Agile is a large concept, and its adaptability makes it well accepted in designing, marketing, and many other teams, in addition to tech-oriented ones. In this regard, Scrum metrics help measure team performance and effectiveness. CSM training can help teams learn the Scrum metrics and utilize the techniques for better results.
This article delves into the Scrum metrics in detail, including their importance and reviews. Read the article to learn more about Scrum metrics.
What are Scrum Metrics?
It is a specific data point that the Scrum team tracks and uses to improve the efficiency of sprints. It helps strengthen your team’s Agile journey. In addition, the metrics help in decision-making, planning, and execution. Scrum metrics also review the target goal and improve the plans.
However, each team is unique and sets different metrics to track its achievement. Thus, the team has to agree on a set of metrics and define how to use them to improve. Sometimes, management or leaders decide the metrics on behalf of the team.
What Scrum metrics are Important?
Scrum metrics can set the target for the team and guide them in following the correct direction. It brings visibility to various team dimensions and analyzes the effectiveness of the team’s capacity, velocity, predictability, and quality in delivering the product. In addition, the Scrum metrics create awareness regarding team performance and initiate action to improve the process. It is easy for agile teams to proceed with their gut or instincts to judge how well they are doing. This habit may be helpful in some situations, but it is still a significant missed opportunity; using Scrum metrics eliminates such risks.
Can Scrum Metrics be Used as KPIs?
With the right kind of work and enough time, Scrum measures can set key performance indicators (KPIs). However, Scrum metrics can not tell you how much value the customer sees or whether the team did the right thing. Instead, KPIs for an agile team should show how well the team helps the company meet its goals. These include:
- Return on investment (ROI) — Depending on their goals, companies measure this in several ways, such as by monthly active users (MAU), revenue growth, and more.
- Customer satisfaction—The Net Promoter Score (NPS) and the Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) are two survey metrics that assess a project’s performance.
- Team satisfaction —By asking your team how motivated they are to work on the project and how involved they are with the team, you can spot problems and identify the team satisfaction level.
Top 7 Agile Scrum Metrics
A few metrics are unique to the Scrum master and discussed as “Scrum master metrics.” So the metrics apply to everyone and help the whole agile method. Hence, A-CSM certification can help you skillfully implement and manage the Scrum metrics. Here, we discuss some metrics with their impact on the Scrum team:
| Scrum Metrics | What They Measure |
| Lead Time | This is the way to track how long it takes, from when the order is accepted to when it is processed and delivered to the customer. This will help us stay competitive in the market. This number can be called a Scrum performance measure because it tells us how well we do the work. |
| Blockers | If a task has a problem, that task is named and put in the “blockers” list. The jobs that stop the delivery team from moving forward are called “blockers.” You can move the tasks back to the task board or the sprint list once the problem is fixed. |
| Velocity | This shows how much work the team did on average during the sprint. A lot of versions can be seen here. The measurement will be more correct the more times it is done. It tells us the forecast, how many hours it will take, and how well the team can handle the backlogs. |
| Cumulative Flow Diagram | Once more, this chart lets us see and measure how the projects are moving along. Different levels show the backlog, sprint backlogs, and work done columns. If the rise is even, the layers are straight and the same size, the process is solid. More work is being done than is being entered if the layers in the process are narrow. |
| Value Addition | This helps you set priorities and focus on the most important things. The process is not efficient if the low-value tasks take too much time. The more money it’s worth, the more important it is. One good sign is an upward trend on the map. This means that the process is going well. |
| Cycle Time | This is the time between adding tasks to the WIP or sprint backlog and the column in the sprint chart that says “work done” or “work completed.” |
| Control Chart | This chart helps you see how long each job takes to complete. It tells us how long it took for jobs to go from “Work in Progress” to “Work Done.” We can look at the chart to see if all of the teams are consistently delivering across the chart. |
Closing Statement
Scrum is meant to help teams work better, and Scrum metrics help teams ensure that Scrum is working for them. Additionally, Scrum metrics are used to motivate the whole team. You do not have to keep track of all the metrics in this article. Start with just one or two and see if they help your team improve. Thus, follow the metrics that allow your team to work correctly and keep your Scrum productive.
