1. What is Throughput in Agile?

Throughput in Agile measures the number of work items completed by a team during a specific time period, typically expressed as items per sprint or items per week. It's a key metric for assessing team productivity and predictability.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the throughput formula:

Where:

• \( Completed\ Items \) — Number of work items completed
• \( Time\ Period \) — Duration in sprints or weeks

Explanation: This simple division gives you the average number of items your team can complete per time period, helping you understand your team's capacity and delivery rate.

3. Importance of Throughput Calculation

Details: Throughput is crucial for agile teams to forecast future work, identify bottlenecks, measure process improvements, and set realistic expectations with stakeholders about delivery timelines.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the total number of completed work items and the time period over which they were completed. Use consistent units (e.g., both in sprints or both in weeks) for accurate results.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between throughput and velocity?
A: Throughput counts completed items regardless of size, while velocity uses story points to account for item complexity. Throughput is simpler but velocity provides better capacity planning.

Q2: How many items should a team complete per sprint?
A: This varies by team size, item complexity, and team maturity. Track your team's historical throughput to establish realistic benchmarks.

Q3: Why is throughput important for predictability?
A: Consistent throughput patterns allow teams to forecast future work completion more accurately, helping with release planning and stakeholder communication.

Q4: What causes throughput fluctuations?
A: Team member availability, item complexity variations, dependencies, technical debt, and process changes can all affect throughput consistency.

Q5: How can teams improve their throughput?
A: Focus on reducing work in progress, improving definition of done, addressing technical debt, and optimizing workflow processes through regular retrospectives.