We don’t believe in rush jobs. We believe in our team’s ability to do speedy work of the highest caliber, and we believe in smart pacing.

Velocity tracking is a tool we use to establish our working speed for any project. By looking at the number of tasks a team member’s been able to complete in a given day, we determine a metric known as their velocity. Knowing how quickly work has already been completed in the past allows us to estimate how quickly similar work will be completed going forward—and to produce a better product.

Velocity, in short, is how fast we’re developing your site. If product development were a symphony, velocity tracking would set the tempo. The abstract and subjective nature of software development makes it difficult to create highly accurate estimates. Individuals are naturally biased by their own level of confidence, but if we take this level of confidence as a static variable, we’re able to produce consistent estimates. By comparing task completion rates with initial estimates, we’re able to calculate a reliable value we call velocity. We then apply it to remaining task estimations in order to predict a highly accurate completion date far in advance.

Velocity tracking works hand in hand with other strategies we use from agile development, like the weekly division of work into “sprints,” as well as brief daily “stand-up” and weekly “retrospective” meetings. These informal discussions allow us to review our progress as well as anything that might be impeding it—and to brainstorm solutions.

By communicating openly with each other and with our clients, we avoid pitfalls that often sink velocity. And by knowing where we stand and where we’re headed, we’re able to hew closer to our clients’ requirements of scope, timeline, and budget.

When it comes to development, the hare doesn’t win the race. Neither does the tortoise. We do.