Planning Poker

Overview

Planning Poker is used to estimate effort, amongst others in the field of software development. The technique is often a component of agile development processes such as Scrum or Extreme Programming. With the help of the development team the approximate effort for a specific task or a specific story is determined iteratively.

Course of the Estimation Round

Each task to be estimated is briefly described to the team, for example, by the requestor or an experienced developer. After briefly clarifying the specifications if necessary, each member of the group makes estimates by playing numbered cards face-down to the table. All cards are then revealed simultaneously. By following this procedure, all participants are involved and unbiased estimates will be delivered.
If the estimated numbers vary greatly, the task will be re-discussed and re-estimated. For the discussion, it is advisable that the two participants with the highest and the lowest estimate explain their assumptions and the reasons for their decisions. In case of the appearance of very large numbers, it has proven useful to split the task and to estimate the sub-tasks separately.It is advisable to pre-set a maximum time you want to dedicate to each task to be estimated. If, exceptionally, for a given task no mutually agreed estimate can be determined in the given time frame, it will be filed as non-estimable. Before the next round such a task should be described in more detail by the requestor or be decomposed into sub-tasks.

The Numbers

Before starting the estimation round the meaning of the individual numbers is determined. It is advisable to use person-days, person-hours or so-called story points.
In case of doubt, the cost of a medium-sized task that is well known to all participants of the estimation round is defined as a "standard three". Everything else will then be estimated relatively to it.  The distances between the numbers on the cards have been deliberately chosen to constantly increase. This keeps you from cherishing the illusion to be able to estimate tasks of great expense (e.g. 10 days) up to single hours.

Meaning of Each Card

"This task requires no or extremely little effort."

"In my opinion this task requires this (1, 2, 5 up to 100) effort."

"I do not have sufficient information to estimate this task."

"I need a break before I can proceed."

Deck of Planning Poker Cards

You want to use Planning Poker and need one or two decks of cards? Write an e-mail to info(at)tngtech.com including your address and your plans for using Planning Poker. We will then send you one to two free decks of cards (subject to availability).