Let's explore some of the most not-so-pressing questions regarding the creation of say-do ratio reports in Jira, particularly in Jira Dashboard. This post is structured in a Q&A format, allowing us to demonstrate a dash of humor and address common customer inquiries.

What is the say-do ratio KPI?

The say-do ratio metric in Scrum is a performance indicator that measures the alignment between what a team commits to doing (say) and what they actually accomplish (do). It is often expressed as a percentage and helps teams assess their reliability and effectiveness in delivering on their commitments.

The say-do ratio is often deemed so important that the metric becomes a KPI.

Purposes of using say-do ratio:

1. Performance evaluation: It allows teams to evaluate their performance over time by comparing planned work against completed work.
2. Accountability: By tracking this metric, teams can foster a culture of accountability and encourage members to meet their commitments.
3. Continuous improvement: The say-do ratio can highlight discrepancies between commitments and actual outcomes, prompting teams to reflect on their planning and execution processes for improvement.
4. Stakeholder communication: It provides a clear and quantifiable (thus, it is often used as KPI) way to communicate progress to stakeholders, helping to manage expectations.

Can I configure say-do ratio chart on Jira Dashboard without additional apps installed?

The bad news is, "No, you can't see the needed chart on your Jira Dashboard."

Check the “Velocity Chart” report in the Reporting section of your Jira project:

There is also numerous other bad news regarding the built-in "velocity chart":

1. You can't see the say-do ratio as a percentage
2. Your analytics is limited to a chosen Jira project
3. You can see only the last 7 sprints. No way to change this!
4. You can't account for scope changes during sprints.

Ok, but how do I build a say-do ratio report for sprints on the Jira Dashboard? Do I need an app for this?

To accomplish this, you will need to install an app from the Atlassian Marketplace. Luckily, we have one for you: Agile Velocity Chart Gadget!

The simplest configuration of a velocity chart gadget that allows you to check the say-do ratio is this:

As a result, you will see a basic velocity chart with a clear say-do ratio sprint by sprint:

On this chart:

• "Initial commitment" metric is a "say" part. It's the work scope that a team promised to deliver in a particular sprint
• "Completed work" metric is a "do" part. It's all the work (including any sprint's scope changes) that the team has delivered in a sprint
• Two lines (grey and green) are the average values for both metrics calculated for seven sprints

How do I see sprint scope changes on my say-do chart?

Just add the "Total scope change" metric to the chart:

Let's analyze the "Sprint 2" from the chart above:

• "Initial commitment" (the "say" work) is 100%. That's what the team planned during sprint planning
• "Final commitment" metric accounts for all sprint scope changes. We see that the sprint's work scope increased by 25%.
• "Total scope change" = "Final commitment" minus "Initial commitment"
• "Completed work (initial)" metric shows how much work for the initially planned sprint's scope was delivered
• "Completed work" shows the total amount of work delivered as compared to the initially committed amount of work

I've got a taste of say-do reporting for sprints. Can I analyze a specific sprint?

Sure, use breakdowns to drill down into the details of the sprint:

On this chart, you may see that:

• Unlike bugs, all initially planned stories and tasks were completed
• Sprint's scope was increased after its start by adding more bugs and tasks (totaling 12.5 story points)

You may choose any Jira field to break down by - choose issue types, Jira projects, or Scrum boards… you name it.

I want more data and more analytics. What do you have?

I am glad that you have such an appetite! Don't stop with basic reporting; explore the full power of velocity charts:

On this chart, you can see:

• The comprehensive list of 10 sprint metrics with the ability to further break down each of them for additional in-depth analytics
• The ratio of each sprint metric to "Initial commitment." In such a way, the say-do ratio expands to new heights
• Trends to help you understand… trends for each metric
• Moving averages on the chart and in the table

I work in a Scaled Agile organization. Can I create cross-team charts?

First of all, we sympathize with you.

Second of all, yes, you can. Imagine yourself as a proud owner of such Jira Dashboard:

All you need is to choose several teams to create cross-team charts:

Can I build a say-do report for individual team members?

And again, the answer is"  "yes, of course". Find the "Individual velocity chart" gadget and add it to your Jira Dashboard:

For more information, check our blog post about all the peculiarities of tracking individual velocity.

How do I start using the greatest Jira app ever? Do you have a free trial?

Glad that you've asked. Here is how to start enjoying the say-do reporting and beyond:

1. Install the Agile Velocity Chart Gadget app. Or make an installation request to your Jira admin
2. After installation, you have 30 days to try the app hassle-free
3. Go to Apps → Velocity Chart inside your Jira to create your first velocity chart. There, you will also find helpful tips, documentation, and support.
4. Enjoy, and let us know your feedback!