Weighted Velocity

Regular velocity refers to the sum of story points completed and delivered by a team within a specified time frame, usually a sprint or an iteration.

Weighted velocity refines and enhances regular velocity by considering additional factors that influence the team's capacity.

These factors, often referred to as 'lost days,' may involve situations like team members being on vacation, public or company holidays, or individuals contributing to multiple teams simultaneously.

By incorporating these factors into the velocity calculation and future iteration planning, we can arrive at a more accurate prediction of future outcomes.

For example, let's consider a team of 5 people with a 10-working day iteration, resulting in 5x10 = 50 total person days of capacity.

Now, if one person is on vacation for an entire week (5 days), the team's capacity is reduced to 90% due to the lost days.

To calculate the teams weighted velocity, we divide the velocity of the iteration by 0.9, which then represents the velocity if the person was not on vacation.

Weighted velocity is often employed as part of a velocity stability calculation to gauge the team's progress in achieving the agility outcomes of Trusted Dependability and Enduring Sustainability.

It helps refine future planning and provides a more realistic understanding of the team's performance considering various influencing factors.