Guidelines for effective ticket estimation sessions
Group related tickets into epics and estimate each epic separately for better accuracy. This helps maintain focus and provides clearer project structure.
Don't estimate too many tickets at once. Aim for 5-15 tickets per session for optimal focus and quality estimates. Too many tickets can lead to estimation fatigue and less accurate results.
Use the Fibonacci scale (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21) for relative sizing. This helps teams think in relative terms rather than absolute time, reducing bias and improving consistency.
Use higher uncertainty multipliers (1.5-2.0) for complex or unclear requirements. This accounts for unknowns and reduces the risk of underestimation.
Get estimates from all relevant team members for better consensus. Different perspectives help identify potential issues and improve estimate accuracy.
After estimation, review medians and discuss outliers to align understanding. Large variations in estimates often indicate unclear requirements or different assumptions.
Note any assumptions or constraints that affect estimates. This helps future reference and ensures everyone understands the context of the estimates.