How is scrum velocity used in software development?

You must be wondering what scrum velocity is. Well, scrum velocity is a measurement of how much work a developer can complete during a particular sprint.  Sprint is defined as specific time intervals that stretch for about two to four weeks and continue repeating until a developer fully develops the product. Click here to learn more about scrum velocity.

 What are the several levels of scrum velocity calculation? 

There are several levels of calculating scrum velocity-

• The velocity of individual tasks – It is also known as cycle time. It can be calculated by summing how long it takes scrum teams to turn over an individual’s tasks.
• Velocity at sprint level- it is calculated by calculating how many story points the team is managing for the completion of each sprint. A greater number means that users are provided with more capabilities.
• Velocity at the release or epic level- It shows how much of the epics or releases during the initial scope has been completed.

What is the formula for scrum velocity?

• Actual velocity is the measurement of how fast a team is succeeding in software development.
• Expected velocity is the measurement of how a team is planning to succeed in developing software.

What is the usefulness of scrum velocity in software development?

There are many significant advantages of scrum velocity, some are stated below-

• It is instrumental in measuring the performance of the team developing the software
• It is a great feedback tool, as the development of the software by the team is very much visible through scrum velocity.
• A team can determine whether or not work process adjustments have been beneficial by looking at the regularly monitored velocity. 
• By enabling you to anticipate how much software the development team can deliver, scrum velocity makes sprint planning hassle-free and easier.

What are the cons of scrum velocity?

There are some disadvantages of scrum velocity- 

• You should never consider the merits of incomplete software development. 
• Do not estimate the velocity of a team member individually; always do so for the entire group as it is a team metric.
• You should never use this for giving bonuses or rewards to the team, as it can lead to overestimation or underestimation.

Conclusion

Scrum velocity is very useful in measuring the amount of work a software developer can do, and it can also calculate the speed of the progress of work and adjust according to that.