Velocity
Also called sprint velocity, team velocity.
The amount of finished work a team completes in a sprint, used to forecast how much fits in the time left.
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What it is.
Teams estimate stories in points or another relative unit, then add up the points of everything that met the definition of done by the end of each sprint. The average over the last few sprints is the team's velocity.
It is a planning tool for one team, not a score. Points mean different things in different teams, so velocities cannot be compared across teams.
Why it matters
Velocity turns a backlog into a forecast. If the remaining scope is 240 points and the team averages 30 a sprint, the work is about eight sprints away. When scope grows, the same sum shows how much the date moves, which makes trade-offs concrete.
In a product build
When engineers are embedded on a monthly retainer, velocity helps the client see what each month of the team delivers and whether to add or reduce hours.
Common mistakes.
- 01
Using velocity to rank teams or engineers. It quickly leads to inflated estimates.
- 02
Counting work that is not finished, which makes the forecast too hopeful.
- 03
Expecting a steady number while the team size or the work type changes.
Work it out with a tool.
Related terms.
- SprintA fixed time box, one month or less and often two weeks, in which a team builds and shows a working piece of the product.
- User storyA short description of a feature from the point of view of the person who needs it, and why they need it.
- Definition of done (DoD)The shared checklist every piece of work must pass, such as tested, reviewed and deployed, before the team calls it finished.
- Backlog (product backlog)The ordered list of everything still to be built or fixed in a product, with the most important work at the top.
Guides and pages
Browse the full glossary or read answers to common questions.
