Bucket System Estimation #
The Bucket System is an Agile estimation technique used to quickly and collaboratively estimate a large number of user stories or tasks. It is especially useful in situations where there are many items to be estimated and the team wants to avoid the time-consuming process of estimating each item individually. The technique involves sorting tasks into predefined “buckets” that represent different levels of effort or complexity.
Key Characteristics: #
– Quick and Efficient: Suitable for estimating a large number of items.
–Collaborative: Encourages team participation and consensus.
–Relative Sizing: Focuses on comparing tasks to each other rather than assigning exact values.
Steps of Bucket System Estimation: #
1. Preparation:
Define a set of buckets that represent different levels of effort or complexity (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 20).
Prepare the list of user stories or tasks to be estimated.
2. Initial Placement:
Randomly select a user story or task and place it in a bucket that the team agrees represents its effort or complexity.
3. Review and Adjustment:
Sequentially review each user story or task.
Compare it with the items already placed in the buckets and decide if it should go into a higher, lower, or the same bucket.
Adjust placements as necessary based on team discussions and consensus.
4. Final Review:
Once all items are placed in buckets, review the distribution to ensure consistency and adjust if needed.
Example of Bucket System Estimation for an E-Commerce Website #
Scenario: The team is estimating the effort required for multiple features of an e-commerce website project.
Participants:
–Product Owner: Eva
–Development Team: Alice (Frontend Developer), Bob (Backend Developer), Carol (QA Engineer)
–Scrum Master: Dave
User Stories: #
User Story 1: Registration and Login
User Story 2: Product Search and Filters
User Story 3: Product Reviews
User Story 4: Order Tracking
User Story 5: Checkout Process
User Story 6: Wishlist Feature
Buckets: #
1- (Very Small)
2- (Small)
3 – (Medium)
5 – (Large)
8- (Very Large)
13 – (Extra Large)
20 – (Huge)
Bucket System Estimation Session: #
1. Preparation:
Buckets are labeled and placed visibly for the team.
The list of user stories is prepared.
2. Initial Placement:
Randomly selected story: Registration and Login.
The team discusses and places it in the 3 (Medium) bucket.
3. Review and Adjustment:
– Product Search and Filters:
Alice: “This is more complex than Registration and Login due to multiple filters.”
The team agrees and places it in the 5 (Large) bucket.
– Product Reviews:
Bob: “Adding reviews is less complex than Registration and Login.”
The team places it in the 2 (Small) bucket.
– Order Tracking:
Carol: “This is similar in complexity to Registration and Login.”
The team places it in the 3 (Medium) bucket.
–Checkout Process:
Alice: “This is quite complex, involving multiple steps and integrations.”
The team places it in the 8 (Very Large) bucket.
–Wishlist Feature:
Bob: “This is straightforward, but slightly more complex than Product Reviews.”
The team places it in the 3 (Medium) bucket.
4. Final Review:
The team reviews all placements for consistency.
Minor adjustments are made to ensure all items are accurately categorized.
Summary of Bucket System Estimation: #
| User Story ID | Description | Bucket (Effort) |
| PBI-001 | Registration and Login | 3 (Medium) |
| PBI-002 | Product Search and Filters | 5 (Large) |
| PBI-003 | Product Reviews | 2 (Small) |
| PBI-004 | Order Tracking | 3 (Medium) |
| PBI-005 | Checkout Process | 8 (Very Large) |
| PBI-006 | Wishlist Feature | 3 (Medium) |
Benefits of Bucket System Estimation: #
Efficiency: Allows for quick estimation of a large number of items.
Collaboration: Encourages team discussion and consensus.
Relative Comparison: Helps teams understand the relative effort required for different tasks.
Scalability: Suitable for both small and large projects.
Conclusion #
The Bucket System is a practical and efficient technique for estimating the effort or complexity of multiple user stories or tasks in Agile projects. By sorting items into predefined buckets, teams can quickly achieve a shared understanding of the relative effort required, facilitating better planning and prioritization. The example of estimating various features for an e-commerce website demonstrates how the Bucket System helps teams collaboratively and effectively manage their workload.
