When preplanning teams will remove those user stories<\/a> and tasks that are outdated. They\u2019ll also add new user stories that are necessary due to newly discovered insights from users. If there are large user stories, called epics, these are broken down into smaller ones. Teams will also reevaluate priorities and reorder user stories as needed.<\/p>\n That\u2019s a lot of backlog grooming and project management software can help organize the changes and communicate them. ProjectManager<\/a> is a cloud-based work and project management software that has the flexibility that scrum<\/a> teams need for backlog refinement. Our kanban boards let teams manage their backlog and then collaborate in real time to plan sprints. Managers get transparency into their team\u2019s process and can reallocate resources to avoid bottlenecks.<\/p>\n The process of backlog grooming is usually directed by the product owner<\/a> or product manager. They tend to lead the meetings and make sure everything goes well.\u00a0Whoever that person who facilitates the backlog grooming is obviously in attendance. As for the others, it can depend on your organization and how wedded to scrum and agile project management<\/a> it is.<\/p>\n Often the customer success, support and QA teams have representatives there. They can offer insight into the process. However, it\u2019s not recommended to have too many people involved in this collaborative process. It can easily become overwhelming and unproductive. That’s why scrum teams<\/a> use project management software to facilitate team collaboration.<\/p>\n Related:<\/strong> Best Project Management Software Comparison for 2022<\/a><\/p>\n The process of backlog grooming includes many tasks. Product managers have to balance the needs of their stakeholders, their team and their project objectives. Of course, they need to take into account their resources and the power of their project management tools<\/a>. Some of the activities required for a healthy backlog are outlined below.<\/p>\n One of the more basic backlog grooming maneuvers is to get rid of any user stories that no longer appear relevant. These will just get in the way of your progress. However, as some user stories<\/a> drop off the backlog, others will become important to include. During the project, new needs will come up, and in response, those new user stories will have to be added to the backlog.<\/p>\n At the same time, priorities will change. These must be reflected in the product backlog<\/a> and the listing of the user stories. Therefore, backlog grooming is a regular reassessment of the priority of these user stories. Estimates will also change. These changes must be reflected in the backlog. Times can contract or expand as new information is uncovered, and those changes must be updated regularly.<\/p>\n Also, you want to break down user stories that have gotten larger than they should be, which is called splitting. This is done to those user stories that are of a high priority but too large to fit comfortably in an upcoming iteration.<\/p>\n Maybe you think all this grooming is more trouble than it’s worth. Maybe you’re a procrastinator that likes to wait until the last minute to get all the tasks lined up<\/a> for the next sprint. Well, there are certainly benefits to regular backlog grooming, and some of those benefits are touched on below.<\/p>\n The greatest motivation of engaging in backlog grooming is to help teams continuously push forward and increase overall productivity.<\/a> Since the user story is already well-defined, these don\u2019t need further discussion.<\/p>\n However, sprint planning<\/a> is important, and a better backlog will help plan for these more efficiently. That doesn\u2019t mean the backlog is weighed down by details, it just needs to be ready for work.<\/p>\n The backlog is constantly being added to, either by the product manager or, depending on your organization, QA testers, developers or other team members. This can lead to a loose and messy backlog.<\/p>\n Therefore, backlog grooming is a way to take that seemingly chaotic list and clean it up so that it is a manageable task list<\/a> that’s easier for the team to use.<\/p>\n Another benefit of backlog grooming is that it\u2019s a way for everyone to see where the product team stands in terms of the different features, projects, bug fixes and improvements. It\u2019s a way to keep transparency among all team members, <\/a>ensuring that none of them are unaware of the current state of events.<\/p>\n With a well-groomed backlog, no one needs to ask another person what\u2019s going on. The fewer interruptions, the more productive the work.<\/p>\n Backlog grooming is also a communications tool. Many people are using the backlog, and so when it\u2019s updated that information is disseminated throughout the team. That means that everyone is on the same page, but it\u2019s also a two-way street. The information teams receive gets feedback and the backlog also captures feedback from customers during live demos.<\/p>\n As noted, backlog grooming is ongoing. Usually, these updates are made during meetings with relevant stakeholders<\/a>. The product owner will lead the meeting and have everyone look over the existing user stories in order to decide which of them can be taken off the backlog list. User stories can be added at this time, as well, or user stories are split to make them more manageable. Here are some tips to make the progress more effective.<\/p>\n Agile advocate Roman Pichler came up with the acronym DEEP, which stands for detailed appropriately, estimated, emergent and prioritized.<\/strong> These describe a well-managed backlog.<\/p>\n “Detailed appropriately” means that higher priority items should have more detail than lower priority ones. Backlog items should be “estimated” to understand the cost to implement. “Emergent” states that the backlog is dynamic and always moving from idea to completed work. “Prioritize” speaks to which item is most important and must be addressed before the others. These are on the top of the list, which moves down to the lowest priority last.