Planning poker is an excellent way for teams to estimate work. It reduces bias, fosters communication, and can be done remotely — making it a productive estimation method for dispersed teams. Install the planning poker extension in Aha! Teamwork to facilitate productive estimation directly on work records.
In this article, we will walk through how to install and use the planning poker extension. Click any of the following links to skip ahead:
Install the extension
To install the planning poker extension in your Aha! account, open the extension library. You need to be an administrator with customization permissions to install and apply extensions in your Aha! account, but users of any permission level can use them.
Next to Planning poker, click Install.
Select your Aha! account.
Your Aha! account's Customization settings will open. (You need to be an administrator with customization permissions to access this page.)
Click Planning poker to install the extension.
You will see a Success page with details about the extension and its abilities.
Open your personal settings (User menu -> Settings → Personal -> Extensions) to ensure the planning poker extension is enabled for your user. This step exists so users only see the extensions that are relevant to their workflows.
Add the planning poker field to your custom layout
Now that the planning poker extension is enabled, you need to add the Planning poker custom field to your work records. To do this, adjust the view layout for the record type(s).
Navigate to User menu -> Settings → Account -> Custom layouts. You need to be an administrator with customization permissions to access this page.
Select the record type(s) that need planning poker. (These are usually Aha! activities.)
Select the layout(s) you want to modify. Different teams in your Aha! account can use different record layouts, so be sure to select the right one.
Records have two types of layouts: one for when they are first created, and one for when they move through their workflow. Select the [Record] View layout tab to adjust this second option.
From the left-side Extension fields option, search for or scroll to find your new Planning poker extension field. Then, drag it onto the appropriate place on the example record layout in the center of the screen.
Hover over the Impacts workspace(s) list with your mouse to confirm that you have the right layout for your team. Lastly, click Save layout.
You can also navigate to your team settings (User menu -> Settings → Team -> Configure -> Custom layouts) to confirm that a given team is using the appropriate record layout.
Use the planning poker extension
When the planning poker extension is enabled and added to your record layout, anyone with contributor access to your workspace can participate. To use the planning poker extension:
Open the record you want to estimate and find the Planning poker field. It will display cards with a Fibonacci sequence of estimates: 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8.
Select the card that aligns with your estimate of the work. Ask teammates to do the same.
Once everyone selects an estimate card, click See results.
Results will display, showing the number of votes and the average, lowest, and highest estimates. These results will be visible to anyone with access to your workspace. Users who participated can click into the field and select Change vote if they change their mind.
Most teams have estimate fields added to their activity layout. The planning poker extension will not automatically update estimate fields; you will need to configure your estimate field manually after your planning poker session is complete.