Product backlogs maintain all of the identified options that may finally discover their approach into the product. Whether or not these product backlog gadgets take the type of person tales, job tales, or only a easy sentence or two, it is important to order the backlog in order that groups are at all times creating the best precedence options. Along with constructing the fitting options, it is very important construct them in the fitting order. Listed below are the 5 key issues to think about when serious about the best way to prioritize the product backlog.
Issue 1: Worth
Let’s begin with the biggie: worth. And whereas it’s a given to think about how invaluable a characteristic might be, worth is a nebulous time period.
Worth is a measure of the usefulness or impression on a selected viewers. Most work an agile improvement groups will pursue might be invaluable to customers. However different work could also be invaluable simply to the crew itself. Nonetheless different work could also be to customers, stakeholders, and crew members.
For instance, contemplate refactoring: bettering the construction however not the conduct of code. As a result of it makes code extra maintainable or simpler to vary, refactoring is of excessive worth to builders.
The price of refactoring is often justified, although, as a result of it advantages customers, too. If code is extra maintainable, customers ought to expertise fewer bugs. Equally, improved code signifies that customers ought to obtain new options in that space of the product a bit extra rapidly. (For extra methods to justify prioritizing refactoring, see “4 Methods to Persuade a Product Proprietor to Prioritize Refactoring.”)
When serious about the worth of a characteristic, it may be vital to consider how the worth of a characteristic degrades over time. A characteristic could be very invaluable as we speak however a lot much less invaluable later.
One of many strongest examples I noticed of this got here whereas working with a crew making software program to assist fantasy sports activities leagues. Sure options wanted to be there on draft day, when all gamers chosen their groups. If the characteristic wasn’t out there on draft day, gamers would possible type their league on one other platform. The price of delay on this case was immense.
Issue 2: Price
The second factor to think about when prioritizing is the fee. The biggest value is often the product crew’s effort to develop a characteristic. Most groups use story factors to estimate the hassle of product backlog gadgets. Others estimate that effort in person-days, superb time, or different related items.
In some instances there could also be further prices that ought to be thought-about. A present frequent consideration? The continued value of delivering options that depend on varied AI merchandise. These merchandise typically embody small per-use charges however these can actually add up at scale.
Whatever the unit by which a crew estimates their product backlog gadgets, the fee to develop and assist a characteristic ought to issue into an merchandise’s precedence. For instance, an merchandise a crew estimates as 5 ought to be prioritized greater than a characteristic estimated at 20 if all else is equal. That is true it doesn’t matter what estimation unit the crew is utilizing.
Issue 3: Studying
A second issue to think about when prioritizing is that this: How a lot will a crew be taught by doing a selected product backlog merchandise? In case you’ll be taught one thing by growing a backlog merchandise, you may possible need to develop that merchandise early so you will have time to behave on no matter you’ve discovered.
In case you be taught one thing too late, you received’t have time to learn from the brand new information.
Studying can take two varieties. It may be concerning the product or the challenge.
Studying concerning the Product
Studying concerning the product happens when the crew develops a characteristic, and receives suggestions on it.
If customers love the characteristic, prioritize doing extra to reinforce the characteristic or creating extra issues prefer it. If customers don’t find it irresistible, contemplate eradicating the characteristic or decreasing the precedence of associated options.
Studying concerning the Venture
Studying concerning the challenge refers to information crew members achieve about the best way to develop the product or resolution. For instance, suppose a crew intends to construct a part of a product utilizing a know-how that crew members have by no means used earlier than.
When crew members develop the primary product backlog merchandise utilizing that new know-how, they’ll be taught issues about it corresponding to:
- Does the know-how work as promised?
- Ought to estimates for utilizing the brand new tech be revised?
- Can the know-how be utilized in different components of the product or challenge?
Remember about studying when serious about agile backlog prioritization. A characteristic’s potential for educating the crew and its stakeholders one thing about person wants or challenge realities could be cause sufficient to make it a high precedence.
Issue 4: Danger
The fourth issue to think about when prioritizing is the danger inherent in growing the product backlog merchandise. If one thing is dangerous and it’s essential to do it, do it early. You need to know whether or not that threat goes to materialize.
However, if a characteristic is dangerous and you could not have to develop it, delay engaged on it till it turns into clear it’s essential to do it.
Issue 5: Dependencies
The ultimate issue it’s best to contemplate when prioritizing is dependencies between product backlog gadgets. Some gadgets will not be excessive precedence on their very own, however they’re essential for delivering different gadgets. When that’s the case, the enabling however lower-priority merchandise must be moved greater on the backlog in an effort to be finished earlier than the merchandise depending on it.
For example, contemplate a summer time camp I helped to make use of Scrum. Amongst their product backlog gadgets was repainting all of the canoes. That was high-priority, as a result of they needed to point out photographs of the shiny, newly painted canoes of their advertising and marketing.
However portray the canoes was depending on one other backlog merchandise: sand and restore any canoes that want it.
Technically, repairing the canoes didn’t have to be finished till a day or two earlier than the summer time camp opened, however that merchandise was prioritized greater within the product backlog as a result of the advertising and marketing photographs of the canoes wanted to be taken lengthy earlier than that.
Formal Backlog Prioritization Strategies
Many prioritization frameworks exist that will help you contemplate these elements towards each other extra granularly together with the Kano Mannequin, the RICE scoring mannequin, and relative weighting. Even with these formal strategies, when making a product roadmap, the elements I’ve listed right here ought to be thought-about even when not explicitly a part of these fashions.
You’ll be able to, nonetheless, obtain a stack rating of product backlog gadgets by simply pondering by means of these 5 elements. When doing that, I don’t suggest combining them by means of some fancy formulation. The worth of a characteristic and its value–our first and second elements–are a very powerful. So prioritize first based mostly on value and worth, utilizing the opposite three elements to regulate priorities and resolve conflicts.
For instance, suppose a product proprietor or product supervisor has prioritized an merchandise such that it received’t be finished for one more three or 4 iterations based mostly on its worth and threat. At that time, contemplate studying, threat, and dependencies. Transfer the merchandise up an iteration or two if any of these elements is critical.
5 Components for Efficient Prioritization
On agile and Scrum groups, product house owners are accountable for maintaining the product backlog ordered by precedence. An easy solution to method this, with out using any formal product backlog prioritization strategies, is to maintain 5 elements in thoughts. Assume first about worth and price. Then contemplate different elements that have an effect on a product backlog merchandise’s precedence: studying, threat, and dependencies.
If you do that as a part of your agile planning efforts, your groups is not going to solely construct the fitting issues, they’re going to construct them in the fitting order.