---
title: What techniques are replacing story points, velocity, and Poker Planning in Scrum?
description: "Story points, [Velocity](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/velocity/), and [Poker Planning](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/poker-planning/), once popular in the early years of Scrum, are now being replaced by many in favour of [Flow](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/flow/) [Metrics](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/metrics/). [Flow](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/flow/) [Metrics](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/metrics/), which were initially popularised as part of [Kanban](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/kanban/), are increasingly being adopted by…"
url: "https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/docs/what-techniques-are-replacing-story-points-velocity-and-poker-planning-in-scrum/"
updated: "2024-12-19"
category: Good Practices / Flow Metrics
---

# What techniques are replacing story points, velocity, and Poker Planning in Scrum?

Story points, [Velocity](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/velocity/), and [Poker Planning](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/poker-planning/), once popular in the early years of Scrum, are now being replaced by many in favour of [Flow](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/flow/) [Metrics](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/metrics/). [Flow](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/flow/) [Metrics](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/metrics/), which were initially popularised as part of [Kanban](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/kanban/), are increasingly being adopted by Scrum Teams to improve forecasting and reduce associated costs. These [Metrics](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/metrics/) focus on the movement of work items through various stages of the development process, highlighting the [Flow](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/flow/) of work rather than just the output.

The use of [Flow](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/flow/) [Metrics](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/metrics/) helps Scrum Teams to better understand and manage their work processes. By tracking how work items progress, teams can gain valuable insights into their [Workflow](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/workflow/) and identify areas for improvement. This shift from traditional estimation techniques to [Flow](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/flow/) [Metrics](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/metrics/) represents a more data-driven and objective approach to managing and forecasting work.