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Velocity Formula:
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Velocity is a key metric in Agile project management that measures the amount of work a team can complete during a sprint. It represents the average story points completed per sprint over multiple sprints, helping teams forecast future work capacity and improve planning accuracy.
The average velocity is calculated using the formula:
Where:
Explanation: This calculation provides the average work capacity per sprint, which helps teams establish a reliable baseline for future sprint planning and capacity forecasting.
Details: Velocity tracking is essential for Agile teams to improve predictability, set realistic expectations, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions about project timelines and resource allocation.
Tips: Enter the total story points completed across all measured sprints and the number of sprints. Both values must be positive numbers (story points > 0, sprints ≥ 1).
Q1: What is a good velocity for a team?
A: There's no universal "good" velocity - it varies by team size, experience, and project complexity. The key is consistency and using velocity for relative comparison and improvement.
Q2: How many sprints should be used to calculate average velocity?
A: Typically 3-6 sprints provide a reliable average. Fewer sprints may not capture team patterns, while more may include outdated performance data.
Q3: Should velocity be used to compare different teams?
A: No, velocity should not be used to compare teams directly. Story point values are relative and team-specific. Focus on each team's velocity trends over time.
Q4: What causes velocity to fluctuate?
A: Velocity can vary due to team member availability, technical debt, complexity changes, holidays, or process improvements. Look at trends rather than individual sprint values.
Q5: How can teams improve their velocity?
A: Focus on sustainable pace, reducing technical debt, improving estimation accuracy, enhancing collaboration, and addressing impediments rather than artificially increasing velocity.