This document introduces SPACE, an estimation tool to help improve agile delivery predictability. It discusses current challenges with agile estimation like lack of repeatability and comparability. SPACE provides a standardized sizing methodology, collects data from past deliveries, and suggests story points to aid planning poker sessions. A case study shows how SPACE helped a company establish KPIs to track agile performance, improve productivity over 3 years, and enhance estimation accuracy. In the end, SPACE is presented as a tool to add value to agile practices by helping bring structure and data to planning sessions.

1. Pranabendu Bhattacharyya, Sharmila Das

2. Agenda
 Introduction
 Current Gaps and challenges in Agile Estimation
 SPACE – A sneak peek
 SPACE Details
 Case study
 Questions and Answers
SPACE : The Estimation Aid for Bringing
Agile Delivery Predictability

3. Introduction
 Agile practice is an industry-wide phenomenons
SPACE : The Estimation Aid for Bringing Agile
Delivery Predictability
#Estimates
vs.
#NoEstimates

4. Current gaps and challenges in
Agile Estimation
 Lack of repeatable size estimation technique
 Lack of estimation predictability resulting in
incomplete sprints.
 “Apples-to-Apples” comparison of story points/sprint
velocity is not possible.
 Poor metrics calculation impacting performance
management adversely
 Lack of structured estimation experience collection
from previous delivery
SPACE : The Estimation Aid for Bringing
Agile Delivery Predictability

5. Sizing in Agile- Some Real Customer Concerns
• “Your reference story changes with sprint! So how do I know you are really
delivering more with sprints?”
• “In my dynamic team scenario, what does velocity mean? Does it indicate
anything?”
• “I appreciate you are delivering value every sprint, but how do I compare you
with my other suppliers?”
SPACE : The Estimation Aid for Bringing
Agile Delivery Predictability

6. So here is SPACE..
SPACE is here to aid agile projects face their maturing
customers confidently.
It is a standardized approach to aid your Planning Poker session
SPACE : The Estimation Aid for Bringing
Agile Delivery Predictability
Patent filed with United States-PTO
in September 2014
Application No – 14489112

7. Pre-Requisites To Use SPACE
o Story definition and
prioritization done
o Gather in a group (similar to
Planning Poker) in a room
o Order Coffee!
SPACE : The Estimation Aid for Bringing
Agile Delivery Predictability

8. SPACE – A sneak peek
Pickup a
story
• Select parameters &
options
• Discuss probable story
point
“Generate”
Story Point
from the model
Review the model
suggested Story
Points options
Discuss and select
the point you want
to go ahead with
Pickup the next
story from Product
Backlog
SPACE Model
Definition and prioritization of the user stories
Pre-activity
Outcomes
Estimated sprint velocity
Identified Epics
Sprint-on-Sprint velocity comparisons
Capacity Validation
SPACE : The Estimation Aid for Bringing
Agile Delivery Predictability

9. SPACE value - adds
SPACE : The Estimation Aid for Bringing
Agile Delivery Predictability
Uniform Size
Estimation
Methodology
(Paradigm shift in AGILE
world with comparable
size across sprints )
Quantitative
Quality
Management
(Credible and Comparable
Defect Density )
Disciplined
Cost
Control
(First-of-its-kind
through
Cost per SSP )
Effective
Capacity
Utilization
(Manage SUPPLY vis-à-vis
DEMAND)
Transparent
Segregation of Story
Points
(Parameterized
Complexity Contributors)
Breakthrough & Game-changer for Agile projects
Uniform
Performance
Measurement
(Anytime
Anywhere
Compare)

10. Case Study
SPACE : The Estimation Aid for Bringing
Agile Delivery Predictability

11. Introduction
Problem Statement : The newly adopted Agile mode
of delivery in a large technology business organization
was not able to establish any KPI to track speed and
performance of agile delivery
Challenges:
• No standard agile sizing across portfolios
• Limited reuse of estimation data of previous Agile deliveries in
subsequent sprints
• No method to compare delivery speed across similar agile projects
• Tracking of actual effort was not done impacting credibility of KPIs
viz. performance, defect density, capacity validation etc.
SPACE : The Estimation Aid for Bringing
Agile Delivery Predictability

12. Solution Implementation
The entire TCS solution implementation followed an E-D-C-B-A approach,
which is as follows :
• Engage Engaged with key stakeholders to understand customer’s
ways of working & guiding principles
• Design Performed Fitment analysis with the identified projects and
customized as necessary
• Collect Collected actual data and sanitized
• Baseline Statistically generated base-lined productivities for the
programs based on collected sanitized data
• Address Collated & analyzed the results and presented observations
to program sponsor and stakeholders
SPACE : The Estimation Aid for Bringing
Agile Delivery Predictability

13. Business Benefits
• Standard way of estimating size for agile programs
• Person-independent sizing technique comparable across
programs and portfolios
• Technology wise base-lined productivities for estimating agile
effort, resulting in accurate sprint capacity
• Half-yearly productivity re-base-lining cycles
• Achievable and measurable productivity targets
• Greater control w.r.t agile operations.
SPACE : The Estimation Aid for Bringing
Agile Delivery Predictability

14. Results
TCS provided the required support & guidance for 3 subsequent years &
the figures are a snapshot of the returns customer organization received
Productivity Improvement tracking Y-o-Y Model effectiveness analysis Y-o-Y
0,09
0,1
0,12
0,15
0
0,02
0,04
0,06
0,08
0,1
0,12
0,14
0,16
Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Productivity (For JAVA/J2EE, in
SP/PH)
New Process Deployed
51,0%
63,8%
75,4%
47,8%
58,6%
70,0%
41,2%
53,5%
67,9%
0,0% 10,0% 20,0% 30,0% 40,0% 50,0% 60,0% 70,0% 80,0%
YEAR 1
YEAR 2
YEAR 3
SPACE Model Effectiveness Analysis
5% band 10% band 15% band
SPACE : The Estimation Aid for Bringing
Agile Delivery Predictability

15. Finally..
SPACE is an innovation
(adding value to Agile sizing and estimation)
SPACE is a visualization of what goes in
Planning Poker participants' minds
(…basically a machine which scans and prints your planning brain!)
SPACE doesn't change any agile practices. It just
helps bring more value to You and Your
Customer
SPACE : The Estimation Aid for Bringing
Agile Delivery Predictability

16. Questions and Answers
SPACE : The Estimation Aid for Bringing
Agile Delivery Predictability

17. Thank you!
SPACE : The Estimation Aid for Bringing
Agile Delivery Predictability