What are some effective techniques to break down large backlog items into smaller ones?

To break down large backlog items, start by focusing on the core functionality. Identify the key features that deliver value and separate them into smaller, manageable tasks. Another effective technique is using the "INVEST" criteria—making sure each item is Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable. This helps ensure that each task is well-defined and achievable within a sprint. Another method is splitting by workflow steps or breaking items down by user roles or scenarios. For example, if a feature has multiple user types, break it down by what each user needs to do. These techniques make it easier to manage and complete backlog items efficiently.

INVEST stands for: Independent: Each backlog item should be self-contained and not dependent on other items. Negotiable: The details of backlog items should be negotiable between the product owner and the development team. Valuable: Each backlog item should provide value to the customer or end user. Estimable: The backlog item should be able to be estimated in terms of time or story points. Small: The backlog item should be small enough to be completed within single iteration. Testable: The backlog item should be testable to ensure that it meets the acceptance criteria. By following these criteria , the development team can breakdown large backlog items into smaller, more manageable ones that can be completed within a single iteration.

Effective techniques to break down large backlog items include: defining clear acceptance criteria, splitting items by functional components or user stories, using the "INVEST" criteria (Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable), and focusing on minimal viable features. Engage the team in collaborative discussions to refine and decompose items, ensuring each part adds value and is manageable within a sprint.

Use the INVEST criteria as a checklist before creating user stories ; Is the story independent? Is it negotiable and open to discussion? Does it provide value to the user? Is it estimable by the team? Is it small enough to fit into a sprint? Is it testable with clear acceptance criteria?

Breaking down large backlog items into smaller, more manageable items is crucial for maintaining a smooth and efficient Agile workflow. One way to assess the quality and size of your backlog items is to use the INVEST criteria, which stands for Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable.Break down the backlog item by the steps a user takes to complete a task. Take each acceptance criterion of a large story and turn it into its own smaller backlog item.Identify the most complex part of the backlog item and see if it can be simplified or handled in phases.By using these techniques you can break down the large user stories into a smaller one.

O INVEST é um guia para utilização de quebra de histórias. Para utilizar e aprender sempre utilizando sempre as entregas como referencia. Olhando o que esta entregue poder ver o que realmente é Independente, procurar o que é negociável, medir o que realmente tem valor, verificar as estimativas que você e o time fez tem resultado e se os teste foram validos. Utilize sempre conteúdo pronto para reutilizar o invest e faça dele melhor.

Breaking down large backlog items into smaller, manageable tasks using the INVEST criteria involves. 🎯 Independent: Ensure each item can stand alone and is not dependent on other tasks, facilitating easier planning and execution. 📏 Negotiable: Keep items flexible rather than overly detailed, allowing for adjustments and refinements during the development process. 📈 Valuable: Each smaller item should deliver value independently, ensuring it contributes directly to meeting customer needs. 🕒 Estimable: Make sure items are small enough to estimate effort and resources accurately. 📦 Small: Keep tasks small enough to be completed within a single iteration, improving focus and tracking.

I find this is a great way to assess backlog items, and ideally the ones needing more scrutiny can be presented to team members who will be responsible for completing the work. Team input can help identify gaps or overlap, and/or plan how to tackle the pieces in a logical, cumulative manner.

As the SM, when I see that a task is pointed a bit high, I will ask for ideas of what can be done in the time period of the sprint alone during the Refinement ceremony. I ensure that input is collected from all aspects from the team members, insuring to include QA, and then the team discusses the re-writing of the new broken-down tasks.

The 3Cs stand for Card, Conversation and Confirmation.Below is how to apply the 3C model to break down large backlog items into smaller ones: Card: Write the large backlog item on a card. This card should include or brief description of the item and any acceptance criteria Conversation: Have a conversation with the development team to discuss the backlog item.During this conversation, the team should ask questions to clarify the item and identify any potential issues or dependencies Confirmation: Confirm that the item has been fully understood and that the team is ready to work on it. This confirmation can be in the form of a checklist or a sign-off from the team. These ensure that backlog is always up-to-date and ready for next iteration.

