Product Backlog
The Product Backlog is a dynamic, ordered list of items that are needed for the solution, typically comprising user stories, requirements, or features. In projects that employ adaptive approaches, such as Agile methodologies, the product backlog serves as a part of the requirements package. The items in the product backlog are continually refined and prioritized according to their business value or importance to the customer. This prioritization ensures that the development team focuses on delivering the highest value items first.
DEEP Characteristics of a Well-Refined Product Backlog
A well-refined product backlog should embody the DEEP acronym, which stands for:
Detailed Appropriately: High-priority items should contain more detail compared to lower-priority items. This ensures that the items that are most likely to be worked on in the next iteration are ready.
Estimated: All items should have an estimate for the amount of work required. Higher-priority items should have more precise estimates, which might be in the form of story points or units of time.
Emergent: The product backlog is not a static document but evolves over time. As the project progresses, items may be added, adjusted, removed, or reprioritized based on new information or changing priorities.
Prioritized: All items should be rank-ordered by their business value or importance to the customer. The prioritization should be revisited and adjusted as needed, especially when new items are added.
Role of the Business Analyst in Backlog Management
In Backlog Management, the Product Owner often assumes the responsibility for keeping the backlog up-to-date. When roles are distinct, the business analyst assists the Product Owner in refining the product backlog. This includes adding or removing items and reprioritizing them based on changes in requirements or business conditions. Additionally, the business analyst helps in elaborating backlog items, ensuring they are Detailed Appropriately and Estimated, aligning with the DEEP criteria.
Product Backlog in Various Contexts
Though often associated with adaptive approaches like Agile, the concept of a backlog has gained wider application across different project life cycles and approaches. In addition to user stories, backlogs may contain use cases, requirements, and defects that need fixing. Regardless of the type of items included, each should be written with as much care and attention to detail as would be given to requirements in a traditional Business Requirements Document (BRD).
Backlog Items and Dependencies
Backlog management also considers dependencies and constraints, which could affect the order of items in the backlog. These are accounted for when ranking the items by their business value, ensuring that the development team can efficiently "pull in" items for each time-boxed iteration.
The product backlog is a central artifact in projects employing adaptive approaches, serving both as a repository and a roadmap for what needs to be built or addressed in the solution. It is continually refined and managed, often with the business analyst playing a key role in this process.