Stories in the backlog must be ready to go in time to begin each sprint—priorities are set, stories are at the Goldilocks level of granularity (not too big, and not too small), and stakeholders are prepared to discuss the details. Getting the backlog ready and grooming it take serious consideration and work. You need to plan, budget for, and track this work. Andy Berner describes five key issues to consider in that planning. Since keeping the backlog groomed is the best way to make the development team most productive and maintain the release schedule, Andy describes metrics you can use to find out whether or not the backlog is ready to go as the project progresses. He demonstrates how to monitor whether the metrics are staying within expected control bounds and when they indicate you might need to re-plan the release. Take back a new process and techniques to maintain the well-groomed backlog that your team and project deserve.
Andy Berner
QSM, Inc.
For more than twenty years, Andy Berner has helped organizations improve their software development processes. With hands-on experience in almost every software development role, Andy now leads the work at QSM to incorporate agile techniques into QSM's SLIM suite of software estimation tools. He has published several articles on agile methods and practices, focusing on planning projects to set realistic expectations. A frequent conference speaker on software tools and methods, Andy emphasizes how to make sure that tools serve the team—not the other way around. He spends his spare time fostering retired racing greyhounds and helping them transition to loved house pets.
Speaker Presentations
Wednesday, November 12, 2014 - 2:45pm
Product Definition
Grooming the Backlog: Plan the Work, Work the Plan