PMP Question #005 – Using a Velocity Chart

You are working through the feature backlog with the product owner and they ask about the velocity chart hanging in the team area. What should you tell them?

A Velocity Chart is NOT:

A velocity chart does not measure how fast the project budget is being used up. It is not a measure of how quickly individual team members complete their work each day. It is not a count of how many team members are working on the agile project over its life cycle.

What It Actually Shows

A velocity chart displays the number of story points, tasks or features completed by the team in each given iteration or sprint. It is a measure of the team’s throughput over time.

How to Read It

The horizontal axis shows each sprint or iteration. The vertical axis shows the amount of work completed, typically measured in story points. Bars or a line trace the team’s output from sprint to sprint.

Why It Matters

Velocity is one of the most important metrics in agile. It tells you how much work the team can reliably complete in a single sprint. Once you know the team’s velocity, you can use it to forecast how long it will take to complete the entire product backlog. It also helps the team commit to realistic amounts of work in future sprints – to keep a sustainable pace.

The Conversation

Tell your product owner that the velocity chart shows how much work the team completes each sprint. A consistent velocity means predictable delivery. If velocity is trending up, the team may be getting more productive (as long as the estimates are not being intentionally skewed). If it is trending down, something could be slowing the team down and might need investigation.

– David McLachlan

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