<\/p>\n The work of backlog grooming is usually done in a meeting, so conducting those meetings more efficiently makes for a more efficient backlog. Therefore, you don\u2019t always have to invite everyone. The only essential person is the product owner. After that, only invite those who are relevant at the time. If input from others who are not needed at the meeting is required, then get that information before the meeting.<\/p>\n As with any meeting, come prepared. Have an agenda with goals clearly stated and make sure all assembled are aware of what those goals are and how they\u2019re expected to contribute to achieving them. Finally, keep the meeting short. While meetings tend to go long, it\u2019s best to keep it short. Know what must be done, and only meet maybe every two weeks for an hour or two.<\/p>\n Backlog grooming must have a lodestar to follow and the guide is always the customer. Think about them as prioritizing the backlog. Customers can be like a rule against which all else is measured. The product is being produced for customers and therefore customers are the destination to always keep in sight.<\/p>\n Sometimes there are user stories or tasks that are not able to start until another is completed. These dependencies, if not identified, can block team members and delay progress. So, be sure to identify any dependencies when backlog grooming.<\/p>\n When done with a backlog grooming session there should be two sprints worth of user stories that the team is ready to work on. This way they have enough work to keep them engaged until the next backlog grooming and also work to do if priorities shift.<\/p>\n This advice is good for a myriad of situations, both personal and professional, and however much it’s repeated it always bears further attention. While an agenda with stated goals is critical to smart backlog grooming, that doesn\u2019t mean it’s written in stone. The product owner must keep an open mind and listen to what the team has to say, possibly adjusting as necessary.<\/p>\n In a backlog grooming meeting, there will be different opinions, but everyone on the team is working towards creating the best product. They might clash on how to do that, but their motivation is passion and experience. A product owner or manager must keep this in mind and act kindly towards all. Let everyone be heard and respected, but keep the team focused.<\/p>\n ProjectManager<\/a> is award-winning work and project management software that connects scrum teams and facilitates the product grooming process. But it does much more to connect teams no matter where they are, how they work or what department they\u2019re in. Our hybrid software means that agile and traditional teams can work more productively together.<\/p>\n Keep your team focused on their sprint with workflow automation<\/a> and task approvals. Managers can set as many triggers they want that release specific actions, freeing up their team of busywork. To make sure that no user story is completed improperly, there\u2019s task approval so only those authorized to change the status of a task can move it to the done column on your kanban<\/a>.<\/p>\n The kanban is a favorite of scrum teams<\/a> but sometimes you’re working with departments that have more traditional methodologies. Our hybrid tool has multiple project views that allow everyone to work how they want. Gantt charts for planning, task lists for your own work, sheet and calendar views\u2014work how you want. All data is updated in real time across all views so there\u2019s a single source of truth keeping everyone on the same page.<\/p>\n Our software allows you to keep everyone on the team updated when you change items on your backlog. Other team members are instantly notified of the changes with email alerts. Everyone stays in the loop. Team members are also alerted when they\u2019re assigned a task. If there\u2019s a due date change, you\u2019ll know about it and can adjust your sprint accordingly. Communications are always clear with ProjectManager<\/a>.<\/p>\n Backlog grooming is a way to cut out inefficiencies and work more productively. ProjectManager is a cloud-based project management software with features that help product managers with backlog grooming and more. Kanban boards collect user stories and share them among the team, who can then update their progress anywhere and at any time to keep everyone working collaboratively. Try it for yourself with this free 30-day trial<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"ProjectManager's](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Kanban_Manufacturing_Wide_Zoom-150_Moving-task-to-new-status-CTA.jpg\")
<\/a>Who Should Attend Backlog Grooming Meetings?<\/h2>\n
Backlog Grooming Activities<\/h2>\n
Eliminate and Add User Stories<\/h3>\n
Update Priorities and Estimates<\/h3>\n
Splitting User Stories<\/h3>\n
Backlog Grooming Benefits<\/h2>\n
1. Boosts Team Efficiency<\/h3>\n
2. Manages Backlog Chaos<\/h3>\n
3. Keeps Everyone Updated<\/h3>\n
4. Delivers New Info<\/h3>\n
Backlog Grooming Best Practices<\/h2>\n
Make it DEEP<\/h3>\n
Have Better Meetings<\/h3>\n
Keep Customers in Mind<\/h3>\n
Identify Dependencies<\/h3>\n
Have Two Sprints Worth of Stories to Work on<\/h3>\n
Listen During the Refinement Process<\/h3>\n
Be Professional<\/h3>\n
How ProjectManager Helps with Backlogs<\/h2>\n
Automate Processes for Quality Control and Productivity<\/h3>\n
![\"ProjectManager's](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Workflow_Automation_Marketing_Zoom-150_Automation.jpg\")
<\/a>\nMultiple Views for Better Collaboration<\/h3>\n
![\"ProjectManager's](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Gantt_Wide_Zoom-175_Comments-and-Collaboration.jpg\")
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