How is PERT estimation applied in agile environments

Question

I’m trying to apply PERT in an Agile setup—does that even work well with iterative sprints, or is it more suited for Waterfall?

Answer 1

PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) is a method for predicting the time required to finish a task, especially when there is ambiguity about how long it will take. In Agile, PERT can be used to estimate work efforts for stories, epics, and sprints. This is how PERT estimating works in Agile.

• PERT uses three-time estimates: optimistic (O), pessimistic (P), and most likely (M). The calculations for these estimates are as follows: $\text{Expected time}=\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{O+4M+P}{6}$
• Apply to Agile User Stories: In Agile, utilize PERT to estimate effort on user stories or epics. This helps to account for uncertainties in a task's complexity, particularly when predicting how long something will take owing to unexpected challenges.
• Track and Adjust Estimates: As the project advances, compare actual performance to PERT estimates. Use this information to adjust future time predictions, resulting in a more precise projection for the next sprints.

PERT is an effective method for estimating activities with more uncertainty in Agile environments, and it can be especially beneficial during planning poker or backlog refinement meetings.

Answer 2

PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) is a method for predicting the time required to finish a task, especially when there is ambiguity about how long it will take. In Agile, PERT can be used to estimate work efforts for stories, epics, and sprints. This is how PERT estimating works in Agile.

• PERT uses three-time estimates: optimistic (O), pessimistic (P), and most likely (M). The calculations for these estimates are as follows: Expected time= O+4M+P​/6
• Apply to Agile User Stories: In Agile, utilize PERT to estimate effort on user stories or epics. This helps to account for uncertainties in a task's complexity, particularly when predicting how long something will take owing to unexpected challenges.
• Track and Adjust Estimates: As the project advances, compare actual performance to PERT estimates. Use this information to adjust future time predictions, resulting in a more precise projection for the next sprints.

PERT is an effective method for estimating activities with more uncertainty in Agile environments, and it can be especially beneficial during planning poker or backlog refinement meetings.