Planning Poker

What is Planning Poker?

Also known as Scrum poker, planning poker is a planning and consensus-based technique that utilizes playing cards to estimate the effort required to complete certain project tasks. The game was created by Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber, co-founders of the Scrum software development method.

This is usually played with a deck of cards that have been numbered from 1 to 10. In these cards, 1 represents the easiest task, and 10 represents the hardest.

Each player is dealt a hand of cards, and then the team discusses the tasks that need to be completed. After that, they will assign a number to each task based on the effort required. Once the numbers have been assigned, players will reveal their cards one at a time in ascending order, from lowest to highest.

The goal of the game is to reach a consensus on the tasks that need to be completed and the effort required to accomplish them.

Why is Planning Poker Important?

Planning poker is essentially about avoiding the influence of other parties. This means that the team can reach a consensus and avoid potential arguments. The technique is also said to be more accurate than individual estimations, as it considers the whole group dynamic.

In addition, planning poker is a way to estimate the size of a project and how long it might take to complete. This is beneficial for planning resources and budget. However, to make the most out of this benefit you must first figure out your team's velocity. 

You can calculate velocity by multiplying the number of team members by the number of points they can complete in an iteration. This gives you the overall number of points your team can finish in a sprint. You can then use this information to estimate the time it will take to complete a project.

The technique can also help identify potential risks and issues in a project. For example, if the team identifies a task that will take longer than expected, they can plan for it accordingly and allocate the necessary resources.

How Can GoRetro Help Your Team with Planning Poker?

Incorporating planning poker in your workflow makes Scrum sprint planning and estimation much more efficient. With GoRetro, you can use unlimited virtual whiteboards to help your team visualize the tasks they need to do in order to achieve the sprint goal.

This online retrospective tool can aid your team in creating and estimating user stories by allowing them to drag and drop tasks into the sequence they plan to complete them. 

Additionally, it provides a forum for team discussion and collaboration around each task. By providing a channel for communication, team members can develop a deeper understanding of tasks and be aligned around the same goal, which can help them arrive at a consensus when making decisions.

Conclusion

Planning poker helps you make sound decisions based on reliable estimates by considering everyone's opinion. This collaborative approach leads to a better product and a better team.