How do I enable backlog story point summary in classic jira project?

[tea.puljic]

I am using scrum board and when I open my backlog I see story points sum for the sprint but not for the backlog. 

How do I enable this feature? 

[Alex Koxaras _Relational_ · Accepted solution]

@tea.puljic hi!

As Nic mentioned, there isn't such a feature to enable. If you want for a specific reason to see all the estimation point/original estimate, then simply create a "backlog sprint" and move all issues from the backlog to that sprint. Then you will have your sum :)

[tea.puljic]

Thank Alex. 

I am aware of the backlog sprint functionality but it seems to me that it would be too much manual work to pull every task, bug & story to backlog sprint just to see the number of story points. 

[Alex Koxaras _Relational_]

Yes and no :)

I mean if you really really really really want to know the total story points of your backlog, then I would:

• Create an automation for all newly created issues to place them on that dedicated "backlog sprint".

In that way you would only create the issue, this would automatically added to that sprint and you would have the total story points. But hey, if you don't need a workaround, then it's ok :) Your call!

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist- · Accepted solution]

There isn't a feature for this to be enabled. 

What would a total sum of SP in the backlog actually tell you?  

[tea.puljic]

I'd have a better picture of the amount of work ready for development, for example, if I have enough tasks for the following sprint only or for 2 next. 

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I don't think that would tell you much at all.

I mean, there's a simple binary situation here - given a velocity of X points per sprint;

• you less than X estimated in the backlog.  This is unlikely to happen, but even when it does, the total is not telling you anything.  You'll find it out when you're selecting stories for the next sprint, and spend part of the sprint planning estimating candidates that are not yet sized to fix it, and then, ideally, include "why are we not refining the backlog well enough, we need to fix that" as part of the sprint and/or retrospective.
• you have more than X estimated in the backlog - excellent, there's no problem here, and a total of what is in the backlog tells you nothing

The one thing that a total could tell you is for future planning, although the nature of Agile and iteration means that you cannot really plan, you certainly can't put numbers on it.  

A total could give planners a very broad idea of workload - 1,000 SP in the backlog, and a velocity of 25 per sprint implies that it's going to be around 40 sprints to clear everything.  Of course, more is likely to arrive, and that calculation is only of any use if you have a good estimate for every single issue in the backlog.  But this is reporting on backlog, not what the backlog screens are used for.

[Jeremy McGuire]

I wanted to get this number too recently and figured out a simple manual hack to get this number.   I'm using a Company Managed project in case there's some functionality that you're not seeing.  Follow these steps:

1. Go to the Backlog
2. Create a new sprint OR use an existing EMPTY Sprint you may already have
3. Click the expander user control (>) to open empty sprint
4. You should now see a grayed-out dotted line text box that says, "Plan a sprint by dragging the sprint footer down below some issues, or by dragging issues here."
5. Move your mouse below this text until the cursor turns into the drag/drop icon [four arrows].
6. Drag the line, down and see both the story AND estimate counts increment as you drag the line down the items in the backlog.
7. Drag to the bottom of your list and viola! you have the total number of points in your backlog. 

Good Luck!

[Tatiana.Bezdnikava]

@Jeremy McGuire - Thank you very much! It works

[Akim Boukhelif]

It works, however it doesn't have four arrows in my case, only two.