Scrum Events Product Backlog Refinement by Robbin Schuurman The Value Maximizers

The needs and expectations of your target user will continually change over time, which is why you must frequently update your product. A backlog refinement template helps you identify which ideas in your backlog are irrelevant and replace them with new user stories, so you can continue building the product users want. Though some people treat product backlog refinement as one of the Scrum events, technically it is not one of the 4 events. However, product backlog refinement is often accomplished with a regular meeting. Product Backlog Refinement or PBR is not only important, but it is also critical for Scrum Teams.

• It is common to write Product Backlog Items in User Story form.
• The Product Owner ensures that attendees are prepared to discuss the most important Product Backlog items and how they map to the Product Goal.
• At the same time, there might be another feature that previously appeared earlier in the prioritized list but now takes a back seat as per the updated product roadmap.
• The best way to split product backlog items is by value and not by process.
• Depending on the item in question, the client themselves might want to be directly involved in the refinement activity.
• This article provides some tips on how to improve backlog refinement, which in the past was called backlog grooming.

The purpose of the Daily Scrum is to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary, adjusting the upcoming planned work. The Product Owner proposes how the product could increase its value and utility in the current Sprint. The whole Scrum Team then collaborates to define a Sprint Goal that communicates why the Sprint is valuable to stakeholders. The Sprint Goal must be finalized prior to the end of Sprint Planning.

Agile Estimation Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

As Scrum’s use spreads, developers, researchers, analysts, scientists, and other specialists do the work. We use the word “developers” in Scrum not to exclude, but to simplify. The Product Backlog refinement is a continuous process to create actionable Product Backlogs. This competence of the Scrum team is critical to creating trust with the management and stakeholders as it allows for the regularly delivery of valuable Increments. Refinement is a very effective way of risk mitigation in a complex environment.

Not only is the time spent on refinement often limited, but many of the refinement meetings I join are inefficient. I meet teams that spend half the meeting watching the product owner entering the new backlog items in the workflow system. Although they estimate the user stories afterward, little time is left to discuss the best solution and risks that need to be avoided. The Product Backlog Refinement activity is one that many new Scrum teams struggle with. Insufficient PBR often results in long sprint planning meetings and incomplete backlog items at the end of the sprint. This article provides some tips on how to improve backlog refinement, which in the past was called backlog grooming.

What is backlog grooming (aka backlog refinement)?

We only ask the product owner to move the product backlog items identified as Business. Ready for PO OK column to identify the product backlog items that the product owner needs to look at. This is consistent with how we use other columns as a way to create queues for things such as sizing and to identify items that need more discussion.

During Product Backlog refinement, items are reviewed and revised. Refinement usually consumes no more than 10% of the capacity of the Development Team. However, Product Backlog items can be updated at any time by the Product Owner or at the Product Owner’s discretion. The Scrum Team accomplishes this level of proficiency by regularly refining Product Backlog items in small groups or with the whole Scrum Team, and not just once every Sprint as part of the Sprint Planning.

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PBR is a collaborative discussion process which starts at the end of one sprint to confirm whether the backlog is ready for the next sprint. Lets take a pause and read about scrum interview questions first. The Definition of Done creates transparency by providing everyone a shared understanding of what work was completed as part of the Increment. If a Product Backlog item does not meet the Definition of Done, it cannot be released or even presented at the Sprint Review.

Here are some handy tips or best practices required to maintain a healthy backlog. Refinement reduces confusion and uncertainty and prepares the team to be much more efficient in the following sprint. If done right, this meeting also helps reduce the time necessary for the sprint planning meeting. The Interviewer asks questions that the audience would be expected to ask, like a general description of the product backlog item, expectations, limitations, etc.

I find it helpful to make sure some level of work is done in advance of the PBR discussions with the full team. If a backlog item is just a placeholder sentence, then the team can often spin and spend a lot of time trying to understand what is meant. It is better if the Product Owner or requestor or even a business analyst or team member takes some time to document what the request is all about. Backlog refinement is the process of discussing, breaking down, gathering details, and estimating backlog item. The focus is on what is needed and why, rather than on how to solve the business need.

Their description is beyond the purpose of the Scrum Guide because they are context sensitive and differ widely between Scrum uses. Such tactics for using within the Scrum framework vary widely and are described elsewhere. This competence of the Scrum team is critical to creating trust with the management and stakeholders by regularly delivering valuable Increments. Get a weekly email with hand-picked resources for product people in tech-enabled organizations. Common practices are good to use as a starting point, but you should always talk about why those common practices are helpful and which ones make sense for your team. I shared them to provide an example of how you can work with your team to craft approaches that best fit how your team prefers to work.

