We don't do deadlines.
We do scope.
We estimate scope using story points and estimate the number of cycles assuming "x" story points are hit in a cycle.
With clients, we share this process, giving transparency into our progress.
We never promise a specific release date, and if we see the timeline stretching further than the client would like, we adjust the scope of the project to shorten the length of the project.
I've never had a better relationship with clients with another model. They get to understand more of what a real development project is. We even invite them to our Cycle Demos for their project.
The best way to not get behind is to not set a deadline. Instead set a scope and budget. Communication is key. More often than not, adding developers does not speed up a project, only adjusting scope does.
Personally, on my team we use Pivotal Tracker - it tracks our velocity for us and automatically "guesses" our release date based on our velocity. If we aren't happy with the projected date, we reduce scope aggressively. Clients see our backlog and can see when things change. Most of our project planning is completely automated by Tracker - we just create tasks and point them. It's the only thing that has been even remotely successful for us. If I had to give up Tracker for Jira I would quit my job.
Take a look at Linear. We're all in.
As simple as Pivotal, none of the bloat of Atlassian tools.
You can set Linear up to almost emulate a Pivotal experience, but I personally love the keybinding first user experience of Linear. It makes it incredible fast to navigate, and its easy for all members to view the status of projects.
Looks neat but we're all in on Tracker so not sure switching is on the cards. I'll keep it in mind for other projects/teams in the future though, thanks.
I've never had a better relationship with clients with another model. They get to understand more of what a real development project is. We even invite them to our Cycle Demos for their project.
The best way to not get behind is to not set a deadline. Instead set a scope and budget. Communication is key. More often than not, adding developers does not speed up a project, only adjusting scope does.
Adjust Early. Adjust Accordingly. Adjust Often.