Using TFS to Set Up Iterations (Sprints) in Agile Development

Author: Agricultural Bank R&D Center Project Management Office.

In agile development, a fixed‑time interval for planning and tracking work is called an iteration or sprint. An iteration is a lightweight plan with a start and end date that defines the requirements, defects, and tasks to be completed within that period.

A typical iteration lasts 1–6 weeks, and the team can choose the length that fits its rhythm or business needs.

Why use iterations? Although team members may feel planning is useless because plans can’t keep up with change, without a plan no one knows what to do or when. An iteration plan provides a baseline that allows the team to adapt to changes while still controlling the evolution of work.

Steps to create an iteration plan:

Step 1: Define the overall direction and goals for the iteration.

Step 2: List all work items for the iteration, prioritize them, and identify dependencies.

Step 3: Estimate each work item’s content, start time, end time, resources, and expected duration.

After planning, the team can use TFS to create and track the iteration.

How to set up an iteration in TFS

1. Open the Work Items tab, click the gear icon → Security, and navigate to the work page to create a new iteration.

2. Bind the team iteration to the backlog so that the iteration name appears in the backlog view.

3. When creating or editing a work item, select the appropriate iteration.

4. In the backlog, choose the iteration name to view all tasks belonging to that iteration.

Conclusion: Teams can plan project progress from the perspective of project dates; iteration dates are adjustable. Start with a near‑term small goal, achieve it, then define the next goal, rather than trying to schedule every release in detail from the outset.