Product Backlog Explained + Examples
Savvy product owners rigorously groom their program’s product backlog, making it a reliable and sharable outline of the utilities expense work items for a project. Keep everything in one issue tracker–don’t use multiple systems to track bugs, requirements, and engineering work items. If it’s work for the development team, keep it in a single backlog. The backlog is a readily available, readily comprehensive list of work both parties can look at as they discuss whether a new work request for the team can be brought in.
Benefits of a product backlog
Story Maps and information radiators can provide a clear picture of your backlog for the team and stakeholders. Not only is it easier to assign tasks when everything is clearly itemized, but backlogs are also digital conversation-starters, encouraging cross-team discussion of the entire project roadmap. With a smooth-running backlog, product managers and owners will always know A) what teams are currently working on, and B) what those teams will be working on next. This insight can be gold-dust where cross-functional teams are spread across geographies or time-zones, as many often are.
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A backlog is essentially a ‘to-do’ list of smaller tasks, all of which need to be completed within a project or sprint. Crucially, a backlog is organized in priority order, so teams always know what they need to focus on next. A product backlog is a prioritized list of work for the development team that is derived from the product roadmap and its requirements.
- The development team doesn’t work through the backlog at the product owner’s pace and the product owner isn’t pushing work to the development team.
- If a great idea is added to the bottom of a backlog of thousands, who will ever see it?
- Product backlog items that are not slated for work may be fairly broad and have little detail.
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If you don’t have a product backlog yet, it’s an easy way to get started with scrum and will bring a lot of clarity and organization to the way you work. A product backlog in scrum can be a game changer for many companies. There’s value in having work in a single place so both the team and stakeholders have visibility into the work and progress toward the product goal.
Product owners dictate the priority of work items in the backlog, while the development team dictates the velocity through the backlog. This can be a tenuous relationship for new product owners who want to “push” work to the team. The product owner then organizes each of the user stories into a single list for the development team.
Meaningful product backlog items describe problems, why they matter, and expected outcomes. For example, suppose a theme for a coming sprint project debt and equity finance is simplifying the checkout process. The Product Owner, in collaboration with the development team, consistently reviews and modifies the backlog to ensure that the most valuable items are consistently prioritized. This continual refinement aids the team in maintaining focus on delivering high-quality products that cater to customer needs.
Product backlog example
A backlog’s utility lies in the accuracy and volume of its contents and how that enables the product team to prioritize future work. It is the master repository of every valid request, idea, and possibility for the product, product extensions, or even entirely new offerings. This universal repository contains every possibility for what the product may add or change in the future. New ideas get added as feedback from the market, and customers continually roll in through various channels. The Product Owner oversees and administers the backlog, ensuring transparency, alignment with project objectives, and continual refinement.
Once work is in progress, though, keep changes to a minimum as they disrupt the development team and affect focus, flow, and morale. While the product owner is tasked with prioritizing the backlog, it’s not done in a vacuum. Effective product owners seek input and feedback from customers, designers, and the development team to optimize everyone’s workload and the product delivery. A team’s roadmap and requirements provide the foundation for the product backlog. Roadmap initiatives break down into several epics, and each epic will have several requirements and user stories.
Product Backlog
One key component that gives a backlog meaning is the prioritized items. Therefore, the items ranked highest on the list represent the team’s most important or urgent items to complete. Backlogs can also be segmented based on item five signs it’s time to explore outsourced accounting services management approaches, such as feature backlogs, bug backlogs, and technical debt backlogs. Each category fulfills a distinct role in guiding development efforts.
