Understanding Cumulative Story Point Sum

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 143 views

Introduction

As software development teams continue to grow and evolve, managing complex projects has become increasingly challenging. One of the key challenges is estimating and tracking the effort required to complete user stories and defects. In Azure DevOps, the Backlog view provides a powerful tool for managing and prioritizing work items. However, one feature that is often requested is the ability to see a cumulative sum of user story points in the Backlog view. In this article, we will explore how to achieve this and unlock the full potential of Azure DevOps.

Understanding Cumulative Story Point Sum

Cumulative story point sum is a metric that represents the total effort required to complete a set of user stories and defects. It is calculated by summing up the individual story points of each work item. This metric is useful for several reasons:

Prioritization: Cumulative story point sum helps teams prioritize work items based on their relative effort requirements.
Resource allocation: By knowing the total effort required for a set of work items, teams can allocate resources more effectively.
Risk management: Cumulative story point sum helps teams identify high-risk work items that require more effort and attention.

Enabling Cumulative Story Point Sum in Azure DevOps

While Azure DevOps does not provide a built-in feature to display cumulative story point sum in the Backlog view, there are several workarounds to achieve this:

Using a Custom Field

One way to display cumulative story point sum is to create a custom field in Azure DevOps. Here's how to do it:

Create a new custom field: Go to the Work > Fields section in Azure DevOps and click on New field. Choose Number as the field type and give it a name, such as Cumulative Story Points.
Configure the field: In the Field settings section, click on Edit and select Calculate as the field type. Choose Sum as the calculation type and select the Story Points field as the source.
Add the field to the Backlog view: Go to the Work > Backlog section and click on Columns. Add the custom field to the Columns section.

Using a Power BI Report

Another way to display cumulative story point sum is to create a Power BI report. Here's how to do it:

Connect to Azure DevOps: Create a new Power BI report and connect to your Azure DevOps instance.
Create a new table: Create a new table in Power BI and select the Work Items table as the source.
Calculate cumulative story points: Use the Sum function to calculate the cumulative story points for each work item.
Visualize the data: Use a bar chart or a line chart to visualize the cumulative story points.

Using a Custom Query

A third way to display cumulative story point sum is to create a custom query in Azure DevOps. Here's how to do it:

Create a new query: Go to the Work > Queries section and click on New query.
Select the work items: Select the work items that you want to include in the query.
Calculate cumulative story points: Use the Sum function to calculate the cumulative story points for each work item.
Display the results: Display the results in a table or a chart.

Best Practices for Implementing Cumulative Story Point Sum

When implementing cumulative story point sum in Azure DevOps, keep the following best practices in mind:

Use a consistent estimation process: Ensure that the estimation process is consistent across the team to avoid errors and inconsistencies.
Use a single source of truth: Use a single source of truth for the story points, such as the Story Points field.
Regularly review and update the estimates: Regularly review and update the estimates to ensure that they reflect the current reality.
Communicate the results: Communicate the results to the team and stakeholders to ensure that everyone is aware of the effort required to complete the work items.

Conclusion

In conclusion, cumulative story point sum is a powerful metric that can help teams prioritize work items, allocate resources, and manage risk. While Azure DevOps does not provide a built-in feature to display cumulative story point sum in the Backlog view, there are several workarounds to achieve this. By following the best practices outlined in this article, teams can unlock the full potential of Azure DevOps and improve their overall productivity and efficiency.

Additional Resources

For more information on Azure DevOps and cumulative story point sum, check out the following resources:

Azure DevOps documentation: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/
Power BI documentation: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/
Agile estimation techniques: https://www.scrum.org/resources/estimation-techniques

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions about cumulative story point sum in Azure DevOps:

Q: How do I calculate cumulative story points in Azure DevOps? A: You can calculate cumulative story points in Azure DevOps by using a custom field, a Power BI report, or a custom query.
Q: What are the best practices for implementing cumulative story point sum in Azure DevOps? A: The best practices for implementing cumulative story point sum in Azure DevOps include using a consistent estimation process, using a single source of truth, regularly reviewing and updating the estimates, and communicating the results.
Q: How do I display cumulative story points in the Backlog view in Azure DevOps? A: You can display cumulative story points in the Backlog view in Azure DevOps by adding a custom field, creating a Power BI report, or using a custom query.
Azure DevOps: Cumulative Story Point Sum Q&A =====================================================

Introduction

In our previous article, we explored how to unlock the power of cumulative story point sum in Azure DevOps. However, we know that you may have questions about implementing this feature in your organization. In this article, we will answer some of the most frequently asked questions about cumulative story point sum in Azure DevOps.

Q&A

Q: What is cumulative story point sum?

A: Cumulative story point sum is a metric that represents the total effort required to complete a set of user stories and defects. It is calculated by summing up the individual story points of each work item.

Q: Why is cumulative story point sum important?

A: Cumulative story point sum is important because it helps teams prioritize work items based on their relative effort requirements, allocate resources more effectively, and manage risk.

Q: How do I calculate cumulative story points in Azure DevOps?

A: You can calculate cumulative story points in Azure DevOps by using a custom field, a Power BI report, or a custom query.

Q: What are the best practices for implementing cumulative story point sum in Azure DevOps?

A: The best practices for implementing cumulative story point sum in Azure DevOps include using a consistent estimation process, using a single source of truth, regularly reviewing and updating the estimates, and communicating the results.

Q: How do I display cumulative story points in the Backlog view in Azure DevOps?

A: You can display cumulative story points in the Backlog view in Azure DevOps by adding a custom field, creating a Power BI report, or using a custom query.

Q: Can I use cumulative story point sum with other estimation techniques?

A: Yes, you can use cumulative story point sum with other estimation techniques, such as story points, hours, or days.

Q: How do I handle changes to the estimates?

A: When changes to the estimates occur, you should update the cumulative story point sum accordingly. This will ensure that the metric remains accurate and reliable.

Q: Can I use cumulative story point sum with multiple teams?

A: Yes, you can use cumulative story point sum with multiple teams. However, you should ensure that the estimation process is consistent across teams to avoid errors and inconsistencies.

Q: How do I measure the effectiveness of cumulative story point sum?

A: You can measure the effectiveness of cumulative story point sum by tracking metrics such as team velocity, lead time, and cycle time.

Q: Can I use cumulative story point sum with other Agile methodologies?

A: Yes, you can use cumulative story point sum with other Agile methodologies, such as Scrum, Kanban, or Lean.

Q: How do I handle exceptions or outliers in the data?

A: When handling exceptions or outliers in the data, you should investigate the cause of the issue and update the estimates accordingly. This will ensure that the metric remains accurate and reliable.

Q: Can I use cumulative story point sum with automated testing?

A: Yes, you can use cumulative story point sum with automated testing. However, you should ensure that the testing process is consistent and reliable to avoid errors and inconsistencies.

Q: How do I handle changes to the team composition?

A: When changes to the team composition occur, you should update the cumulative story point sum accordingly. This will ensure that the metric remains accurate and reliable.

Q: Can I use cumulative story point sum with other project management tools?

A: Yes, you can use cumulative story point sum with other project management tools, such as Jira, Trello, or Asana.

Q: How do I measure the return on investment (ROI) of cumulative story point sum?

A: You can measure the ROI of cumulative story point sum by tracking metrics such as team velocity, lead time, and cycle time, and comparing them to the costs associated with implementing the metric.