The say/do ratio is the most direct check on whether a team does what it says it will. Also called planning accuracy, it compares what a team commits to at planning — the “say” — with what it actually completes — the “do”. It is a trust metric: the number that tells stakeholders whether your commitments mean anything. This guide explains what the say/do ratio is, how Flow Metrics Charts for Jira Cloud measures it, what a healthy ratio looks like, and how to improve it.
What is the say/do ratio?
The say/do ratio is the share of committed work a team actually completes in a period — usually a sprint. If a team commits to 20 items and finishes 17, its say/do ratio is 85%. Tracked over several sprints it reveals a pattern that a single sprint hides: whether a team habitually over-commits, under-commits, or plans realistically. It is the clearest expression of planning accuracy — how closely plans match reality.
How planning accuracy is measured in Jira
The formula is simple: completed committed work divided by total committed work, per sprint. Flow Metrics Charts calculates it from your Jira sprint data — what was in the sprint at commitment versus what reached done by the end — and plots the ratio over time so you can see the trend, not just the latest sprint. Work added mid-sprint (scope creep) and work carried over are visible in the same view, so you can tell an honest miss from a moving target.
What a good say/do ratio looks like
Most healthy teams land in the 80–90% range: high enough that stakeholders can rely on commitments, but not so high that it signals a problem. Counter-intuitively, a ratio that is consistently near 100% is a warning sign, not a gold star — it usually means the team is sandbagging (committing to far less than it can do) to guarantee a green number. An erratic ratio that swings from 50% to 100% is the real red flag: it means planning is guesswork. Aim for a stable ratio in the healthy band rather than a maximal one.
Why planning accuracy matters for your business
Planning accuracy is a trust metric, and trust compounds. Stakeholders make downstream decisions — marketing dates, customer promises, dependent projects — based on what teams say they will deliver, so a low or erratic say/do ratio quietly erodes confidence across the whole organization. A healthy, stable ratio means commitments are meaningful and planning is grounded. It also protects the team: consistent data on over-commitment is the evidence needed to right-size future sprints and defend a sustainable pace.
How to improve your say/do ratio
- Commit from throughput, not hope. Size the sprint from your recent throughput, not your best-ever sprint.
- Leave room for unplanned work. If flow distribution shows defects routinely eat 20% of capacity, stop committing 100% to planned work.
- Reduce work in progress. Lower WIP so committed items actually finish instead of stalling near done.
- Stabilize first. A predictable system is a plannable one — improving system stability lifts planning accuracy with it.
How planning accuracy connects to the other flow metrics
The say/do ratio is the outcome the other flow metrics make possible. Steady throughput and high system stability are what let a team commit accurately in the first place; runaway WIP and an unbalanced flow distribution are what wreck it. Read together, they explain not just whether you hit your commitment, but why.
Track planning accuracy in Jira
Flow Metrics Charts for Jira Cloud calculates the say/do ratio directly from your Jira sprint history — no spreadsheets — on an interactive board and in dashboard gadgets, with Rovo AI explaining the trend. Start with the flow metrics for Jira overview, or read the canonical explainer, Flow Metrics Explained.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good say/do ratio?
Most healthy teams target 80–90%: reliable enough for stakeholders, but not so high it suggests sandbagging. A stable ratio in that band matters more than a maximal one.
How is the say/do ratio calculated?
It is completed committed work divided by total committed work in a period, usually a sprint. A team that commits to 20 items and finishes 17 has a say/do ratio of 85%.
Is the say/do ratio the same as velocity?
No. Velocity measures how much a team delivers; the say/do ratio measures how much of what it committed to it delivered. A team can have high velocity and still a poor say/do ratio if it habitually over-commits.
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