Improving Workload Estimation in Inexperienced Teams with Hybrid Agile Approach

Abstract

SCRUM framework is an agile technique that is widely used by development teams in order deliver incremental value to customers and dynamically react to project needs. SCRUM framework might be adapted to conform the development team specificities. In the context of an industry project, we have found that an inexperienced development team frequently faced difficulties with estimating the time needed to complete tasks, which led to missed deadlines in most of the projects. Such problem hampers the risk management and degrades the relationship with the customer. Upon closer analysis, it was identified that the main reason to this issue was the team's inability to breaking down a larger task into smaller sub-tasks and associate a realistic workload to each part. Then, based on traditional techniques, a structured approach to workload estimation was introduced in the SCRUM planning meeting to leverage the team's estimation skill. This approach was implemented in two development projects and increased the accuracy in the estimate defined by the team, yielding realistic schedules and increasing technical visibility.