Planning Poker Integration for Azure DevOps 🃏

Planning poker sessions just got a major upgrade! If you're tired of manually copying story points from your planning sessions back to Azure DevOps, or struggling to keep your team's estimates in sync with your actual work items, I've got some exciting news for you.

The Problem Every Scrum Team Faces

We've all been there: you run a fantastic planning poker session, get great estimates from the team, and then... someone has to manually update every single work item in Azure DevOps. It's tedious, error-prone, and honestly, a bit soul-crushing when you're dealing with large backlogs.

What if I told you there's a way to make this entire process seamless, automated, and actually enjoyable?

Meet the Game-Changing Integration

Kollabe's Planning Poker integration with Azure DevOps has completely transformed how teams handle sprint planning. This isn't just another basic integration – it's a full-featured solution that bridges the gap between collaborative estimation and work item management.

What Makes This Integration Special?

🔍 Smart Search & Filtering

Gone are the days of manually creating cards for every work item. You can:

• Search your Azure DevOps work items directly within the planning session
• Filter by type, state, or any custom criteria
• Use powerful WIQL (Work Item Query Language) for advanced searches
• Import exactly the work items you need with a few clicks

🎯 Fully Customizable Field Mapping

This is where things get really exciting. The integration doesn't force you into a one-size-fits-all approach:

• Map to ANY custom field you want (effort, estimate, size, story points – you name it)
• Choose exactly which field gets updated based on your team's workflow
• Support for all Azure DevOps custom field types

⚡ Real-Time Automatic Syncing

Here's the magic moment: when your team reaches consensus and reveals the votes, the winning estimate automatically syncs back to Azure DevOps. No manual copying, no forgotten updates, no discrepancies between your planning session and your backlog.

You'll even see a visual indicator confirming the sync was successful – it's those little touches that make the experience feel polished and reliable.

🛡️ Enterprise-Ready Features

• Secure OAuth integration with Azure DevOps
• Respects all your existing permissions and access controls
• Works with Azure DevOps organizations of any size
• Maintains data integrity throughout the process

The Developer Experience You've Been Waiting For

Setting up this integration takes minutes, not hours. The OAuth flow is smooth, the interface is intuitive, and the whole experience feels like it was built by developers who actually use planning poker regularly.

The fact that you can use WIQL queries means power users can create incredibly specific searches, while the visual filters make it accessible for everyone on the team.

Real Impact on Team Productivity

Since implementing this integration, teams report:

• 50% reduction in time spent on administrative tasks after planning sessions
• Zero estimation discrepancies between planning sessions and Azure DevOps
• Higher team engagement during planning (no one's worried about the manual cleanup afterward)
• Better sprint tracking with estimates that actually reflect team consensus

Getting Started

The setup process is refreshingly straightforward:

1. Connect your Azure DevOps account through secure OAuth
2. Configure your custom field mapping (story points, effort, etc.)
3. Search and import work items using filters or WIQL
4. Start planning – estimates sync automatically!

Why This Matters for Modern Development Teams

In an era where developer experience and team efficiency are paramount, tools like this represent the evolution of agile practices. We're moving beyond "good enough" integrations toward solutions that genuinely enhance how teams work together.

This integration doesn't just solve a technical problem – it removes friction from one of the most important collaborative activities in software development.

Try It Yourself

Ready to experience planning poker the way it should be? Check out the detailed setup guide and see how this integration can transform your team's sprint planning process.

Your future self (and your team) will thank you for making the switch to automated, seamless planning poker sessions.

Have you tried this integration? What's been your experience with planning poker tools? Drop a comment below – I'd love to hear how different teams are approaching sprint planning in 2025!