Agile teams do a lot more by ensuring that each user story in a backlog is carefully estimated in order to arrive to the correct line up of each user story or stories. The product backlog doesn’t need to have epic or long user stories because this might result to hassles or problems when the initial print out of the stories are done.
If you are a member of the team, the first thing to prioritize is how the story is to be estimated or if it needs to be estimated at all. The right estimate will result to the success of the user stories and also of the backlog product as well. The product owner might be able to make an excellent assessment of the product just by using a powerful technique called relative mass valuation.
Mass valuation is one of the essential estimates techniques wherein a team can go over a large backlog of stories and estimate these as they are in a relation with each other. Some user stories need to be estimated in order to set the product backlog on the right track. An easy and efficient way is provided by mass valuation.
This technique can be used in the following ways:
• Write a card for each story
This is essential in order for the product owner and the team to know which of the user stories are related and which are not. This also serves as a guideline in making the perfect estimate of each of the stories.
• Set the stories in a large table
Setting the stories in a large space such a table makes the estimation process more efficient and accurate in terms of the sizes of the user stories. Teams must work in making an estimate in a correct manner. It would cause too much delay in setting these in a small space.
• Size up the stories
Pick any kind of story then make the team members decide if the stories are large, medium or small. That way, a careful mass valuation is achieved which will produce success in product output.
• Make the right estimate
If it’s a large story a member of the team is picked, place it at one end of the table and if it is a small story, it goes at the other side of the table. A medium story must be in the middle. Now, you must select the next story and ask the team to estimate it and have a careful valuation in order not to set it on the wrong side. Lastly, position each story card on the table related to the previous card selected then go to the next card.
Relative mass valuation will be very beneficial in handling user stories and making a correct estimation of these. Each member can do the mass valuation and to lessen the burden of estimating a large number of user stories. It proves to be one of the best powerful techniques when it comes to making an estimate.
— Slimane Zouggari