How to manage a huge backlog
I used to have a huge backlog. I had more than 150 User Stories. 150! Requests came from everywhere, from all sectors. And it was getting impossible to manage it and surface what was my real priority between so many items. So I looked for what Scrum & Agile had to teach me. And I found out I had to organize my backlog hierarchy first. It changed my life.
Why should you invest your time in organizing your backlog hierarchy?
- After you do it, it will save your time by leaving your backlog clean.
- It makes it easier to prioritize epics and features in your roadmap.
- It shows your boss and your team that you are organized.
I am not here to explain to you the theory, but my own troubles and solutions I found. If you want to read about Backlog Hierarchy, here are some interesting links for you:
- Agile process work item types and workflow
- The Basics: Epics, Stories, Themes & Features
- Scrum tips: Differences between epics, stories, themes and features
STEP 1: Have a clear Vision & Objectives
I already had a clear Vision and Objectives. But if you don’t have it, go back 2 steps and set the Vision that is going to guide you and show that you are on the right path. It is crucial to have it properly defined with your main stakeholders (the board and your scrum team) before you start categorizing your backlog hierarchy.
STEP 2: Highlight your Epics
So I looked at my 150 User Stories and started mentally categorizing them. I asked myself: which Epic was that US related to? I highlighted the main Epics and named them. It took some time to do it, but in the end, I finished with 27 Epics. I know, a lot. But way more organized then 150 User Stories.
I have access to Microsoft Azure (VSTS) program, and it is really easy to categorize Epics/Features/User Stories there. If you don’t have it in your company, you can categorize in any spreadsheet you prefer. Just create a new column named “Epic” in your list of User Stories.
STEP 3: Relate a User Story to a Feature
Ok, I had 27 Epics. But I still had to categorize the main Features related to those Epics. I did it looking back to my 150 User Stories again and then I created a “parent” related to them: the Feature.
STEP 4: Relate a Feature to an Epic
When I related the US to the Feature, I also associated the Feature with a previously categorized Epic. For me, it was easier to do this job by thinking of the funnel: from Epic to Feature, from Feature to User Story.
Basically, the funnel looks like the example below:
It helped me in some many ways that I thought I should share with you. Hope it will make your life easier too!
