The story point is a mechanism to identify "size" of the requirement in agile projects.
Any estimation consists of the following elements:
1. Size - the size of the requirement you are working on
2. Effort - efforts needed to complete all the tasks that are associated with the requirement. Repeat - "all associated tasks".
3. Cost - monitory estimation of expenditure & all other costs necessary while working on the requirement
4. Resources (human & infrastructural) - the skilled resources, software-hardware resources, cloud resources, devices required, support requirements(transport, IT support, conference / demo, pantry ,anything that can be treated as support), other infrastructural requirements, etc.
Generally in estimation the link of other elements is established with size.
So here we convert the size (as story points) to efforts (in hours), cost (in currency), resources(number, configuration, skills, etc). When this link is specific to testing efforts, cost associated with testing, testing resources - the same story point can be termed as "Test Story Point".
Note:-
Just adding the "term" does not serve the purpose, the purpose is to have specific focus on testing estimation in agile projects. If we do it without changing the term or by assigning different term, it is still fine.
A) Why is it necessary to give separate focus to testing?
- Agile principle gives the same or (rather more importance in my opinion) to testing.
- Linking the size of requirement to development, technological aspects merely will not bring out all needs associated with -
a. software testing
b. the project &
c. the value / deliverable to the customer.
As the pigs who are committed to all tasks in a sprint / iteration, we are responsible for each and every possible deliverable going to end user. Conveying efforts, cost, resource requirements without proper importance to testing needs, indicates that we are not committed.
In fact - the agile principles convey that 'give importance to everything that adds value to the project and improves quality, productivity of the deliverable'. As testing a particular feature, application performance, accessibility, security, etc improves quality - team should provide details of all Four elements of estimation associated with testing.
B) How do we go about it?
The first change needed - is change in mentality. This is the toughest change for anyone.
Once we start walking the path - multiple ways come out:
- your team has abundance experience, they can help you assume few things to begin with.
- your organization is working on enough projects - which can provide you some guidelines, thumb rules, etc.
- there are multiple forums, blogs, books available to answer ever possible question.
- If none helps - you always have freedom to get 'pilot readings through a POC' & keep revising them.
C) How much time it will take? It is difficult to take out time from busy schedule for all this ...
Being Busy is good; to work on something other than routine we just need to revisit the priority of one of the existing activity. Check if there is anything that can wait till we complete this initiative.
It might be possible that because we did not give proper attention to estimation, we are spending more time on one of the activity. (We might have planned to finish something in 3 days with two people, which actually could have required more time).
D) which is the best possible tool / utility to do this?
Us! Any tool, utility - finally needs a sharp mind. Use everything that fits needs of your project.
For one of the project we had excel book where one test story point was explained with the Four elements of estimation. There were separate sheets for each element translating the one test story point in respective units. Simple multiplication used to provide us the details for desired story points.
After every sprint we use to revisit the benchmark - to check if some change can help us reduce variance in effort / schedule.
One might use power point, mind map, word, calculator, any other commercial tool, home-grown tool, just calculation in mind, etc. Just keep in mind that whatever we choose, should add value to project in terms of all three - cost, time & quality.
Happy testing!
Any estimation consists of the following elements:
1. Size - the size of the requirement you are working on
2. Effort - efforts needed to complete all the tasks that are associated with the requirement. Repeat - "all associated tasks".
3. Cost - monitory estimation of expenditure & all other costs necessary while working on the requirement
4. Resources (human & infrastructural) - the skilled resources, software-hardware resources, cloud resources, devices required, support requirements(transport, IT support, conference / demo, pantry ,anything that can be treated as support), other infrastructural requirements, etc.
Generally in estimation the link of other elements is established with size.
So here we convert the size (as story points) to efforts (in hours), cost (in currency), resources(number, configuration, skills, etc). When this link is specific to testing efforts, cost associated with testing, testing resources - the same story point can be termed as "Test Story Point".
Note:-
Just adding the "term" does not serve the purpose, the purpose is to have specific focus on testing estimation in agile projects. If we do it without changing the term or by assigning different term, it is still fine.
A) Why is it necessary to give separate focus to testing?
- Agile principle gives the same or (rather more importance in my opinion) to testing.
- Linking the size of requirement to development, technological aspects merely will not bring out all needs associated with -
a. software testing
b. the project &
c. the value / deliverable to the customer.
As the pigs who are committed to all tasks in a sprint / iteration, we are responsible for each and every possible deliverable going to end user. Conveying efforts, cost, resource requirements without proper importance to testing needs, indicates that we are not committed.
In fact - the agile principles convey that 'give importance to everything that adds value to the project and improves quality, productivity of the deliverable'. As testing a particular feature, application performance, accessibility, security, etc improves quality - team should provide details of all Four elements of estimation associated with testing.
B) How do we go about it?
The first change needed - is change in mentality. This is the toughest change for anyone.
Once we start walking the path - multiple ways come out:
- your team has abundance experience, they can help you assume few things to begin with.
- your organization is working on enough projects - which can provide you some guidelines, thumb rules, etc.
- there are multiple forums, blogs, books available to answer ever possible question.
- If none helps - you always have freedom to get 'pilot readings through a POC' & keep revising them.
C) How much time it will take? It is difficult to take out time from busy schedule for all this ...
Being Busy is good; to work on something other than routine we just need to revisit the priority of one of the existing activity. Check if there is anything that can wait till we complete this initiative.
It might be possible that because we did not give proper attention to estimation, we are spending more time on one of the activity. (We might have planned to finish something in 3 days with two people, which actually could have required more time).
D) which is the best possible tool / utility to do this?
Us! Any tool, utility - finally needs a sharp mind. Use everything that fits needs of your project.
For one of the project we had excel book where one test story point was explained with the Four elements of estimation. There were separate sheets for each element translating the one test story point in respective units. Simple multiplication used to provide us the details for desired story points.
After every sprint we use to revisit the benchmark - to check if some change can help us reduce variance in effort / schedule.
One might use power point, mind map, word, calculator, any other commercial tool, home-grown tool, just calculation in mind, etc. Just keep in mind that whatever we choose, should add value to project in terms of all three - cost, time & quality.
Happy testing!
