Facilitated by Tox B.
Learn which metrics truly matter in Agile and how to create dashboards that drive improvement rather than just report status.
Why Metrics Matter in Agile:
The right metrics provide insight into team health, identify improvement opportunities, and help forecast future delivery. The wrong metrics drive counterproductive behavior.
Key Agile Metrics Covered:
• Velocity: Measuring team throughput
• Burndown Charts: Tracking Sprint progress
• Burnup Charts: Visualizing scope changes
• Cycle Time: From start to finish
• Lead Time: From request to delivery
• Cumulative Flow Diagrams: Identifying bottlenecks
Understanding Velocity:
• Calculating and tracking velocity over time
• Using velocity for forecasting and planning
• Why velocity is team-specific
• Avoiding velocity anti-patterns (velocity as a target, comparing teams)
• Stabilizing velocity through consistency
Sprint Burndown and Burnup Charts:
• Reading and interpreting burndown charts
• When burndown isn’t linear (and why that’s okay)
• Using burnup to track scope changes
• Creating realistic Sprint Goals based on burn trends
• Red flags: flat lines, late spikes, consistent shortfalls
Flow Metrics for Continuous Improvement:
• Cycle Time: Identifying delays and waste
• Lead Time: Managing customer expectations
• Throughput: Measuring delivery capacity
• Work in Progress (WIP): Avoiding overload
• Using these metrics to optimize your process
Avoiding Vanity Metrics:
• The problem with percentage complete
• Why individual velocity is harmful
• Metrics that drive wrong behaviors
• Focus on outcomes over outputs
• Leading vs. lagging indicators
Building Effective Dashboards:
• Designing dashboards for different audiences
• Executives vs. Product Owners vs. Teams
• Using Jira, Tableau, Power BI, or simple spreadsheets
• Making data visible and accessible
• Automated reporting to save time
Practical Workshop:
• Analyze sample metrics and identify insights
• Design a dashboard for your team
• Practice explaining metrics to stakeholders
• Identify which metrics would help your team improve
Benefits of Attending This Session:
Participants will understand which metrics provide real insight, avoid metrics that drive counterproductive behavior, create dashboards that support better decisions, and use data to drive continuous improvement. You’ll leave knowing how to measure what matters.