The QSM Agile Round Table was formed to provide a platform to brainstorm the role of estimation in agile environments, and chart a path toward better understanding for all stakeholders. A mixture of long-standing and newer customers shared their questions, challenges, and experiences to answer the big question, and effectively communicate the relevance and benefits of scope-based estimation. The QSM Agile Round Table series of publications will present specific concepts and practices that connect SLIM and agile, creating common ground for the benefit of all.
The Agile Round Table participants had several questions about measuring effort and productivity, and whether there are special issues around how to define and collect these metrics in an agile environment. In this article, Andy Berner identifies best practices for measuring effort and productivity in agile and discusses how the two are related.
In order to use a sizing unit other than SLOC in the SLIM tools, you must assign a gearing factor. For function points, gearing factors are discussed here. In this article, QSM's Andy Berner addresses ways of choosing a gearing factor for story points.
This article continues the focus from the previous article on determining size in a consistent enough manner across multiple products, projects, and agile teams so that you have good historical data on which to base an estimate. QSM's Andy Berner looks at other sizing units besides story points, in particular function points and source lines of code.
Part of QSM's Agile Round Table article series, the fourth article focuses on determining size in a consistent enough manner across multiple products, projects, and agile teams so that you have good historical data on which to base an estimate. It also shows how to apply these techniques with the SLIM Suite of products.
Aaron Jeutter, a participant in the QSM Agile Round Table from Rockwell Automation, presents the technique of “Big Rock Sizing.” This technique is used at Rockwell Automation for early sizing and estimating based on high level requirements that will be refined using agile techniques as the work progresses.
In the second article of QSM's Agile Round Table series, Andy Berner explains why setting goals for consumable value and estimating what it takes to reach those goals are both needed to guide the choices every organization needs to make about what to develop and how to allocate resources.
This article by QSM's Laura Zuber is the first of the QSM Agile Round Table series of publications that will present specific concepts and practices that connect SLIM and agile, creating common ground for the benefit of all.