What is Agile Backlog and how can it be applied to your projects?

Did you know that, according to Forbes, leadership is one of the 10 most in-demand skills at companies in recent years? However, in order to achieve effective leadership, its various complementary sub-skills will have to be acquired as well, such as project management. 

The ability to manage and organise tasks and resources is decisive to achieving objectives and meeting the expectations of stakeholders. Against this backdrop, it's worth understanding the strategies that allow us to optimise task planning and execution, and agile backlog is one of the most popular.

Don't know what an agile backlog is? In recent times, where digitisation has absorbed a large part of the processes at most organisations, new products and services are constantly emerging. This is where the so-called agile backlog comes in: a tool that facilitates project management, e.g., the creation of a product, from scratch. Below, we detail what exactly it is and why you should be interested in learning more.

Agile Backlog: What exactly is it?

The Oxford Dictionary defines backlog as “an accumulation of unfinished or incomplete work”. If we extrapolate this concept to project management, we can establish that the backlog or product backlog consists of planning and putting into practice a list of tasks, roles and priorities in the development of a product or project. This list should also include all the features and functions necessary to meet the established objectives through teamwork.

To better understand what an agile backlog is, let's delve into some of its main features. For example, it's important to note that when we talk about a “to-do list”, this isn't an everyday list or one with secondary activities, but rather structured key actions that add certain value to the project. 

Thus, the following features can be singled out:

• The effort required for each task is estimated to facilitate better planning by the team.

• It is dynamic, given that the document is subject to constant changes as the project progresses.

• It is unique to each project, meaning that all of the team members involved in development will refer to the same document.
  

• It is organised according to the priority attached to each task, and as such, the backlog will provide more details on each of these as the time to tackle them approaches.

The difference between agile backlog, sprint backlog and Scrum

Now that you know what an agile backlog is, it's essential not to confuse it with other commonly associated concepts: Scrum and sprint backlog. 

On the one hand, agile backlog is a tool or technique that forms part of a broader work methodology, Scrum, which comprises a wide range of other strategies. As such, Scrum is a framework that combines techniques to structure and streamline project development, one of which is backlog.

On the other hand, just as Scrum is a methodology encompassing various techniques, agile backlog or backlog is also made up of several techniques, one of them being sprint backlog. This is defined as a more detailed approach to the prioritised actions to be undertaken, explaining, among other issues, the subtasks that make up each main task.

How to properly develop product backlog items

The proper development of product backlog items is governed by a set of steps that should be followed from the very start. Here, the project manager plays a crucial role, since this is who has to fully manage the document, sharing it with the rest of the team and ensuring it is complied with at every step of the process.

Below, we explain the steps to take:

Plan the process to be followed

Planning is the starting point for product backlog items. This is the stage where the process to be followed throughout the project is designed, involving identifying needs, aims, tasks and assignment of roles, and also including all of the necessary features to develop each of the actions.

Develop ideas and tasks

Once the features, tasks and team members have been identified, it's time to develop the various stages of the project in depth. What ideas do we want to capture? What will each task consist of and how much effort are they estimated to require in each case?

Set priorities

By this point, the actions should be clearly set out, together with how these will be performed, which team members are responsible and above all, how much time each one will take. From here onwards, there is enough information to establish the order of priorities in which to execute the tasks, which – logically – falls under the responsibility of the project manager.

Keep it consistently updated

Lastly, and as you may have noted when discussing the agile backlog as a living and dynamic document, it is essential to constantly update the product backlog items. This means including new tasks, excluding those that have become superfluous throughout the process, and determining potential role changes. In short, any relatively significant amendments the project undergoes should be registered in the project backlog.

Key agile backlog features

Over and above its features and the process of creation, to fully understand what agile backlog is and its importance in project management, you need to be aware of some of the components that are vital in its development. Aspects such as a build-up of tasks, learning, product functions or problem solving play a fundamental role in this organisational technique, but why are they so important?

Product functions

Product functions are the essential factors a user requires of the product. In other words, if we talk of creating a product or service, the idea is to endow it with the specific needs that explain its future purchase, which should in turn translate into relevant tasks within the agile backlog.

Learning

Acquiring knowledge is an intrinsic part of a project’s development based on an agile backlog, and is rooted in the aforementioned dynamism of the document. In fact, this continual learning is what leads, at a certain point, to being able to disregard tasks that were initially considered a priority, incorporating other new ones that weren't originally taken into account.

Problem solving

One of the motives that bring meaning to product backlog items is problem solving. This is because by capturing the project development process in this document, it will be easier to identify potential setbacks in advance. Likewise, the solution is far simpler and more efficient.

Build-up of tasks

While one of the aims of agile backlog is indeed to avoid this situation, that's simply not always possible. However, minimising this defect falls within the responsibilities of the project manager at the time of ranking the actions and allotting these to the teams. So, under the right circumstances, this build-up would only ever be of secondary actions.

Recommendations when using agile backlog

Lastly, it's time to give a few handy tips for project managers who are looking to master process development management using agile backlog. What do you need to be aware of?

• Use the sprint backlog to split general tasks into specific tasks and simplify the work, with the aim of enhancing efficiency and productivity.

• List the priorities according to the urgency and importance of each task.

• Maintain constant communication with all members of the team. Practise active listening and take any feedback into account.

• Identify the most complex actions at the start of the project to give a certain momentum to the job at hand and prompt a more efficient process.

Why you should master the agile backlog technique

With project management, it is increasingly important to boast team management and task organisation skills. As such, in the role of leader, it is vital to understand and be aware of the agile backlog strategy. But what can mastery of this tool offer to your career?

The ability to lead on development of a product or project throughout the entire process. While agile backlog isn't the only strategy that can be implemented when it comes to organising projects, it is considered one of the most common. The reason lies in the fact it allows priorities to be set and tasks to be assigned, in order to avoid a build-up of work, another vital skill for careers focussed on leadership.

In addition to managing projects effectively, agile backlog allows you to keep control, foster collaboration, and adapt to changes with agility. However, for the latter, it is essential to keep learning about the latest trends in agile backlog functionality, to successfully manage projects and stay competitive in an ever-changing environment.

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