O modelo de 3C precisa ser complementado por outras técnicas. Apenas fazer ele não garantimos que temos realconteudo. Quando fazemos os 3C ficam subentendido que vamos conversar. dentro no Mundo real onde somos cobrados por eficiencia estamos com agendas cheias, pessoas fazendo duas ou três atividades todo momento e pessoas desmotivadas. Acredito que para usar técnicas simples como os 3C precisamos de pessoas motivadas, engajadas e participativas. Precisamos criar ambientes realmente ágeis onde as pessoas participam e interagem. Hoje as pessoas tem medo, nao podem ter vontade das suas necessidade e apenas da empresa.

Effectively breaking down large backlog items using the 3C model involves. 📝 Card: Start by identifying the user story or feature on a card, capturing the essence of what needs to be achieved. 💬 Conversation: Engage in detailed conversations among the team to flesh out the user story, discussing the functionality and requirements needed to deliver value. ✅ Confirmation: Establish clear acceptance criteria that confirm when the backlog item is completed satisfactorily, ensuring all requirements are met.

One argument I face a lot is that we should have complete details in the user story so that we do not have to waste time by asking and questioning. Yes, it could work but it fails on the idea of Scrum or Agile. The 3Cs push you to have a conversation, to have a low-tech-high-touch tool such as a card, and it gives you the power of understanding the tacit knowledge where otherwise isn't possible for anyone to get just on the basis of writing.

This is all about more than just writing down the task. It’s about having real discussions with your team to clarify the scope. A lot of teams skip or rush the conversation step, which is crucial because that’s where you uncover potential gaps or misunderstandings. And don’t forget the confirmation, clear acceptance criteria are key so everyone knows what done really means. Without those conversations, you might miss important details that only come up in dialogue.

Olhei mais uma vez e quero ir para um outro lado como cultura. Precisamos criar ambiente onde existe colaboração e transparencia. Ambientes Colaborativos: Crie espaços de trabalho que promovam a colaboração e a interação entre os membros da equipe, utilizando ferramentas digitais para manter a comunicação fluída em ambientes de trabalho híbridos ou remotos. Transparência nos Processos: Garantir que todos na equipe tenham acesso às informações necessárias sobre projetos e tarefas promove a confiança e a responsabilidade compartilhada. Utilize quadros de gestão visual, como Kanban ou Scrum boards, para manter a visibilidade do progresso das tarefas.

A decomposição é extensa e deve ser feita com empirismo e precisamos fazer resultados sempre. Utilizando tanto Sprint ou Cadancia devemos olhar como colocar nos níveis de de épico, features e histórias. Integrar épicos, features e histórias com indicadores de resultado permite que as equipes gerenciem de forma eficaz grandes backlogs, mantendo o foco no valor entregue ao cliente e nos objetivos estratégicos do projeto. Além disso, essa abordagem promove a transparência e a comunicação dentro da equipe, facilitando a priorização e a tomada de decisões baseadas em dados.

Involve the entire team (product owner, developers, testers) in the process. This fosters: Shared understanding; Early identification of roadblocks; Consideration of all aspects of the user story

Functional Decomposition: Break down large features into smaller, functional components or sub-tasks. For example, if the feature is "User Authentication," decompose it into sub-tasks such as "User Registration," "Login Functionality," and "Password Recovery." Process Decomposition: Break down complex processes into sequential or parallel steps. Identify the discrete actions or subprocesses involved and create backlog items for each step. Data Decomposition: If the backlog item involves working with large datasets or databases, break it down based on different data elements or entities. For example, if the item is "Database Optimization," decompose it into tasks such as "Indexing," "Query Optimization," and "Data Archiving."

Breaking big tasks into smaller ones using decomposition techniques (like splitting by workflow steps or business rules) works well, but sometimes teams either over-split or under-split. You want to find that balance where each smaller piece still delivers some real value. One thing people forget is to break it down from the user’s perspective, not just technically. It’s easy to chop things into tiny tasks, but each one still needs to make sense in the context of what the user needs.

