Question 1

How do you calculate sprint capacity?

Accepted Answer

Sprint capacity = (available days per person x focus percentage) summed across the team, then reduced by a buffer (typically 15-20%). A developer available for 10 days at 70% focus contributes 7 effective days. With a 20% buffer, the committable capacity is 5.6 days.

Question 2

What buffer should I leave in a sprint?

Accepted Answer

Most teams run best with a 15-20% buffer on top of story point estimates. The buffer absorbs code reviews, bug triage, unplanned interruptions, and deployment overhead. Teams with high technical debt or many external dependencies should increase to 25-30%.

Question 3

How do I handle part-time team members in sprint planning?

Accepted Answer

Enter their actual available days for the sprint period rather than using a full 10-day sprint. A designer working 3 days per week in a 2-week sprint has 6 available days, not 10. Then apply their realistic focus percentage — designers context-switching across multiple squads typically run at 60-70%.

Sprint Capacity Planner

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