The requirements in Scrum are called Backlog. Backlog is everything that is yet to be done and not necessarily the activities that the team has fallen behind.
The product backlog is an ordered list of requirements that is maintained for a product. It consists of features, bug fixes, non-functional requirements, etc.—whatever needs to be done in order to successfully deliver a viable product. The product backlog items (PBIs) are ordered by the Product Owner based on considerations like risk, business value, dependencies, date needed, etc.
Prioritization is important while defining the requirements. Prioritizing is all about getting attention focused on important things since budgets and time is always limited and also so that the team is not confused and is not working on many things at a time.
Prioritization has to be based on customer value i.e. at any point in time, “Do what is of most value to the customer”.
The product backlog contains the Product Owner’s assessment of business value and the Development Team’s assessment of development effort.
Product Owner is one and only person who is responsible for the management of the product backlog.
DEEP Product Backlog
The Product Backlog has four qualities.
DETAILED appropriately
ESTIMABLE
EMERGENT
PRORITIZED
Let’s understand what is DEEP for product backlog:
- Detailed Appropriately: The product backlog items are detailed appropriately. The higher order items are described in more details then the lower priority items. Following this guideline keeps the backlog concise and ensures that the items likely to be implemented in the next sprint are workable. As a consequence, the requirements are discovered, decomposed, and refined throughout the entire project.
- Estimated: The product backlog items are estimated. The estimates are coarse-grained and often expressed in story points or ideal days. Knowing the size of the items helps prioritize them and plan the release.
- The Product backlog has an organic quality. It evolves and its contents change frequently. New items are discovered and added to the backlog based on customer and user feedback. Existing items are modified, reprioritized, refined or removed on an ongoing basis.
- All items in the product backlog are prioritized. The most important and highest-priority items are implemented first. They can be found at the top of the product backlog. Once an item is done it is removed from the product backlog.
Elements of Product Backlog
Product Backlog consists of different elements not just the functional elements
Some of them are :
- Non Functional Requirements – e.g. Availability requirements, Performance Requirements
- Risk Mitigation Measures
- Technical Debts
- Architectural elements
- Infrastructural Elements
