HeptaMS Lean-AI Estimation and Planning
Leads to certification: HeptaMS Certified Skill – Lean-AI Estimation and Planning
The course covers estimating, prioritising and planning, starting from the question of what the estimate is for: filling a cycle, ordering priorities, or justifying a budget.
- Scope
- ½ day (~4 h) 1 blocks of 4 hours
- Formats
- Live Online
- Exam
- Multiple choice, 10–15 questions, 70 % to pass, 3 attempts included
- Prerequisites
- none. Experience in a delivery team makes the course more tangible.
What it covers
The course covers estimating, prioritising and planning, starting from the question of what the estimate is for: filling a cycle, ordering priorities, or justifying a budget. It covers the cognitive biases that affect estimates, the common techniques from story points to #NoEstimates, WSJF and cost of delay, as well as velocity and Monte Carlo forecasts. One section covers what changes about effort estimation when AI increases the spread of outcomes.
Debates about estimation techniques are often held without clarifying the purpose of the estimate. In addition, estimates are systematically biased: the planning fallacy and anchoring take effect regardless of the technique chosen.
What you can do afterwards
- Name for a given situation what the estimate is for, and choose the matching technique.
- Recognise the planning fallacy and anchoring in an estimation session and defuse them through structure.
- Explain why story points lose meaning above a certain size, and split instead.
- Calculate a WSJF prioritisation and name the weaknesses of its common implementation.
- Position velocity as a compass and read a Monte Carlo forecast as a range.
- Explain why AI changes effort-based estimation, and apply at least two alternatives.
Who this course is for
Value owners and product owners who prioritise. Flow owners and scrum masters who facilitate planning sessions. Project and programme leads who have to give forecasts.
Anyone growing into one of these roles. Developers who are asked to estimate and are unsure what for. Leaders who receive and interpret estimates.
Learning objectives in detail
- 1 Name for a given situation what the estimate is for – filling a cycle, ordering priorities or justifying budgets – and choose the matching technique.
- 2 Recognise the planning fallacy and anchoring in a live estimation session and defuse them through structure.
- 3 Explain why story points lose meaning above 13 and apply the alternative: split rather than estimate.
- 4 Explain why the value of planning poker lies in the discussion and not in the resulting number.
- 5 Calculate a WSJF prioritisation and name the known weaknesses of its common implementation.
- 6 Position velocity correctly as a compass rather than a performance measure, and read a Monte Carlo forecast as a range.
- 7 Explain why AI breaks effort-based estimation and apply at least two alternatives.
Dates & demand pools
No date yet - express interest in a demand pool and we will set one when enough peers join.
No date that fits? Express non-binding interest in a demand pool - once enough peers join, we set a date and place and get in touch.
Name your preferred date and start a pool for this course. Once enough people join we schedule it and get in touch – you only book after that.
Is this course right for your situation?
If no date fits or you need the course in-house: drop us a line and we will come back with a proposal.