How to manage to write first stories when applying scrum to a game? [closed]
A good starting-point for writing good user stories is the book by Mike Cohn. There are also plenty of useful resources online how to write good user stories and how to work with the backlog as a Product Owner and how to involve the team to continuously keep the backlog...
Is it posible to create a custom burndown chart in visualstudio.com
scrum,visual-studio-online,burndowncharts
It is my understanding that the burndown chart is specific to the current sprint, and doesn't apply anywhere else in Scrum. If you are trying to have separate charts for separate teams (or projects), then you are encouraged to create a new team (or a new project) and manage the...
TFS2013.4 Visual Studio Scrum 2013.4 Template
visual-studio-2013,scrum,tfs2013,tfs-workitem,tfs-process-template
There is not really a need to enable this feature, until Microsoft allows to choose between having bugs on the product backlog or the sprint backlog. The feature is introduced to allow MSF teams to show bugs on the backlog. For Scrum projects it essentially results in bugs being hidden...
How to increase Work In Progress (WIP) limit
tfs,visual-studio-online,tfs2013,scrum
On the board, click on Customize columns. The limit is just below the title. ...
Plan several sprints at once
It is not unusual to estimate ahead and attempt to get a feel for what could potentially be included in a future release. However assigning work to sprints beyond the immediate one is not a common practice. The reasons for that include: 1 - If for any reason planned work...
Is it possible to associate one product backlog with multiple projects? [closed]
agile,scrum,backlog,agile-project-management
My advice: Don't run both projects parallel on one Scrum Team. Start and finish the most important one (maybe only a MVP [1]) and then start the other. Every parallelisation will decrease the Teams productivity [2]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_viable_product http://www.dailyinfographic.com/the-high-cost-of-multitasking-infographic ...
Where can I see Scrum Feature items?
visual-studio-2013,scrum,tfs2013
Features are indeed meant to be larger and need to be decomposed into Product Backlog Items in order to take them into a sprint. On the backlog there is a way to see the link relationship: I'm not sure this view exists in the Express edition of TFS. I suspect...
Agile development and the “wish list”
Be ruthless with your jira's, there is nothing to be gained by documenting every issue you find. Remember the agile manifesto - "Working software over documentation". Fix the blockers right away, put the critical ones in the backlog and schedule in the next sprint, for anything that isn't worth fixing,...
What are work areas used for with the scrum methodology
visual-studio,tfs2013,scrum,tfs-workitem
Area's are a way to organize a backlog when you have multiple teams (teams then have their own area), multiple physical things that make up your product (web site, fat client, some kind of integration library). Or, a very common usage, feature area's of your product (e.g. shopping cart, search,...
Shared database options in scrum team
sql-server-2008,replication,shared,scrum
Regardless of the technology you are using, this situation happens to many developers who work remotely. Your three options are viable but consider this: Running a local database server introduce the possibility of environmental errors. If you have 3 developers, you now have 3 different databases. Even if the structure...
Extra sprint backlog columns in Visual Studio Online
tfs,visual-studio-online,scrum
You probably have one team (or project) configured to have bugs on the backlog as requirements, and another team/project configured to have bugs on the backlog as tasks. Bugs have a different set of states, so if you treat bugs as tasks, the board will show two sets of states:...
TFS Scrum Burndown showing ideal line finishing above zero
Thanks for the report of this. We have had a bug on this in TFS 2013 Update 2 RC that we fixed for RTM. Could you please verify your TFS version? Ewald Hofman - TFS Program Manager...
Is this approach 'agile'? Separating use-cases into sprints/iterations
agile,scrum,agile-project-management,agile-processes
Agile is sort of a big tent, but I would not apply that label to the process you've described. You are describing lots of upfront design work and a full specs up front. The schedule assumes all the req take the same amount of time to implement, thought you acknowledge...
SCRUM Terminology: What is the Difference Between a New Feature and an Enhancement? [closed]
I guess this cannot be answered in a generally accepted way. However this is how I would put it: A feature is new functionality i.e. a user can do something new with the software. An enhancement makes doing something that was possible before simpler, more powerful or adds somehow to...
