How Do You Plan Poker in a Team?

Planning Poker is a very popular agile estimation technique, which is used by many development teams to estimate the size of user stories. The process involves the entire team, including developers, testers, product owners, and other stakeholders.

This approach has proven to be quite effective in delivering high-quality software that meets the needs of customers. In this tutorial, we will discuss How Do You Plan Poker in a Team?

Why Plan Poker?

The main reason why teams use Planning Poker is that it establishes a shared understanding of the user story’s complexity and requirements. Since everyone on the team participates in this estimation process, it ensures that everyone has a common understanding of the story’s requirements. This can help prevent misunderstandings and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

The Planning Process

The Planning Poker process begins with the Product Owner presenting a user story to the team. The user story typically includes information about what needs to be accomplished and any relevant acceptance criteria. The team then discusses what they know about the story and asks questions to clarify any ambiguities.

Once everyone has a clear understanding of the user story, each team member privately selects a card from a deck of Planning Poker cards that represents their estimate for how much effort they think is required to complete the task. These cards have numbers on them that represent points or hours.

After everyone has chosen their card, they reveal them simultaneously, and if there are any outliers (extremely high or low estimates), team members discuss their reasoning for choosing those values.

PRO TIP:When planning poker in a team, consider the perspectives of all team members. Make sure to provide enough time for discussion, so everyone can express their views and come to a consensus. Additionally, use an online tool such as Trello or JIRA to track progress and ensure the team is always aligned on the project’s goals.

Once everyone agrees on an estimate for the user story, it is recorded along with any relevant notes or comments. The process continues for each user story until all stories have been estimated.

Using Technology

Planning Poker can be done manually using physical cards or through digital tools like JIRA or Trello. Many teams prefer using technology because it allows them to easily track progress and analyze data over time.

Benefits of Planning Poker

There are many benefits of using Planning Poker in a team:

  • It allows the team to establish a shared understanding of the user story’s complexity and requirements.
  • It helps to prevent misunderstandings and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
  • It encourages collaboration and discussion among team members.
  • It allows for more accurate estimation than other methods.
  • It helps teams to identify potential issues and risks early on in the development process.

Conclusion

Planning Poker is a valuable technique that can help teams estimate user stories accurately and efficiently. By establishing a shared understanding of the story’s requirements, it can help prevent misunderstandings and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

It encourages collaboration among team members, which can lead to better outcomes for customers. With digital tools available, it becomes easier for teams to execute this process effectively.