TM-06
Story Missing Standard User Story Format
Type Misclassification
Default severity: medium
Product BacklogPrioritizationQualityBusiness Value
What it detects
A Story issue does not follow the configured user story format pattern (e.g. \'As a \... I want \... so that \...\' or configured alternative). Issues without a user story format in either summary or description have no defined user perspective, no articulated value, and likely represent tasks or technical items incorrectly classified as stories.
Detection formula
story_formats = config.tm.story_format_patterns // configurable regex list // defaults: \[/as a .+ i want .+ so that/i, /jako .+ chcem .+ aby/i, /ako .+ potrebujem .+/i\] IF issue.type IN config.workflow.story_types AND NOT (summary MATCHES any(story_formats) OR description_first_line MATCHES any(story_formats)) THEN FLAG missing_user_story_format pct_without_format = COUNT(flagged) / COUNT(all_stories) IF pct_without_format > config.tm.max_stories_without_format_pct // default: 30% THEN FLAG systemic — team is not writing user storiesExamples in practice
- A team shows a story issue does not follow the configured user story format pattern (e while story format patterns is set to \[\'As a .+ I want\',\'Ako .+ chcem\'\].
- Example signal: A Story issue does not follow the configured user story format pattern (e.
Suggested response
Retype or rewrite summaries so issue types match the actual work described.
Coaching playbook
Symptom
A Story issue does not follow the configured user story format pattern (e.g. \'As a \... I want \... so that \...\' or configured alternative). Issues without a user story format in either summary or description have no defined user perspective, no articulated value, and likely represent tasks or technical items incorrectly classified as stories.
Why it matters
When "Story Missing Standard User Story Format" keeps appearing, the team is signalling a repeatable process gap. Left unexamined, the pattern hides where work really stalls and makes improvement metrics harder to trust.
What you can achieve
Retype or rewrite summaries so issue types match the actual work described.
Facilitation questions
- What system change would stop "Story Missing Standard User Story Format" from firing again?
- What do the cited issues have in common — same root cause or same workaround?
- Who owns the two-week experiment and how will we verify on the next import?
Run this rule against your own tracker data with Flow Analyzer.