Back to QA lobby

A sprint has a limited time. Team leaders and managers need to ensure this window is used wisely to get maximum outcomes. Hence, many organizations now measure developer productivity to ensure each sprint delivers the highest possible value. Out of the many sprint metrics you could track, three stand out as the most effective for gauging how well your team is performing.

1. Say/Do Ratio (Planned vs. Delivered)

The say/do ratio captures the proportion of story points a team commits to during sprint planning (say) to those it actually completes before the sprint ends (do). When the ratio hovers near 1.0, the team consistently meets its promises; anything lower exposes over-ambitious estimates, hidden blockers, or creeping scope.

Why it matters for sprint delivery

  • Checks planning accuracy. Makes it easier to balance work across developers.
  • Surfaces unseen impediments. Dependency queues, slow reviews, and surprise bugs become obvious.
  • Builds stakeholder confidence. Reliable say/do scores signal predictable sprint outcomes.

How to raise the ratio

  • Estimate as a group. Combine developer input with historical throughput to ground expectations.
  • Limit mid-sprint changes. Use a brief daily triage slot for genuine emergencies instead of ad-hoc additions.
  • Study the misses. If the say/do ratio drops below 0.8, document the causes and test fixes in the next sprint.

Benchmark: Leading teams maintain a say/do ratio of 0.9 or higher across six consecutive sprints; dropping below 0.75 usually indicates systemic issues.

2. Sprint Velocity

Sprint Velocity is the total number of story points completed in a sprint, averaged across several iterations. It serves as an internal measure for comparing a team to itself over time rather than ranking different teams against each other.

Why it matters for sprint delivery

  • Early capacity signal. A drop in velocity hints at staffing gaps, mounting technical debt, or process friction.
  • Feeds realistic forecasting. Guides delivery dates for epics and quarterly goals.
  • Prevents overload. Anchors commitments to recent performance instead of wishful thinking.

Healthy velocity practices

  • Roll over 3-5 sprints. A moving average smooths out holiday weeks and outages.
  • Pair with quality metrics; velocity without quality is a mirage. Track escaped defects or bug-fix rates.
  • Plot the trend. A gentle upward slope suggests sustainable gains; wild swings point to instability.

3. Sprint Churn (Scope Change)

Sprint churn measures the amount of work added, removed, or heavily re-estimated after the sprint begins.

Sprint Churn (%) = (Points Added + Points Removed) ÷ Points Committed * 100

Why it matters for sprint delivery

  • High churn reduces focus. Developers lose flow when switching contexts.
  • It inflates cycle time and masks the real reasons commitments slip.
  • It highlights upstream issues, unclear requirements, shifting priorities, or external interruptions.

Target ranges

  • <10% churn: Healthy – backlog is stable.
  • 10-20%: Monitor – discuss trade-offs with the product owner.
  • >20%: Red alert – freeze additions or break the sprint.

How to control churn

  • Refine the backlog thoroughly. Nail down acceptance criteria before planning.
  • Gate mid-sprint changes. Require approval from the tech lead or product owner for any new work.
  • Tag each change. Label the cause (bug, dependency, executive request) to spot repeat offenders.

Why These 3 and not Dozens More?

There are many sprint metrics, including burndown, lead time, and escaped defects. But teams can drown in dashboards. The say/do ratio, velocity, and sprint churn metrics hit the sweet spot:

  • Together, they cover commitment accuracy, throughput, and scope stability.
  • They are easy to capture from Jira or your ALM with minimal configuration.
  • Each one maps to clear process levers, including estimation, capacity, and backlog hygiene. This makes it easier to measure developer productivity and then improve it.

Bringing the metrics together

Tracking these three sprint metrics simultaneously gives you a 360-degree view:

  • The say/do ratio tells you how predictably the team converts commitments into completed work.
  • Velocity shows whether capacity is expanding or contracting over time.
  • Sprint churn reveals external turbulence that could disrupt both of the above.

These metrics help managers measure developer productivity in a way that is transparent, fair, and actionable. Just as important, they are simple enough to discuss in a 15-minute stand-up without derailing the team.

Final Thoughts

Great sprint delivery is predictable and adaptable. Tracking these three metrics every sprint turns raw activity into insight, helping you move from guessing to guiding.

Ready to Transform
Your GenAI
Investments?

Don’t leave your GenAI adoption to chance. With Milestone, you can achieve measurable ROI and maintain a competitive edge.
Website Design & Development InCreativeWeb.com