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A product backlog, while a driving force in Scrum execution, can easily become overly complicated, particularly when multiple teams get involved. Understanding how to structure these complex or multi-team backlogs is an essential skill for a Certified Scrum Professional – ScrumMaster (CSP-SM). In the pursuit of maximizing its efficiency, there are cardinal criteria that can be employed to successfully structure such backlogs. They include prioritization, break down strategies, and dependency identification.
One of the critical criteria for structuring a complex or multi-team Product Backlog is prioritization. Every item in the Product Backlog should be prioritized according to its urgency and importance. This method helps the team to work on the highest value tasks first. Various factors such as business value, customer value, and risk and uncertainty influence these priorities.
For instance, if you have two customer functionalities X and Y with X having a higher customer value, X should be prioritized higher, enabling Scrum teams to deliver high customer value early in the product’s life.
Backlog Item | Customer Value | Business Value | Risk and Uncertainty | Priority |
---|---|---|---|---|
Functionality X | High | Medium | Low | 1 |
Functionality Y | Medium | Low | High | 2 |
Breaking down complex user stories into more manageable tasks is another effective structuring method. Techniques such as Vertical Slicing (delivering small fully functional pieces of large stories) can be used to split large and complex user stories into smaller, manageable tasks. The aim here is to create independent, negotiable, valuable, estimable, and small and testable (INVEST) tasks that allow work to be shared across multiple facets that contribute to the complete functionality.
For example, if a mobile app feature requires front-end design, back-end services, and database integration, each component can be considered a single slice, which can be worked on independently in parallel by different teams, improving the overall productivity and delivery speed.
The last fundamental criterion is to identify interdependencies among backlog items. In a multi-team environment, different teams could be working on related product backlogs. Understanding these dependencies allows for more efficient grooming and sprint planning, necessitating prior detailing and sequencing of related backlog items.
For instance, if there’s a set of user stories A, B, and C, and B cannot be started until A is complete, and C cannot be started until B is complete, then there is a clear dependency chain (A -> B -> C). This dependency identification helps structure the order in which the scrum teams will work on the user stories.
Backlog Item | Dependency |
---|---|
User Story A | – |
User Story B | A |
User Story C | B |
In sum, to effectively manage a complex or multi-team product backlog, as a prospective Certified Scrum Professional – ScrumMaster (CSP-SM), employing these three criteria creates a structured approach that ensures efficiency and productivity. This structured approach contributes significantly to maximized value delivery, reduced waste, and improved team collaboration. By prioritizing items based on value, meticulously breaking down stories into manageable tasks, and outlining interdependencies, Scrum teams can navigate the complexity of multi-team product backlogs with utmost effectiveness and sophistication.
Answer: True
Explanation: Leveraging customer data can help prioritize features and products in the backlog according to customer needs which is an efficient way to structure complex backlogs.
Answer: d) Weather conditions
Explanation: While feature hierarchy, risk profile, and cost of development are all valid criteria, weather conditions have no known impact on backlog structuring.
Answer: False
Explanation: The status of items in the backlog, such as whether they are completed or pending, is crucial in the structuring process.
Answer: a) Customer usage data
Explanation: Customer usage data is indicative of the features’ significance and their impact on overall customer satisfaction, thus it’s valuable for structuring backlogs.
Answer: a) Risk level associated with each item; b) Customer priority; c) Estimated time for completion
Explanation: Pizza availability is irrelevant but risk level, customer priority, and estimated time for completion are all significant factors in structuring backlogs.
Answer: True
Explanation: Backlogs that can accommodate changing requirements over time maintain their relevance and effectiveness and are therefore well structured.
Answer: c) Number of likes on the company’s social media page
Explanation: Social media likes are not a direct indicator of a product backlog’s importance or relevance.
Answer: False
Explanation: The level of effort is key in predicting timing and resources required, therefore it is important to consider when structuring a product backlog.
Answer: b) Team processes
Explanation: While team processes are important for the overall functioning of the scrum team, they are less effective in structuring a complex multi-team product backlog.
Answer: True
Explanation: The abilities of the team members can determine the order in which backlog items are taken up. Therefore, it plays a role in structuring the product backlog.
Answer: c) Dependencies among teams
Explanation: Understanding dependencies among teams can prevent delays and blockers, making this a crucial factor in structuring a complex, multi-team product backlog.
Answer: False
Explanation: ROI is an important criterion while structuring a backlog as it helps in prioritizing the features that would offer the highest returns.
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