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12
DEC
2016

Yesterday’s Weather: An Extreme Programming Planning Technique Using Story Points

Yesterday’s Weather is an Extreme Programming planning technique used to estimate the capacity of a Team based on their past performance. Yesterday’s Weather is a guide to help Teams neither under commit nor overcommit to a set of Product Backlog items during Sprint...
28
NOV
2016

Estimating the Size of Scrum User Stories

In Scrum, the owner of the estimates is very clear.  Only the people who do the work, i.e., the Team, have the right to offer estimates for the Product Backlog and Sprint Backlog items.  However, like many things in Scrum, the framework leaves it up to each Team to decide on what...
13
OCT
2015

A Visual Control for the Masses – A Task Board

One of the greatest challenges to trust, collaboration and self-organization in the workplace is visibility.  This is because most of software development is intellectual work without physical representation.  We take complex ideas on what a software product should do and express...
07
OCT
2015

When Will You Be Done? The Release Burndown Chart

The work will get done when it gets done.  Demanding that a new product, service or upgrade be completed by January 23, 2016 is just not helpful.  Arbitrary deadlines simply cause too much stress and anguish for everyone – developers, customers and managers.  The people...
02
OCT
2015

Burndown Charts Got You Down? Meet Your Helpful Alternative – Burnup Chart

Burndown charts are bad!  Burndown charts are abused by mangers!  We hate Burndown charts (and estimates!!), so let’s get rid of them all!  If you are hearing those words, or something similar, from the fire eaters in your office, they are probably right. While I like Burndown...
29
SEP
2015

The Much Maligned, but Every Useful Burndown Chart

In Scrum, the best way to show progress is through working software.  If you do not produce software at the end of each Sprint, you are doing it wrong.  Progress is not shown through reports, documents, screenshots or charts. So what about a Burndown chart?  Can’t someone look at...
30
DEC
2014

Top 10 Blog Posts for 2014

Happy New Year!  Last week, I reviewed the web traffic to get some insight on what visitors were searching for at Look Forward Consulting and I produced this top ten blog posts for 2014.  Enjoy! 14 Scrum Case Studies: case studies are always popular and this entry tops the list...
04
NOV
2013

Scheer’s Law – An Observation Regarding Metrics

When I worked as an internal Scrum consultant for a San Diego biotech, I had the pleasure of working with one of the most talented and creative programmers I have ever met – Tim Scheer.  Tim was part of our team Scrum transformation team and he was the person on our team...
28
AUG
2013

What Is the Purpose of a Sprint Backlog?

I came across this question\comment on the LinkedIn ScrumMasters group the other day asking about Burndown Charts and management analysis. “I send out Burndown Charts daily and have been questioned by upper managent as to why we see fluctuations, up or down to the ideal...
22
JAN
2011

Combining Scrum Roles

This question started an interesting exchange on the Scrum Development list at yahoo! The Scrum Guide states that a person can be “Team Member” and “Scrum  Master”, a “Team Member” and “Product Owner” but emphatically rules ou...
12