Affinity estimation and planning poker are both agile estimation techniques that are used by software development teams to estimate the effort required to complete a user story or task. While both techniques involve team members using numbered cards to indicate their estimates, there are some key differences between the two.
Level Of Detail
One key difference between affinity estimation and planning poker is the level of detail that is used in the estimation process. With affinity estimation, team members estimate the effort required to complete a user story or task in broad, relative terms. For example, a team member might use a card with the number “5” to indicate that they believe a task will take about the same amount of effort as five similar tasks. This type of estimation is typically used when the team is working on a large project with many user stories or tasks and needs a high-level sense of how much work is involved.
On the other hand, planning poker involves estimating the effort required to complete a user story or task in more specific, granular terms. Team members use cards with numbers from the Fibonacci sequence (e.g. 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, etc.) to indicate the amount of effort they believe is required to complete a task. This type of estimation is typically used when the team is working on a smaller project with fewer user stories or tasks and needs a more precise estimate of the effort required.
Calculation Of Result
Another key difference between affinity estimation and planning poker is the way that estimates are arrived at. With affinity estimation, the team typically begins by grouping similar user stories or tasks together and assigning a point value to each group based on the relative effort involved. The team then uses these point values to estimate the overall effort required for the project.
In contrast, planning poker involves each team member independently providing their estimate for a user story or task and then discussing their estimates as a group to arrive at a mutual estimate. This process is typically repeated for each user story or task in the project until the team has a set of estimates for the entire project.
Pros and Cons
There are pros and cons to both affinity estimation and planning poker. On the plus side, affinity estimation is generally faster and easier to use than planning poker, as it requires less detailed estimation and allows the team to work at a high level. However, it can be less accurate than planning poker, as the broad, relative nature of the estimates may not capture the full complexity and effort required to complete a task.
Planning poker, on the other hand, can be more accurate than affinity estimation, as the more detailed, granular estimates allow the team to capture a greater level of detail about the effort required to complete a task. However, it can be more time-consuming and require more effort from team members, as it involves a more detailed estimation process and requires the team to arrive at a consensus estimate for each task.
Ultimately, the choice between affinity estimation and planning poker will depend on the needs of the team and the project at hand. Teams working on large, complex projects with many user stories or tasks may find that affinity estimation is the best fit, while teams working on smaller, more focused projects may prefer planning poker. It’s also worth noting that some teams may choose to use a combination of both techniques, depending on the specific needs of the project.
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