Backlogs - Agile Manchester 2020 · Backlogs The good, the bad and the ugly Lynda Girvan

BacklogsThe good, the bad and the ugly

Lynda Girvan

Introduction

Copyright ©2019, CMC Partnership Consultancy Ltd

Backlogs – the good, bad and ugly

1. Using goals to improve backlogs2. Creating value stories3. Splitting stories to retain value4. How to effectively incorporate NFRs


1. Using goals to improve backlogs


If you want to succeed, you need to set goals…

• Goal setting enables you to control the direction of the work

• Goals are a benchmark for assessing whether you are actually achieving


Backlogs and goals?• If just high-level project goals, we can lose sight

of whether we are achieving value

• Agile Hierarchy:ReleasesStoriesTasks

Copyright ©2017, Girvan and Paul, Agile & Business Analysis, BCS

Release backlog

Increasing level of detail

Iteration backlog

Increasing priority

Decomposing goals


Solution goal

Release 1 goal

Release 2 goal

Later releases

Iteration 1 goal

Iteration 2 goal

Iteration 3 goal

Iteration 4 goal

Increasing priority

Split big goals into smaller goals

Smaller goals contribute to bigger goals

Using goals to improve backlogs

Bad: Don’t create goals that define technical design

Ugly: Don’t jump straight to stories

Good: Use goals/outcomes to articulate business value


2. Creating value stories


Goal decomposition

As an event organiser, I want to plan and execute a

10km fun run.

Think how you might decompose this story…


Goal v functional decomposition

Functional decomposition Goal decomposition

Small free 10k event with marshals

Small 10k run with 5 friends


Creating value stories

Bad: Don’t split big goals into big plans

Ugly: Don’t decompose your goals functionally into work tasks

Good: Decompose big goals into smaller goals


3. Splitting stories and retaining value


Splitting stories to retain value

Independent

Negotiable

Valuable to users or customers

Estimatable

Small

Testable





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Splitting stories so value is retained

• As a … corporate customer • I want to… book a hotel room • So I can… work in another location

Which part of the story is the goal?

book hotel room

book a hotel room


• As a … corporate customer • I want to… book a hotel room • So I can… work in another location

• Book by phone, email, through website

• Book one hotel room, multiple rooms, different dates, book rooms for multiple people

book a hotel room

Splitting stories so value is retained


Patterns for splitting stories

• Interface (iOS, Android, browser)• User type (UK, EU, Persona based)• Split by CRUD• Scenario flow (basic flow, alternative flow,

exceptions)• good, better, best

See Tony Heap’s blog – http://www.its-all-design.com/how-to-split-user-stories/


Managing the backlog

New backlog item

High priority

Refined / split

Lower priority


Managing the backlog

Refined stories

Important

Less important

High priority

Lower priority


Splitting stories and retaining value

Bad: Don’t split stories by justification (so I can….) part of story

Ugly: Don’t split stories that don’t need splitting yet

Good: Split stories so that the value is still obvious


4. How to effectively incorporate NFRs into your backlog


What are non functional requirements?

Functional requirement

What the system needs to do

• Functions• Behaviour

Non functional requirement

How well it does it

• Soft goals• Global qualities


Categories of NFRs

• Persistent• Set constraints/limits• Need to be known upfront

Global

• Operational• Make functionality better• Evolve over time

Associated


Global (persistent) NFRs• Need to be known up-front

Global NFR

NFR Document

DoD

Add to ‘Definition of Done’


Associated NFRs

Value stories

End-user

AssociatedNFR

End-user

• Need to be known ‘just-in time’• Add to confirmation

•Include in BDD scenarios•Add to Definition of Done


Testing for value

Story In Progress Tested Done

• The sum of the parts does not always equal the whole

• Test for value• Use BDD/confirmation tests


Incorporating NFRs into backlog

Bad: Don’t write NFRs as user stories. They don’t add value on their own.

Ugly: Don’t just test the tasks, test the story

Good: Understand and capture global NFRs upfront and document


Summary

1. Use goals to maintain business context2. Ensure all stories are valuable to customer3. Retain value when splitting stories4. Ensure NFRs are incorporated


Lynda Girvan

Questions?

Documents

Backlogs - Agile Manchester 2020 · Backlogs The good, the bad and the ugly Lynda Girvan