Velocity

Velocity is a metric that measures the amount of work a team completes during a Sprint, usually expressed in Story Points.

Purpose

• Helps teams understand their capacity
• Provides a basis for Sprint planning and forecasting
• Tracks team productivity over time

Calculation

• Sum of the Story Points for all completed backlog items in a Sprint
• Only fully completed items count toward velocity

Usage

• Use velocity as a guide, not a target
• Compare velocity trends over multiple Sprints to identify patterns
• Adjust planning based on velocity changes

Best Practices

• Avoid using velocity for individual performance evaluation
• Don’t inflate story points to increase velocity
• Focus on delivering value, not just increasing velocity