Gosto muito de utiliza matrizes para priorização e contextualização. Nessa utilização de matrizes e análises, as principais são SWOT, RACI, e Eisenhower, é essencial para quem aprecia a estratégia de validar e priorizar tarefas de forma eficaz. Estas ferramentas permitem uma visão clara das forças, fraquezas, oportunidades e ameaças, definem claramente responsabilidades e ajudam a distinguir entre tarefas urgentes e importantes. Essa abordagem metódica não só otimiza a tomada de decisão, mas também assegura que os recursos sejam alocados de maneira eficiente para alcançar os objetivos estratégicos.

Validation: Ensure that the decomposition of backlog items maintains alignment with overall project goals and user needs. Validate the breakdown with stakeholders to confirm that it adequately captures the desired functionality or features. Prioritization: Once backlog items are broken down, prioritize them based on factors such as business value, dependencies, and urgency. This helps in focusing on the most important and valuable tasks first.

Olha esse método sozinho é pouco para utilização na priorização. Pode colocar conteúdo de produto e trazer indicadores validos de produto. Fazer cada vez mais priorização centrada em dados e não apenas que eu quero e eu desejo. Faça cada vez mais ordenação por categoria em relação a estratégia da empresa e relação a dados.

Once you’ve broken down backlog items, it’s important to validate and prioritize them. A lot of teams move forward without checking back with stakeholders or users to ensure the pieces are still relevant. Also, don’t just prioritize by value, look at dependencies and risks. Otherwise, you might end up with things that seem small but create roadblocks down the line. It’s all about balancing value with what’s doable in a given sprint.

Quero falar de Feedback loop. No cerne do Kanban, o feedback loop é fundamental para promover a melhoria contínua e a adaptabilidade. Quando implementar ciclos de feedback regulares, as equipes podem revisar progressos, identificar gargalos e adaptar seus processos em tempo real. Inclua também melhoria das pessoas, ja observei a pratica que não gerenciamos pessoas ao extermo de não olhar para as pessoas. Esta prática encoraja a comunicação aberta, o aprendizado constante e a colaboração, transformando o feedback em uma ferramenta poderosa para o aprimoramento, a eficiência operacional e incentiva as pessoas. Ao executar o feedback loop, as organizações cultivam um ambiente onde a evolução é contínua e as inovações prosperam.

Observei que estamos em um ambiente de cultura e ambiente Ágil. Temos contribuições de priorização. Mas deveríamos falar de comportamentos e participação. Como devemos usar o ágil em todos ambientes dentro da empresa como todas pessoas podem utilizar produto de maneira antecipada e participativa. Usar mais que algumas práticas mas sim como fazer conversas face a face e transparente.

Use the SPIDR method: -Spikes: do investigations and build knowledge; - Paths: if there are several paths in a user story, split it in several stories per path; - Interfaces: split a story by mobile devices for example; - Data: split the story into smaller chunks to different sub-data sets: - Rules: business rules or technological standards can be another way to split a story into smaller ones;

When breaking down backlog items, we shouldn’t forget to consider your team’s actual capacity and how much time you have in the sprint. Even smaller tasks can add up if you’re not careful. Also, be aware of the cross-functional impact, sometimes a task seems small but affects other teams or systems in ways you didn’t anticipate. It’s also important to keep refining the backlog regularly since things change as you move forward.

Something very important to keep in mind is that a product backlog is not a work breakdown structure. Frequently I've seen things broken down by tasks, when at each level there needs to be a particular value outcome, working up to the whole. Vertical slicing of value (complete outcome) is more effective than "phasing" through batches of work.

One thing I've found helpful is applying the workflow-based slicing technique, where large backlog items are divided into smaller tasks that represent specific user actions or process steps. This ensures progress can be tracked incrementally and delivered iteratively.