Include sub-items into metrics calculation

Owned by Anastasia Baranouskaya
Last updated: Feb 15, 2022 by Aleksandr Bogush
3 min read

PERF allows to include and exclude sub-items from metrics calculation. This can be helpful if you need calculate metrics for a project duration/release and sub-items estimation and quantity is no object in this case.

  • If "Include sub-items into calculation" turned on then task estimates and their quantity will be taken into account while calculating metrics (it mostly affects Productivity  & Scope and Backlog metrics).

  • If "Include sub-items into calculation" turned off then tasks are not included into the calculation in items at all but estimates are summarized in most Productivity metrics.

To including/excluding sub-items in calculation go to Project Configuration → Task Tracking Systems (Jira, Rally, TFS/VSTS) → Workflow.

Sub-item is a sub-bug or a sub-task.

What is considered as a sub-item depends on a Task Tracking System:

  • JIRA sub-items: sub-issues per native JIRA terminology;

  • RALLY sub-items: Tasks (in rally tasks are always children of Story or Defect);

  • TFS/VSTS sub-items: child items of ANY parents except Feature or Epic.

Include sub items checkbox affects calculation in the following metrics:

  • Backlog Health

  • Ready for Development

  • Sprint Scope Stability

  • Velocity by week/month

  • Velocity by week (non-defects)

  • Average Velocity

  • Velocity: Committed vs. Completed

  • Commitment Rate

  • Iteration Scope Conversion (depends on units of measure: if unit of measure is Items then sub-items are calculated only when "Include sub-items into metric calculation" is turned-on. If metric is in Story Points or Hours then Story Point and Hours are calculated regardless of "Include sub-items into calculation" check-box)

  • Iteration Completion Snapshot (depends on units of measure: if unit of measure is Items then sub-items are calculated only when "Include sub-items into metric calculation" is turned-on. If metric is in Story Points or Hours then Story Point and Hours are calculated regardless of "Include sub-items into calculation" check-box)

  • "Not Done" Bucket Review (depends on units of measure: if unit of measure is Items then sub-items are calculated only when "Include sub-items into metric calculation" is turned-on. If metric is in Story Points or Hours then Story Point and Hours are calculated regardless of "Include sub-items into calculation" check-box)

  • Created vs Resolved

  • Open Issue Aging

  • Throughput

  • Time in Status

  • First Time Right

  • Delivery Forecast via Burn-up(depends on units of measure: if unit of measure is Items then sub-items are calculated only when "Include sub-items into metric calculation" is turned-on. If metric is in Story Points or Hours then Story Point and Hours are calculated regardless of "Include sub-items into calculation" check-box)

  • Cumulative Flow Diagram (depends on units of measure: if unit of measure is Items then sub-items are calculated only when "Include sub-items into metric calculation" is turned-on. If metric is in Story Points or Hours then Story Point and Hours are calculated regardless of "Include sub-items into calculation" check-box)

Example if Include sub items checkbox affects calculation:

Given:

Story 1 with estimate 5 SP

Story has 2 sub tasks: 

  • Sub task 1 with estimate 20h

  • Sub task 2 with estimate 5h

UoM

Sub-items OFF

Sub-items ON

UoM

Sub-items OFF

Sub-items ON

Item

Number of parent issues:  1

Number of parent issues + number of sub issues: 1+2=3

Story point

SP for parent issues: 5

SP for parent issues  + SP for sub issues: 5+0+0=5

Hours

Hours for parent issues: 0

Hours for parent issues  + Hours for sub issues=0+20+5=25