No one enjoys dealing with participants who are focused elsewhere and tuned out or ask you to repeat the question or conversation. The product owner is responsible for determining which backlog items should be completed in what order. This tells the team how to approach the backlog and which tasks must be completed before starting other tasks.

Product Backlog refinement is the act of breaking down and further defining Product Backlog items into smaller more precise items. This is an ongoing activity to add details, such as a description, order, and size. The Scrum Team is small enough to remain nimble and large enough to complete significant work within a Sprint, typically 10 or fewer people.

Things to Keep in Mind During Backlog Grooming

If that happens on a regular basis, address the issue with a dedicated project specialist, whether it is an Agile coach or Scrum Master. It’s important to have the officially scheduled meeting and run the backlog grooming regularly. This will eliminate or at least minimize the risks of building the wrong things, wasting time, and having to re-do the work. Without knowing what’s relevant and assigning priorities to each item, your project will drag for longer and you will risk ending up with mediocre results. Although traditionally the whole team is required to attend, sometimes you can choose to only invite some of the team members and that’s okay. The purpose of Product Backlog Refinement is to add details, estimates and order to the Product Backlog and it’s Product Backlog Items.

Once you’ve finished the backlog refinement meeting with your team, you can share your template with others as an image or PDF. That way, you can show stakeholders the outcome of your backlog refinement session and get their final approval. deep backlog The backlog refinement template allows you to reexamine what’s relevant in your backlog, what’s not, and what new user stories you should include. That way, your team gets a clear view of the tasks they must complete in the sprint.

Best Practices for a Successful Backlog Refinement Meeting

However, there is a joint commitment among the people involved to create the best product. A product owner must keep this in mind and be professional towards all. Let everyone be heard and respected, but keep the team focused. Prioritize– The product backlog should be ordered from high to low, from the most valuable items at its top to the least valuable at its bottom. It’s fully aligned with your company’s strategic goals and business value for current and future stakeholders. The most important thing about identifying a Product Backlog Grooming facilitator is ensuring they have the right skills and experience to perform the role at hand.

For new teams, I recommend that they start with a regularly scheduled meeting. They can adjust the length of the meeting or the number of meetings or simply cancel a planned PBR if they find they don’t need it. Backlog grooming is the process that ensures the product backlog is ready for the team to work on.

How to run a successful backlog grooming session: Tips and best practices

The fundamental unit of Scrum is a small team of people, a Scrum Team. The Scrum Team consists of one Scrum Master, one Product Owner, and Developers. It is a cohesive unit of professionals focused on one objective at a time, the Product Goal. Scrum is a lightweight framework that helps people, teams and organizations generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems. Writer & product manager helping product people deliver powerful internal products. #Ubersherpa to my family, listens to jazz and podcasts , and collects national parks.

Backlog Refinement (Grooming) for Product: Cheat Sheet

Sprint planning happens before a sprint starts and after the backlog grooming session and is time-boxed (maximum of eight hours for a month-long sprint). Complete backlog items in a single sprint or split them into multiple user stories. While refining, give stories an initial estimate to see if they are small enough. The best way to split product backlog items is by value and not by process. With new teams, I coach them to create their definition of ready on a flip chart and then keep it on the wall in their team space.

It provides an appropriate, detailed and estimated degree of product’s priority. Freelance Keep your freelance business fully organized at all times. Personal Track habits, finances, goals, for the best personal results. Each group checks every item on its Max Spec list to see if it correlates with the purpose. If the purpose can be achieved without the item, that item is deleted from the list. If they disagree on the size, or if there are outliers, this usually reveals differing assumptions about the item.

Who should attend Product Backlog Refinement

The team breaks down user stories that are estimated to take more than three days to complete. Larger user stories are broken down into smaller parts because it goes against agile principles to spend too much time working on a single, long user story. User stories that are divided into multiple smaller, independent stories are more testable than longer user stories. In this article, we will talk about what https://globalcloudteam.com/ implies, why it’s necessary for all Agile teams, and how to organize it in the best way possible. We established the definition of ready first, because I view that as a great way to influence our backlog refinement process. I’ve listed the items we ended up within our definition of ready below.