This document discusses an approach called Agile Normalized Size (AGO) to measure productivity in agile software development projects. AGO determines the functional size that could be realized if no non-functional backlog items were involved in a sprint. It does this by 1) determining the nature of backlog items, 2) calculating the functional size, 3) determining story points for functional items, and 4) using a formula to calculate AGO based on story points. This allows comparing productivity to historical benchmarks by determining hours per AGO instead of hours per actual size. The approach also handles sprints with only non-functional work by taking a cumulative view across sprints.

1. Agile normalized
size

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Agile normalized size
an approach to measure productivity in agile system development
Nesma Autumn Conference, Utrecht, November12th, 2015
2Agile normalized size

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When applicable
 Software development in an agile way
 Functional size is required for e.g. productivity determination and/or
benchmarking
3Agile normalized size

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What is the problem?
 Methods of productivity measurement, benchmark analysis techniques
and historical data are products of another era / approach
 Agile: product owner (customer) has a direct influence on the
productivity
4Agile normalized size

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Example
 Takeover of an application management contract
 Delivery in sprints
 Financial settlement based on hours per FP
 Used benchmark: PDR of the previous supplier
 Due to an increasing number of non-functional backlog items the PDR of
the previous supplier could not be met
 Loss-making project
5Agile normalized size

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Previous supplier
 Application developed from scratch
 About 15 sprints
 Sprints with very different functional sizes
 Achieved PDR about 17 hours per FP
 Most backlog items were functional in character
6Agile normalized size

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Non functional backlog items are involved
7Agile normalized size
Sprint X FP SP Hours
BLI 1 4 4
BLI 2 0 6
BLI 3 0 2
BLI 4 5 3
BLI 5 4 3
Total 13 18 400
PDR = 30,7 HRS/FP

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Problem
 Significant time spent on non-functional backlog items
 The PDR is significantly worse
 Inadequate registration of spent hours
8Agile normalized size

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Solution
Agile normalized size (AGO)
The functional size that could be realized if no non-functional backlog items
were involved in the sprint.
Subsequently, this size will be used to determine the PDR. This PDR is
comparable with the PDR’s registered in databases with historical data.
9Agile normalized size

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Method
1. Determine the nature of each of the realized backlog items (functional or
non-functional);
2. Determine the functional size of the realized functional backlog items of
the sprint using a standard FSM method (FPA, Cosmic);
3. Determine the number of story points of the functional backlog items
realized in the sprint;
4. Determine the total number of story points of all the backlog items
(functional and non-functional) realized in the sprint;
5. Determine the agile normalized size according the following formula:
(functional size/ functional story points) * total story
points
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Back to the example…
11Agile normalized size
Sprint X FP SP Hours
BLI 1 4 4
BLI 2 0 6
BLI 3 0 2
BLI 4 5 3
BLI 5 4 3
Total 13 18 400
AGO = (13 / 10) * 18 = 23,4 gFP
PDR = 17,1 hours/gFP

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The effect with various sprints - AGO
Sprint Size (FP) Functional SP Non funct. SP SP AGO (gFP)
16 20 32 12 44 27,5
17 25 28 16 44 39,3
18 18 24 20 44 33,0
19 29 35 4 39 32,3
20 4 6 36 42 28,0
21 15 16 24 40 37,5
12Agile normalized size

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The effect with various sprints - PDR
Sprint Size (FP) AGO (gFP) Hours Hours/FP Hours/gFP
16 20 27,5 500 25,0 18,2
17 25 39,3 480 19,2 12,2
18 18 33,0 530 29,4 16,1
19 29 32,3 468 16,1 14,5
20 4 28,0 534 133,5 19,1
21 15 37,5 522 34,8 13,9
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The effect with various sprints - III
14Agile normalized size
0,0
20,0
40,0
60,0
80,0
100,0
120,0
140,0
160,0
1 2 3 4 5 6
Hours/FP
Hours/nFP

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Problem: complete non-functional sprint
 One of the sprints contained only non-functional backlog items (0 FP, 0
functional SP)
 Impossible to determine the size in gFP (AGO)
 Impossible to determine the productivity
15Agile normalized size

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Solution: cumulative approach
 Determination of size and productivity not per sprint but up to and
including the last sprint.
 Not focused on one sprint but on the progress of the overall project.
(∑1-n functional size/ ∑1-n functional story points) *
∑1-n total story points
16Agile normalized size

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Back to the example…
Sprint Size (FP) Functional SP Non funct. SP SP AGO (gFP)
16 20 32 12 44 27,5
17 25 28 16 44 39,3
18 18 24 20 44 33,0
19 29 35 4 39 32,3
20 4 6 36 42 28,0
21 15 16 24 40 37,5
22 0 0 41 41 n/a
23 18 24 20 44 33,0
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Impossible to determine the productivity
Sprint Size (FP) AGO (gFP) Hours Hours/FP Hours/gFP
16 20 27,5 500 25,0 18,2
17 25 39,3 480 19,2 12,2
18 18 33,0 530 29,4 16,1
19 29 32,3 468 16,1 14,5
20 4 28,0 534 133,5 19,1
21 15 37,5 522 34,8 13,9
22 0 n/a 512 n/a n/a
23 18 33,0 508 28,2 15,4
18Agile normalized size

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Cumulative approach
Sprint Size (FP) AGO (gFP) Hours Hours (cum) AGO vs
(gFP (vs))
Hours (cum)
/ gFP (vs)
16 20 27,5 500 500 27,5 18,2
17 25 39,3 480 980 66,0 14,8
18 18 33,0 530 1.510 99,0 15,3
19 29 32,3 468 1.978 132,2 15,0
20 4 28,0 534 2.512 163,6 15,4
21 15 37,5 522 3.034 199,2 15,2
22 0 n/a 512 3.546 231,4 15,3
23 18 33,0 508 4.054 264,3 15,3
19Agile normalized size

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Thank you for your attention!

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Theo Prins
theo.prins@sogeti.com
21Agile normalized size