When considering what to include in a product backlog, the key is to focus on collaboration instead of prescriptive items. A backlog should include all the new features, enhancements, and bug fixes that are planned for the product. It should also include any relevant user stories, acceptance criteria, and estimated effort required for each item. An item is added to the backlog management list if it is valuable a stakeholder.

Continuous improvement, proactive communication, and staying customer-centric are key to managing backlogs effectively. With your product roadmap in mind, your team can begin listing product backlog items. These items should  include both high-priority items and more abstract ideas.

What are the benefits of a product backlog?

The organizational rules on backlog management may also impact priority. It’s also possible to temporarily inflate sales backlog with limited-time sales events or discounts, which can then be brought down to more stable levels over time. Your team should create a roadmap first, which will then serve as the action plan for how your product will change as it develops. The roadmap is the vision for long-term product development, but it can also evolve. You create a product backlog from the product roadmap, which explains the plan of action for the product’s evolution.

  • I don’t do this kind of analysis myself but I understand this is how analysts draw their conclusions.
  • Once the work items are completed or temporarily put on hold, they are removed from the backlog list but they can be added back to the list at a future date.
  • Once work is in progress, though, keep changes to a minimum as they disrupt the development team and affect focus, flow, and morale.
  • Those that a team will work on soon should be small in size and contain sufficient detail for the team to start work.

At the end of each sprint, the product owner and any stakeholders can attend a sprint review with you and the development team to ensure everything is on track. A product backlog is more than a simple to-do list—it’s where you break down complex tasks into a series of steps and delegate them to team members. However, backlog grooming can also be delegated to team members so they are more involved in their projects and understand what needs to get done at all times. However, backlog grooming can also be delegated to team members so they’re more involved in their projects and understand what needs to be done at all times.

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It evolves throughout the project lifecycle and as the product develops – mirroring the true nature of agile, where things are susceptible to change. I would discourage you from using definitions of ready because the focus shifts to meeting standards instead of collaborating with your team. The work item would consume more resources than initially estimated.

Prioritize your backlog

If it’s work for the development team, keep it in a single backlog. 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. Agile’s primary strengths lie in rapidly delivering value to customers. Quick iterations and deployment of new functionality and enhancements keep the focus squarely on delighting customers. The sprint backlog is where your team finds work that they need to complete in the upcoming iteration.

Product backlogs keep teams agile

A backlog aims to ensure that all necessary work is identified and tracked. The development team can prioritize and complete the most critical tasks first. As the product manager, you’ll use epics to guide your product roadmap and backlog list items. As you can see with this example, one epic can result in multiple user stories and product features. A product backlog is an ordered list of tasks, features, or items to be completed as part of a larger roadmap.

All Plans

As a business person, it’s important to know which types of sales backlog you’re dealing with. Sprint backlogs and product backlogs are very similar in terms of their components. Sprint backlogs are a subset of the product backlog, but they’re used specifically during sprints.

How does backlog grooming help in Saas product management?

If a team starts using an electronic tool before they have settled on their approach to product backlog management, the tool can drive a team’s approach to product backlog management. The team may also get hung up on how to use the tool rather than selecting the process that works best for them. Orders that remain unfulfilled personal accountant or unprocessed are considered backlogged orders. These incomplete orders represent unearned sales revenue that remain available for the company to earn. When managed effectively, the company’s backlog can ensure that customer demand is satisfied. When ineffectively managed, the backlog can result in a steady loss of revenue.