for the upcoming Sprint. However, it is also one of the most underappreciated Scrum events owing to the problems and errors it can lead to. As per the Scrum guide, the team should cover the…
April 15, 20225 min read

How Does Planning Poker Encourage Team Collaboration?

Every Agile team heavily relies on effective collaboration. So, can you work on your team’s collaboration while also creating estimates with Planning Poker?The development of Planning Poker, as it is known today, started in 2002. The creation of Planning Poker simplified the Wideband Delphi process from the 1970s to help overcome the complexities that often surface when a team seeks to estimate future work or level of effort. Even though it is not a…
April 12, 20226 min read

How to Make Remote Scrum Master Role Work?

Remote Scrum Master has a crucial role to play in order to ensure that the remote Scrum team works at its highest level, while the projects are delivered timely.Remote scrum teams have been on the rise these last few years. As various corporations have been adjusting to the ongoing global pandemic, the scrum methodology has also seen some changes. This is in keeping with the Agile framework in general since the structure is made to be flexible and adaptive…
April 8, 20227 min read

What is T-Shirt Sizing Agile Estimation Technique, its Pros and Cons, and Best Alternative?

T-shirt sizing is a relative estimation technique where t-shirt sizes, such as XS, S, M, L, and XL, are used to estimate product backlog items in a seamless way.Most agile teams do estimates, as it helps teams to understand, discuss, and plan what they are going to work on next. Estimation also helps in breaking a complex project into smaller parts and fitting them effectively in the next sprint. Moreover, a record of estimates also helps to measure the…
April 1, 20225 min read

Why Does Planning Poker Use Story Points Instead of Time Values?

Oftentimes, people get confused between story points and time values when estimating with Planning Poker. Well, we’re here to clear up the confusion.Without a doubt, estimation is a difficult undertaking. It is one of the most challenging — if not the most difficult — facets of the job for software developers. It must consider various elements to assist product owners in making decisions that influence the entire team and the company. Product…