Lesson 8 of 10 · 3:10
Estimate work items and track progress
How estimates describe the effort a work item needs, from choosing a project's estimate system to reading progress in points.
What you will learn
- An estimate describes the effort a work item needs. The project defines the scale, and each work item gets a value from it.
- Project admins set estimates up in Project settings, under Work structure, then Estimates. Each project uses one active estimate system.
- Points compare effort with numbers, Categories use labels such as T-shirt sizes, and Time uses hours and minutes. Points and Categories are on Free, and Time is on Pro and higher plans.
- A work item's Estimate property lists the values from the project's scale. A work item with No estimate still counts as a work item, but adds no points to an estimate total.
- With Points, modules and cycles add up the values, so you can follow progress by estimated effort.
- On Pro and higher plans, a cycle's progress chart switches from Work items, which counts each work item equally, to Estimates. Only completed work counts as done, and the chart leaves cancelled work out either way.
- The cycle's Estimates option supports Points and Time. Category estimates stay as labels on the work items.
Understand estimates
0:00Estimates describe the effort a work item needs. Your project defines the scale, and you choose a value for each work item.
With Points, those values carry into cycles and modules, so you can follow progress by estimated effort.
Choose an estimate system
0:22Project admins set estimates up in Project settings, under Work structure, then Estimates. Enable estimates turns them on for the project.
In a project without estimates:
- Click Add estimate system.
- Choose a template or enter your own values.
- Enable the system.
Each project uses one active estimate system:
- Points compare effort with numbers, such as 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, and 13.
- Categories use labels, like T-shirt sizes or a difficulty scale.
- Time uses hours and minutes, such as 2 hours for a work item.
Points and Categories are available on Free. Time is available on Pro and higher plans.
The pencil beside your system opens its settings. You can add, update, or remove values, or change the estimate type.
Estimate work items
1:28- Open a work item.
- Open its Estimate property. It lists the values from the project's scale.
- Choose a value.
The estimate is saved on the work item. To see estimates beside your work items, open Display and turn on Estimate.
A work item with No estimate still counts as a work item, but adds no points to an estimate total.
Read progress by effort
2:03With Points, a module adds up its work items' values. Open the module's details: its Points row shows the total, and how many of those points are completed.
Cycle progress charts are available on Pro and higher plans. In a cycle's chart, Work items counts each work item equally. Switch to Estimates, and the same work items show as points.
Only completed work counts as done. The cycle chart excludes cancelled work, whether you choose Work items or Estimates.
The cycle's Estimates option supports Points and Time. Category estimates stay as labels on the work items.
Try it in your workspace
As a project admin, open Project settings, then Work structure, then Estimates. Add an estimate system from a template and enable it, then open a work item and choose a value in its Estimate property.
Transcript
Show the transcript
Understand estimates
0:02In Plane, estimates describe the effort a work item needs. Your project defines the scale, and you choose a value for each work item.
0:12With Points, those values carry into cycles and modules, so you can follow progress by estimated effort. Let's take a closer look.
Choose an estimate system
0:25Project admins set estimates up in Project settings, under Work structure, then Estimates. Enable estimates turns them on for the project.
0:36In a project without estimates, click Add estimate system. Choose a template or enter your own values, then enable the system.
0:48Each project uses one active estimate system. Core Platform uses Points to compare effort, with values of 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, and 13.
1:00Category estimates use labels, like T-shirt sizes or a difficulty scale. Points and Categories are available on Free.
1:09Time estimates use hours and minutes, such as 2 hours for a work item. Time is available on Pro and higher plans.
1:18The pencil beside your system opens its settings. You can add, update, or remove values, or change the estimate type.
Estimate work items
1:31Back in Core Platform, open CORE-40. Its Estimate property lists the values from the project's Points scale.
1:40Choose 5 points. The estimate is saved on the work item, which already belongs to Report delivery and PDF export.
1:49To see estimates beside your work items, open Display and turn on Estimate.
1:56A work item with No estimate still counts as a work item, but adds no points to an estimate total.
Read progress by effort
2:06Open PDF export's details. Its Points row now shows 15 points in total, with none completed. CORE-40 contributes 5 of those points.
2:18Cycle progress charts are available on Pro and higher plans. Open the active Reports launch cycle, where Work items counts each work item equally.
2:28Reports launch has 7 unfinished work items. Switch to Estimates, and those work items represent 28 points.
2:38Only completed work counts as done. The cycle chart excludes cancelled work, whether you choose Work items or Estimates.
2:46The cycle's Estimates option supports Points and Time. Category estimates stay as labels on the work items.
Recap
2:56Your project sets the estimate scale. You give work items a value. With Points, you can follow progress by the effort you've estimated.
Read next
Plans
- Free:
- Points and Category estimates
- Pro:
- Time estimates and cycle progress charts