Product Backlog Problems & Solutions
The Product Backlog is one of the most important aspects of Scrum frameworks. It is essentially a list of items compiled, managed and prioritized by the Product Owner, with each item corresponding to work that needs to be done in order to create, maintain and sustain a product.
But the vital and dynamic nature of the Product Backlog means that problems and mistakes can easily occur which may jeopardize the whole developing process.
Let’s take a look at three frequent product backlog problems and how to avoid or solve them:
Problem #1: An exhaustive Product Backlog!
A Product Backlog with a massive number of items is not thorough, it’s simply unmaintainable! Team members will get confused and not clearly comprehend the scope of the Product and whenever a change occurs things will get even more complicated. Product Owners should make choices when creating the Backlog and decide what goes in and what stays out in an effort to maximize outcome while minimizing output. To keep the Backlog simple and effective, Product Owners can also consider employing a Product Roadmap first, a tool that defines the context of the product and contains all major phases and step of development. The Product Backlog can then be derived from the Roadmap, to facilitate collaboration and development.
Problem #2: Not thoroughly described Product Backlog Items
Things tend to get a bit murky when it comes to the proper formulation of the Items that constitute the Product Backlog. An item can be described poorly or in such extensive detail that it ends up becoming vague. To avoid this, Product Owners should try to stick to the Product Backlog Item qualities as described by the Scrum Guide:
- Description: what the Item’s goal is
- Value: the business value of an Item
- Order: the level of priority for an Item
- Estimate: estimation of the relative effort needed to complete the Item
Problem #3: Infrequent reordering of the Product Backlog
As stated above, the Product Backlog is a dynamic artifact that evolves constantly and over time. It is thus the Product Owner’s responsibility to frequently reorder the Product Backlog Items and ensure that it stays up-to-date, in order to provide transparency and facilitate both the Development Team and the stakeholders. As a Product Owner it is imperative to understand that a Product Backlog is never complete, so you need to leave your perfectionism aside and embrace the ever-changing nature of the ordering and reordering process.
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