Increasing sprint velocity is often a top priority of scrum
masters, product owners, and CEOs. However, higher velocity does not
necessarily mean greater productivity. Focusing only on increasing velocity can
be damaging to teams. An alternative is to focus on improving sprint velocity.
Improving velocity includes building consistency and increasing
quality of work within sprints, as opposed to just increasing speed. In this
article, you’ll learn what sprint velocity measures. You’ll also gain five tips
for improving the velocity and productivity of your team.
What Is Sprint Velocity?
Sprint velocity measures the amount of work completed in a sprint.
Work completed includes any finished tasks, such as features, user stories,
requirements, and backlog items. It does not include partially completed items.
The amount of work is based on assigned point values of items, work hours, or
ideal days.
Point values are determined by how large and complex an item is.
More complex items count for more points. For points and work completed to be
meaningful, teams must consistently assign values. To develop a reliable
system, you should start with your simplest item and assign it a point value of
one. You can then assign a value to the rest of your tasks according to this
baseline case.
