Product Backlog

The Product Backlog is one of the 3 Scrum artifacts. It is an ordered list of the known and valuable work needed to create the product. It is the single source of work for the Scrum Team building the product. Business requirements, market conditions, or technology changes may cause Product Backlog changes. Product Backlog items can be updated at any time.

Items in the Product Backlog are known as Product Backlog items (PBIs). Product Backlog items often have the attributes of description, order and size. Other attributes may be added. Attributes often vary with the domain of work.

The Product Backlog must be made transparent. Anyone who has an interest in the product should have access to it. This allows meaningful conversations around its order and content. This helps the Product Owner maximise the product’s value by making more informed decisions.

The Product Backlog is a transparent view of the future work that the Scrum Team may carry out. It forms the basis of plans, roadmaps and other information that may help the Scrum Team and stakeholders understand what work may be Done and when.

Effective Product Owners do not let the Product Backlog get too big. As a Product Backlog increases, more time and resources are required to manage and refine it, introducing waste and limiting the Scrum Team’s ability to deliver value. A good practice is to keep the Product Backlog limited to items that can be developed over a known and relatively short period. Ideas and other unlikely work can be removed and stored elsewhere.