Below is a sample Story Point calculator which can be used in estimating. These are just some sample factors and each organization can chose a different configuration. Note the example below uses weights.
Story Point Estimator
Estimated Story Points: 0
This formula provides weeks based on approximate values for each story point level:
• 1 story point: 0.5 weeks
• 2 story points: 1 week
• 3 story points: 2.5 weeks (midpoint of 2-3)
• 5 story points: 3.5 weeks (midpoint of 3-4)
• 8 story points: 8 weeks (midpoint of 4-12)
• 13 story points: 18 weeks (midpoint of 12-24)
• 21 story points: 30 weeks (midpoint of 24-36)
• 34 story points: 36 weeks or more
Weights:
Complexity (Weight: 2)
• Complexity is weighted 2, meaning it has a strong impact on the total score. High complexity indicates that the task is challenging or requires advanced technical work, so tasks that are more complex will significantly increase the estimated story points.
2. Effort (Weight: 1)
• Effort has a weight of 1, representing a moderate influence on the score. It indicates how much time or physical work is required. Since effort alone doesn’t necessarily make a task complex, its influence is moderate in the overall calculation.
3. Risk (Weight: 1.5)
• Risk is weighted 1.5, reflecting that uncertainty or potential obstacles add extra difficulty. If there’s a high level of risk (e.g., dependencies on external systems or untested technology), it raises the story points to account for possible issues.
4. Uncertainty (Weight: 1.2)
• Uncertainty has a weight of 1.2, meaning tasks with vague or incomplete requirements add some extra difficulty. This accounts for time and effort needed to clarify or adjust requirements and makes the score slightly higher if the task is less well-defined.
5. Dependencies (Weight: 1.3)
• Dependencies have a weight of 1.3, which slightly increases the score if a task relies on other tasks or teams. This factor represents coordination time and potential delays, making it more complex than independent tasks.
6. Knowledge (Weight: 1.4)
• Knowledge is weighted 1.4, representing the team’s familiarity with the task. If a task requires skills that the team doesn’t have extensive experience in, it’s expected to take more time and effort, raising the story points.
7. Repetition (Weight: -0.5)
• Repetition has a weight of -0.5, meaning it reduces the score when similar tasks have been done frequently before. When a task is repetitive, it usually becomes easier and quicker over time, so familiarity decreases the overall story points by a small amount.