Measuring progress of high-level planning entities: Features, Epics, Projects, Releases, Sprints, Team Iterations

In Targetprocess, total Effort is used as one of the key metrics in work progress tracking. High-level scopes of work such as features, epics, projects, releases and iterations do not have their own effort. Instead, you can assign work items to them. Effort for the high-level scope entity becomes equal to total amount of effort of all assigned entities.

To reflect actual progress, Effort value is divided into Remaining (To Do) and Completed part:

For every high-level planning entity totals for both Effort Remaining and Effort Completed are automatically calculated across smaller work items (such as User Stories, Tasks, Bugs) assigned to them. It makes possible to overview current progress of any entity from bottom to the top of your backlog.

Progress calculation for Features

Progress for Feature entity is calculated using assigned effort and progress of its user stories and nested tasks.

If a Feature has no user stories, then its progress is based on its workflow state.

• 0% when feature is New or In Progress
• 100% when feature is Done

Otherwise overall progress of the feature is calculated from progress of assigned user stories.

Progress = SUM ( EffortCompleted ) / SUM ( Effort )

Let's consider a use case when a Feature has two user stories:

• User Story 1: Effort 5 pt, Progress 100%
• User Story 2: Effort 0 pt, Progress 0%

In such case the user story with zero effort does not contribute into total progress calculation. Total progress for the Feature will be 100%.

Progress = ( 5*(100/100) + 0*(0/100) ) / ( 5 + 0 ) = 5 / 5 = 1 = 100%

Let's now estimate User Story 2 and assign 2 pt effort to it.

Progress of the Feature becomes the following:

Progress = ( 5*(100/100) + 2*(0/100) ) / ( 5 + 2 ) = 5 / 7 = ~0.71 = 71%

When you move a Feature to its final state (Done, Closed) its progress becomes equal to 100% even if this Feature still has incomplete user stories.

Effort and Time Spent of nested Bugs is not included to the total Feature effort and time spent values. It is possible to set up custom calculations and get total Bugs count, effort, time spent, cost displayed per Feature. Learn how: Metrics for Bugs in User Stories and Features.

Progress calculation for Iterations, Sprints, Team Iterations

Progress for Iteration, Team Iteration entity is calculated using assigned effort and progress of its user stories and bugs.

Progress = SUM ( EffortCompleted ) / SUM ( Effort )

Let's consider a use case when an iteration has two user stories and one bug assigned:

• User Story 1: Effort 5 pt, Progress 100%
• User Story 2: Effort 2 pt, Progress 0%
• Bug B: Effort 3 pt, Progress 100%

Progress of the Iteration becomes the following:

Progress = ( 5*(100/100) + 2*(0/100) + 3*(100/100) ) / ( 5 + 2 + 3 ) = 8 / 10 = 0.8 = 80%

Progress calculation for work items

Progress of any work item such as User Story, Task and Bug is based on its Effort and Time Spent data. Learn how Progress is calculated for work items in Targetprocess.

Burndown chart

The burndown chart represents the progress visually. It provides a day-by-day measure of the work that has been completed in a given sprint (iteration), or a release (program increment). It can also show how much work is completed in a particular epic or milestone. The total work left, according to your team's estimates, is shown as well.

More information: Burndown charts

Estimation Accuracy: Initial estimate vs Effort and Time Spent for Portfolio Epics, Epics and Features

It is possible to compare Initial Estimate, Effort and Time Spent for every portfolio epic, feature and epic. Set up visual encoding that allows to compare Initial Estimate and Effort for every epic or every feature.

Various estimation accuracy reports can be built for the same purpose.