VSO and multiple projects for a single product team
tfs,agile,visual-studio-online,tfs2013,scrum
You should have both teams in the same team project. You c Dan create multiple teams that all exist within the same team project and get their own backlogs. http://nakedalm.com/creating-nested-teams-visual-studio-alm/ Most of my customers have moved to a single team project and I have a simple rule: "If you have...
How to introduce scrum and gitflow to a team without overwhelming them? [closed]
git,agile,scrum,git-flow,scrummaster
It sounds as if you're in a good position to make a real difference. Being new to the team doesn't mean that you can't take a leadership role in their new way of doing things. Since your company is going to start off with formal agile training (from an external...
How to disable default day-off in Team Foundation Service capacity calender?
visual-studio-2013,tfs,tfs2013,scrum
You'll need TFS 2013 Update 2 or later: Hit the admin page for the project (usually http://server:8080/tfs/collection/project/_admin) Select the team that you need to configure Beside "Members" there is a "Settings" tab. Choose the working days for the team. Configure and customize Agile planning tools for a team project https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh543813.aspx...
What are Epics in regard of Features and Backlog Items in Team Foundation
tfs,agile,visual-studio-online,scrum
The general consensus is that: Product backlog Item is something that can be delivered in a single sprint. Feature is something that can't be delivered in a single sprint, but that can be delivered in a single release. Epic is something that transcends releases. In general the idea of theme...
TFS Sprint change order Drag&Drop
The features available in VSO are beyond that of TFS 2013 update 4. The feature that you are referring to is planned for TFS 2015. https://www.visualstudio.com/en-gb/news/release-archive-vso For most customers, regardless of size, I recommend moving to VSO to get access to the latest and greatest features as they become available....
How to best incorporate “regression periods” withint SCRUM agile approach?
regression,development-environment,agile,scrum
An extensive period of regression testing is something you should try to avoid at all cost when you want to practice Scrum. Not fully testing your software during or at the end of each sprint breaks one of the most important rules of Scrum, namely that the increment you deliver...
Can sprints have irregular number of weeks/days? [closed]
Sprints need to have a constant length, so you can best measure your velocity. It's not the correct course of action (in as much as "correct" exists) to change the length of sprints to fit in the amount of stuff you originally thought you were going to fit in them....
Using scrum for developing new updates for a released software
It looks as though Scrum would be an excellent fit for you. You get to choose the length of a sprint, though it cannot be longer than 30 days. Throughout the sprint, you work on each product backlog item until it is 'done'. Done means that all work is completed,...
Can a user story be a request for information?
A user story should represent value to an actual user, not just a part of the development process. Start with a story like "Player plays the game for a few turns" or just "Player moves a piece on the board" or whatever you think will fit in to one sprint....
Rating for User Stories, is it a good idea? [closed]
tfs,agile,scrum,jira-agile,scrummaster
As the Product Owner is part of the Scrum Team, at the end of the Sprint I would expect them to already know what is going on. Any ratting system that you apply to the individual will destroy your team. If they are on the line individually then they will...
How to do a good sprint planning for “black-box” items - Scrum [closed]
There are two approaches you can take. One is to do what is called 'backlog refinement'. With that, you get visibility of the likely work in the next sprint several days in advance of the planning meeting. You can then spend some time investigating prior to the planning meeting and...
Default tag and custom subtag to commits
The common practice is to just mention the numbers of issues or backlog items, or whatever the current buzzword is, in the commit messages. Any self-respecting issue tracker is then able to associate the commit with the issue. And yes, tags are unique, you can't apply them to multiple objects....
When to mark a work item blocked versus creating an impediment work item in TFS2013
My take on this is, Microsoft expect you to use an impediment for an item of work you would that is purely about unblocking a problem: From MSDN: By defining and managing impediment work items, your team can identify and track problems that prevent it from completing tasks efficiently. Teams...
Userstory vs PBI (product backlog) who picks it , team or product manager
It is explained well by Jessehouwing. Only team decides on selecting the User story for a sprint as only team has clear understanding of it's capacity & all other dependencies for implementing the user story. Product owner prioritise the PB and clearly put his/her wish in front of the team....