Navigating Hybrid Scrum Environments by Frederik M. Fowler

Author:Frederik M. Fowler
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781484241646
Publisher: Apress

The Definitive “Wish List” for a Product

Every product that exists has some kind of list of future enhancements that may or may not be made to it, depending on present and future business conditions. Sometimes this document is referred to as a product road map . Sometimes it is called a comprehensive release plan . In the Scrum Framework, it is referred to as a Product Backlog.

Unlike traditional road maps and release plans, the Product Backlog contains only descriptions of enhancements and an indication of their priority for development. It does not attempt to schedule the delivery of these features and enhancements in any way.

There are no due dates attached to Product Backlog items (PBIs) . There are only business priorities. The assumption is that higher priority items will be completed and delivered before lower priority items are addressed. The schedule for delivery of PBIs is not set, but the anticipated sequence of delivery is.

Product Backlogs exist as long as their products do. The first step to take when creating a new product is to create its Product Backlog. This is done by writing down a list of the features the new product will have. After the first version of the product is developed and released, new additions and enhancements may be gathered in the Product Backlog to be created for future versions. Work continues in this way until the product reaches the end of its life. The Product Backlog is finally closed out when enhancing the product no longer makes any sense from a business point of view.

It goes without saying that any product should have only one set of priorities for its development. If there are several lists of priorities managed by different people, the result is chaos. A product may have only one Product Backlog, and a Product Backlog may contain only the priorities for the development of a single product.

Likewise, any product should have one and only one person who is accountable for its business success. That person is the one who should make decisions about the features the product should have and choose which features are the most important to develop first.

The Scrum Framework vests responsibility for the Product Backlog with the Product Owner. Product Owners are the ones who may add, change, or delete items in the Product Backlog. The Product Owner is the only person who may set priorities for the items in the Product Backlog.

When a Development Team does its work, it always works from the Product Backlog of a particular product. Each Development Team must work from only one set of priorities, so it may work on only one product and with one product owner at a time.

In addition, if Product Owners are to be accountable for the value the Development Team delivers, they must control the scope of work the Development Team undertakes. For this reason, developers are only allowed to work on items that appear in the Product Backlog and must respect the priorities set by the Product Owner.

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