Agile Planning Poker

Planning poker is a consensus-based, gamified technique that’s most often used in Agile principles to reduce time boxing. Players make estimates by playing numbered cards face-down on a table, without speaking out loud. They then have to decide whether or not they agree on the estimates. This way, everyone is on the same page. However, there are a few differences between traditional planning poker and Agile-based planning. This article will discuss planning poker in more detail.

During planning poker, members of a team select cards to represent various features. Each team member is given a chance to make an estimate for each feature. They then discuss their choices and privately select an estimate card. The other team members then reveal their estimates simultaneously. People who have selected the same value, as well as those who have selected different values, discuss why they are selecting them and try to reach consensus. Often, the process takes just a few rounds, and estimations often converge.

The planning poker activity is extremely effective because it involves consensus-building. Instead of individual estimations, team members work together to prioritize a PBI and determine what to do first. By exposing estimations to the team, it becomes easy to make the right decision. It is important to note that the numbers used in planning poker don’t correspond to actual time values. The number one represents simplest work, while the number six represents most complex work.

Agile project management requires team members to make tough decisions. For example, it may be necessary to compromise with product owner expectations or manage undefined quality standards. Thankfully, planning poker makes this difficult process easier. By estimating the relative size of user stories, planning poker can help you deliver high-quality software in an efficient manner. When done correctly, planning poker increases the productivity of development teams. This article will provide you with more information on the planning poker methodology.

When using planning poker, teams should ideally estimate each story together. Nevertheless, if a team needs to split up, it’s fine to break up the estimates into smaller teams. Using multiple team members allows you to multiply the collective intelligence and experience of the team. You’ll likely get the most accurate estimates this way. So, if you’re using Agile software development, be sure to use this technique! The benefits are enormous.