The product backlog is simply, a prioritized list of the outstanding work necessary to bring the product to life. The items on the list can include almost any efforts that are required to bring the product to life which includes various technical requirements such as functional and non-functional requirements, customer’s needs and feedback, and other items like setting up the environment and fixing bugs. Typically the product owner is responsible for managing the product backlog, while all other stakeholders, the development team, scrum-master, help and contribute to it. Let’s discuss the product backlog along with techniques for effectively grooming it.
The DEEP qualities of product backlog
The product backlog can be thought of as having four qualities It is detailed, estimated, emergent, and prioritized, i.e DEEP get it. Let’s look at this in more details
Detailed Appropriately
The product backlog items are detailed appropriately where higher priority items are detailed more than lower priority items. The higher priority the more details are added to the item of work. Following these principles ensures that the next items in the upcoming sprints are workable. As a result, requirements are constantly being discovered, analyzed, and refined.
Estimated
Anyone in software development for any long amount of time will know that estimating software requirements is one of the hardest things to do. Some requirements you think will last only 2 mins end up taking you 2 weeks and vice versa. However, we must do our best to provide an estimate on product backlog items that are of higher priority. The estimates are often expressed in story points or ideal days. Preferably I prefer days. I mean what is 1 story point anyhow? We all know what 1 day is right? Knowing the size of the items helps prioritize them and plan the release.
Emergent
The product backlog is ever-growing and ever-changing in an organic way. That is why it needs to be groomed and manage or it will turn into something that is difficult to manage or no more than a decorated wish list. New items are discovered and added to the backlog based on customer and user feedback. Existing items are modified, reprioritized, refined, or removed on an ongoing basis.
Prioritized
Last but absolutely not least, all items in the product backlog are prioritized. The most important highest priority items are at the top of the list, if they are not important right now, nor a priority right now, they have no business being at the top of the list. Once an item is done, it is removed from the product backlog.
Takeaway
When the product backlog is not attended to, it can grow wild like a garden that needs grooming, working hard to remove the weeds from the flowers. The backlog needs regular attention and care; it needs to be carefully managed and groomed. The product owner is responsible for making sure that the product backlog is in good shape, however, grooming is a collaborative process that can involve all key members.
