Agile First Steps: Building Effective Backlogs

Transcription

1 Agile First Steps: Building Effective Backlogs Ian Spence, CTO

2 A quick introduction to scrum 2

3 Introducing the product and sprint backlogs New stories are prioritized, estimated and added to the stack. Stories can be reprioritized or removed at any time. Items at the top of the list should be well defined. Most Important Product Backlog Least Important Most important items form objectives for the Sprint. Tasks are defined (from the selected product backlog items) and prioritized to be undertaken during the sprint 3

4 When backlogs go bad business priority / value Epic Product Backlog Epic Epic Epic Epic Epic Epic Stories and other Requirements Change Request Defect Tasks and other things 4

5 When good backlogs go bad 5

6 Agenda New stories are prioritized, estimated and added to the stack. Stories can be reprioritized or removed at any time. Items at the top of the list should be well defined. Most Important Product Backlog Least Important Most important items form objectives for the Sprint. Tasks are defined (from the selected product backlog items) and prioritized to be undertaken during the sprint 6

7 What is a product backlog? The Product Backlog is an ordered list of everything that might be needed in the product and is the single source of requirements for any changes to be made to the product. K Schwaber & J Sutherland, The Scrum Guide,

8 What is a product backlog? Ideas Storytelling (Preparation and Investigation) Ready for Dev The Product Backlog is an ordered list of everything that might be needed in the product and is the single source of requirements for any changes to be made to the product. K Schwaber & J Sutherland, The Scrum Guide,

9 What makes a good Product Backlog Item? The Product Backlog lists all features, functions, requirements, enhancements, and fixes that constitute the changes to be made to the product in future releases. My Product Backlog is Detailed Appropriately Estimated Emergent Prioritized Source: Roman Pichler & Mike Cohn Source :Bill Wake Product Backlog items have the attributes of a description, order, and estimate. K Schwaber & J Sutherland, The Scrum Guide,

10 The Importance of Ordering Most Important What we ve done. What we ll do next. Where we ll finish.....at our slowest velocity (5x 28)..at our long-term average (5 x33)..at our best velocity (5 x 37) in another 5 Sprints. Least Important Pending (To Be Investigated) Release Backlog Adapted from Mike Cohn s blog: Why There Should Not Be a Release Backlog 10

11 Bringing order from chaos Define Backlog Items Estimate Relative Backlog Item Effort Agree to Backlog Item Business Value & Priority Identify & Assess Backlog Item Risk + Priority + Effort + Risk Product Backlog + Order Establish Ordered Backlog 11

12 Where do new items come from. The Big Picture Stories Release Backlog Done Change Requests Supporting Definitions S/H Requests Operational Defects 12

13 Prepare the most important items for development The Big Picture Stories You could keep Release Backlog Done Change Requests preparing backlog items Supporting Definitions until the release Ready backlog is full. S/H Requests.or Operational you Defects could get started Possible 13

14 Remembering to Continuously Work on Your Backlog Priorities will change. The Big Picture More will be got ready. Change Requests will Stories be made Release Backlog Done Change Requests Is it a new Supporting story? Definitions Is it a tweak to an existing story? Does it change the order? S/H Requests Is it a new use case, Operational Defects epic or theme? Does it affect the current work? Is it just a distraction? Re-write or refine. Ready Possible 14

15 Don t Restrict Yourself to One View 15

16 Is your product backlog a funnel. or an ice-berg? 16

17 What do you need to get started The Big Picture Stories Release Backlog Done Change Requests Supporting Definitions S/H Requests Operational Defects 17

18 Agenda New stories are prioritized, estimated and added to the stack. Stories can be reprioritized or removed at any time. Items at the top of the list should be well defined. Most Important Product Backlog Least Important Most important items form objectives for the Sprint. Tasks are defined (from the selected product backlog items) and prioritized to be undertaken during the sprint 18

19 What is a Sprint Backlog? A Least Popular B Most Popular C Chosen by Ken Schwaber Source: Scrum Guide Updates::The New, New Sprint Backlog by David Starr with Ryan Cromwell 19

20 Where do Sprint Backlog Items come from? And then return them when they are done? Don t we just take the top items from the Product Backlog? 20

21 Understanding Done, Done Done, and Done Done Done Inc #1 Release Backlog 21

22 Understanding Done, Done Done, and Done Done Done Inc #1 Inc #2 Release Backlog 22

23 Understanding Done, Done Done, and Done Done Done Releas Release e Ready Inc #1 Release #1 Inc #2 Releas Op s e Ready Inc #3 Release Backlog 23

24 What happens at the beginning of a Sprint? Objectives To Do In Progress Blocked Complete Done WARNING! Sprint Full Overheads In-Flight Defects Impediments 24

25 What happens during a sprint? Objectives To Do Execute Test In Progress for Story # 1 Blocked Complete Done And so on.. Overheads In-Flight Defects Impediments 25

26 What happens at the end? Objectives To Do In Progress Blocked Complete Done And so Overheads on.. until In-Flight Defects Impediments 26

27 What happens at the beginning of the next iteration Objectives To Do In Progress Blocked Complete Done WARNING! Sprint Full Overheads In-Flight Defects Impediments 27

28 How are the Product and Sprint Backlogs related? Push every sprint. Pull as needed 28

29 Using Kanban to focus the release backlog 10 Release Backlog Analysis 3 Dev 4 Test 2 On-Going Done On-Going Done On-Going Done Live One-piece flow to get the work done. 29

30 Wrap Up 30

31 Some simple do s and don ts Don t try to orde r Don t ever slavi ythi shly ng apply other peopl e s Don t board put s change reques ts in your releas e backlo g Don t just have a sing le Don t big put listin- flight defect s in your produc t backlo g Alwa ys know your top 10. Keep the big pictu re visib le at all times Have a stagi ng / prepa ratio n area Contin uously inspec t & adapt your backlo gs Alway s know where you re going Allow non- PBI sprint object ives 31

32 It s time to go 3D 32

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34 For questions, feel free to contact me, Ian Spence, at White papers and other resources can be downloaded from 34