3.6Sprint Velocity and QA

If the team's velocity is inconsistent, testing effort is often the hidden variable. Track these metrics to understand the impact:

Metric	What It Shows
Stories "done" vs "in testing" at sprint end	Is QA the bottleneck?
Stories carried over from sprint to sprint	Are estimates too low (often due to underestimated testing)?
Defects found late in the sprint	Is testing starting too late?
Defects found after sprint closes	Is the DoD being followed?

If stories consistently pile up in "testing" at the end of the sprint, the team has three options:

1. Reduce sprint scope: Take fewer stories so testing has adequate time
2. Shift left: Start testing earlier (see shift-left testing)
3. Automate more: Reduce manual testing time by automating regression tests