Reports and Charts in Jira - Part 2

A Velocity Chart 

In Jira the velocity chart is a graphical representation of a Scrum team's historical performance in terms of completing work during sprints. It is a valuable tool for Agile teams to track their progress and forecast future work. The chart typically displays two lines: one representing the team's historical velocity and another showing the projected velocity for future sprints. Here's how you can create and interpret a Velocity Chart in Jira:

Creating a Velocity Chart:

Set up your Jira project: Make sure your Jira project is set up as a Scrum project, and your issues are appropriately categorized as "Stories" or "Tasks."

Plan and complete sprints: Create and complete sprints in your project. To calculate velocity, you need data from multiple sprints.

Generate a Velocity Chart:

Navigate to your Jira Scrum project.

In the sidebar, click on "Reports."

Select "Velocity Chart" from the available report types.

Configure the chart:

Choose the time frame or sprints you want to include in the chart.

Select the statistics you want to display (usually, it's the "Story Points" field).

Click "Generate."

Interpreting a Velocity Chart:

A Velocity Chart typically consists of the following elements:

Completed Story Points: This line represents the total story points completed by the team in each sprint. It shows how much work the team managed to finish in past sprints.

Projected Velocity: This line represents the team's average velocity over a set number of past sprints. It helps forecast how much work the team can complete in future sprints.

Sprint Names: Each sprint in the chart is labeled with its name or identifier.

X-axis (Sprints): The horizontal axis lists the sprints included in the chart.

Y-axis (Story Points): The vertical axis displays the total story points completed.

Interpretation:

The Completed Story Points line helps you see how the team's performance has been in the past. You can identify trends and fluctuations in productivity.

The Projected Velocity line gives you an idea of the team's expected performance in future sprints based on historical data.

If the Completed Story Points line is consistently below the Projected Velocity line, it may indicate the team is overcommitting or facing issues. If it's consistently above, the team may be undercommitting.

Velocity Charts in Jira are useful for teams to set realistic sprint goals, make better estimations, and track their progress over time. They can help teams improve their efficiency and deliver more value in each sprint.

To be Continued...