The Agile way of working enables teams to be flexible, respond quickly to changes and deliver value to customers in an iterative way. A crucial part of the Agile process is the backlog. It’s not just a list of tasks: the backlog is a dynamic tool that guides your company’s development team. Why is a well-managed backlog an essential tool for any Agile practice? You will experience that in this blog.
How do you get a good backlog?
Kanban; that may be the magic word for building a good backlog. Kanban is a visual tool that helps streamline work processes. The board consists of columns representing different phases of the work, such as ‘To Do’, ‘In Progress’ and ‘Done’. This helps teams to visually monitor the progress of tasks and identify (possible) obstacles. Agile is a popular methodology within project management that is characterized by flexibility, collaboration and customer focus. You can then easily build your backlog in Kanban sprints (an iterative work cycle). In these sprints, teams work together to deliver incremental improvements to a product or project. One of the pillars of a successful Agile project is the effective management of the backlog and Kanban helps with this.
A backlog is a dynamic list of all tasks and functions that still need to be performed to complete a project. This list includes everything from small, quick-to-complete tasks to larger, more complex functions. It is a living tool that is continuously updated based on new insights, priorities and feedback.
What is the role of the Product Owner?
The product owner plays a crucial role in managing the backlog. This person acts as the link between the development team and the various stakeholders. Think of customers, the sales department and the support department. The product owner is responsible for collecting and prioritizing input to ensure the backlog contains the most valuable and relevant tasks. Because what is important in a well-managed backlog?
- Product vision: the Product Owner is responsible for communicating the product vision and objectives to the team and other stakeholders. He therefore creates the initial product backlog based on stakeholder input, market research and customer needs.
- Strategic direction: the Product Owner ensures that the backlog items are aligned with the strategic goals of the product and the organization. He keeps the backlog up to date by regularly adding new items, refining existing items and removing irrelevant items. This is done by prioritizing backlog items based on their value to the customer and impact on the product.
- Write and refine User Stories: the Product Owner writes and refines User Stories to ensure they have clear acceptance criteria and are well understood by the team. He also facilitates regular backlog refinement sessions (aka grooming mentioned) with the development team to discuss and clarify the details of the backlog items.
The importance of one good controlled backlog
A well-organized backlog provides a clear overview of what needs to be done, in what order and why. It contributes to the efficiency and effectiveness of the project team. A distinction is made between priorities and matters that can wait. A well-organized backlog helps teams prioritize, focus on the most valuable tasks, and stay flexible in a changing environment. This is crucial because Agile teams often have to respond to changes in customer needs or market conditions.
For example, SIENN addresses this with Team as a Service (TaaS). TaaS is a specialized team of experts from different disciplines who work directly with you: the client. They work on the design, development and all activities involved in the project.
Best practices for managing a backlog
We give you some best practices for managing a backlog. Are you reading along?
Prioritization | As mentioned earlier, it is important that all tasks in the backlog are prioritized. Use techniques such as MoSCoW (Must have, Should have, Could have, Won’t have) or the Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) model to prioritize tasks.
- MoSCoW: the method is often applied when prioritizing change proposals regarding business processes.
- WSJF: it is a method of prioritizing tasks based on their economic value and the time required to complete them.
Refinement | Regular backlog grooming sessions where items are reviewed and reprioritized. The backlog must be continuously updated on an almost daily basis. Consider the progress of a project, adjustment in prioritization or ad hoc matters.
Transparency | Ensure the backlog is accessible to all team members and stakeholders to ensure full transparency and understanding.
Limitation of the work inventory | Limit the number of tasks in the ‘Work In Progress’ phase to avoid overload and maintain focus.
Why a well-managed backlog?
- It improves the productivity | By letting the team focus on the right tasks and at the right time.
- Better estimates | More accurate estimates for completion times through better insight into what needs to be done.
- Higher quality is guaranteed | By focusing on what is really important, it improves the overall quality of the end product.
- Greater customer satisfaction | Fast responses to changing customer needs and better end results through continuous backlog coordination.
How do you start an Agile improvement when it comes to the backlog?
A structured approach is essential if you want to keep the backlog tidy. Here are some steps you can follow:
- Define current situation | Before you start cleaning up the backlog, it is wise to analyze existing backlog items, their priorities and the degree of clarity and completeness.
- Establish clear objectives | Determine what you want to achieve with the Agile backlog improvement. Consider: increasing transparency, improving prioritization or shortening the turnaround times of existing tasks.
- Involving the team | Make sure the team is involved in the improvement process. Feedback and input from the team is important.
- Plan backlog refinement sessions | Schedule regular backlog refinement sessions where you meet with the team to review, clarify, prioritize and make any improvements to the backlog.
Backlog refinement
Backlog refinement, also called backlog grooming, is an important part of a well-structured backlog within Agile software development. During backlog refinement sessions, the development team works with the product owner to review the items in the backlog, clarify them, add details if necessary, and prioritize them based on value and urgency. Learn more about effective backlog refinement in the blog on our website.
Where are the pain points when it comes to agile improvement?
- Unclear tasks | If backlog items are not well defined or incomplete, it can lead to confusion and miscommunication within the team. It can also prevent tasks from being completed properly. Naturally, you want to avoid that as much as possible. Communication is key: the team must know what is expected of them.
- Wrong prioritization | The lack of prioritization is a major pain point. It can lead to confusion and delays.
- Lack of refreshment and maintenance | As indicated earlier: a well-maintained backlog requires continuous updates and maintenance. Without this, tasks can become outdated, priorities can be missed and the value of these tasks is reduced.
- Lack of involvement | If stakeholders are not sufficiently involved in the Agile process, it can lead to unclear requirements and wrong priorities. It is essential to actively involve all stakeholders, including customers, product owners and development teams, in the process and have them collaborate on defining and prioritizing work.
Need help optimizing your backlog?
A well-managed backlog is an indispensable tool for every Agile team and essential for every Agile project. SIENN is happy to help you, to take care of, to optimize and to work efficiently with your backlog. Feel free to contact us: together we will achieve the best workflow.
