3 Activities involved in the Backlog Grooming Process

As studied in the PMP, CAPM, or PfMP prep course, Backlog refinement, also known as backlog grooming, is an important activity for product managers and their teams. A backlog will always exist, but not all items on that backlog are created equal. Backlog grooming enables the management to ensure that their backlog list has an adequate number of items and that they are placed in order of priority.

Backlog grooming is a process that is examined on a frequent basis and may be planned as an ongoing project activity, generally by the product owner, product manager, and other relevant stakeholders.

Backlog Grooming Activities

The backlog grooming procedure entails a number of tasks. Product managers must strike a balance between their stakeholders', teams, and project goals. Of course, they must consider their resources as well as the capabilities of their project management software. The following are some of the actions that are required for a healthy backlog.

1.      Eliminate and Add User Stories

As studied in the PMP, CAPM, or pfmp certification, getting rid of any user stories that no longer appear relevant is one of the most basic backlog grooming maneuvers. These will simply obstruct your progress. Ascertain user stories are removed from the backlog, others will become more necessary to include. Additional requirements will emerge throughout the project, necessitating the addition of new user stories to the backlog.

2.      Update Priorities and Estimates

Priorities will shift at the same time. These should be reflected in the backlog and the user story list. As a result, backlog grooming involves a regular appraisal of these user stories' priority. Estimates are also subject to change. The backlog must be updated to reflect these changes. As new information is discovered, times can contract or extend, and those changes must be updated on a regular basis.

3.      Splitting User Stories

Also known as splitting, you should break down user stories that have grown larger than they should be. This is done to high-priority user stories that are too huge to fit properly in an upcoming iteration.

Why Is Backlog Grooming Important?

Perhaps you believe that all of this grooming is more effort than it's worth. Maybe you're a procrastinator who likes to leave everything until the last minute to get everything ready for the next sprint.

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