Product Backlog Vs. Sprint Backlog
Many industries implement the Agile Methodology as it offers huge benefits that the traditional software could not provide. One of the crucial frameworks that have been primarily implemented by many organizations is the Scrum Framework. Scrum is an iterative approach to product development that occurs in many parts called Sprints. Initially, a product is developed with all the essential functions required to run the product as desired by the customer. Later after every month or less, new features or updates are added in the form of a Sprint such that the product is relevant to the market, and continuous development takes place. This also indicates that the Developer should be Agile, which means that they have to adapt to change quickly and respond to it appropriately. Whenever a product is developed, the Product Owner creates a list of all the ideas and items that have to be integrated into the product. The Stakeholders and the Developer collectively decide this information.
The list of all the items that have to be added to the product is called the Product Backlog. The Product Owner is solely responsible for managing the Product Backlog. A Sprint is an update developed during a month or less, where few updates are added to the product at regular intervals. The Scrum Master organizes the meetings for planning the upcoming Sprint, which is called the Sprint Planning meetings. The Developer and the Product Owner discuss the items that have to be added to the current Sprint. The list of things that are to be added in a particular Sprint is called the Sprint Backlog. The Product Owner discusses the items' priorities on the Product Backlog and helps the team decide the feature to be added to the Sprint. The Developer also participates by listing out the feasible things and can be completed within the particular Sprint and divide the work among themselves. At the end of the Sprint Planning meetings, the Scrum Team comes up with the Sprint Backlog and a Sprint Goal. In this article, we learn the exact differences between the Product Backlog and a Sprint Backlog.
What is a Product Backlog?
The Product Backlog is an essential list of items that contain everything that has to be integrated into the product. It is made up of all the Developer's ideas, Product Owners, Stakeholders, etc. It acts as a source of requirements for the changes that have to occur in the product. A Product Owner is a professional that handles the Product Backlog and is solely responsible for updating the Product Backlog. The Product Backlog is created whenever a product is made. It is subjected to many changes and is prioritized based on the complexity, revenue generation, market relevance, risk, values, and necessity of the features that have to be integrated into the products. The higher the priority, the higher is the need to incorporate the part immediately.
A Product Backlog is always an incomplete document and continually changes as per the necessity, needs, and the current demand. As the product is deployed, there is the acquisition of the product's value and feedback from the market. This gives larger items that have to be added based on the user feedback and the customer's necessities. This increases the things that have to be added in the Product Backlog and makes the Product Backlog grow. Hence, the Product Backlog is considered a dynamic and live document that continually needs to be updated. The form frequently changes to identify what the product needs to be appropriate, competitive, and useful. Sometimes when a complex product has to be developed, many Scrum Teams work together to develop the updates. However, an essential part of the note is that the Product Backlog remains the same for a single product even if many teams work on the same product.
Product Backlog Refinement
An ideal Product Backlog should decrease as the features or updates are marked as done and taken out of the list. However, this Product Backlog depends on the market relevance and the feedback by the users. Hence, it is subjected to many updates, and the Product Backlog may even increase day by day. The Product Backlog contains all the ideas that may be relevant or irrelevant, defined clearly, or not clearly defined. This makes it essential for the Product Owner to clear out all the unnecessary items from the list after discussions with the senior management, Stakeholders, and the Developer. This clearing out the things is called the Product Backlog refinement, which is crucial for keeping the Product Backlog updated. The meetings held to refine the Product Backlog features are the Product Backlog refinement meetings whose primary coordinator is the Product Owner.
The higher list features have higher clarity and are extremely necessary to be implemented in the product. As the list goes lower, the items start decreasing their value and may not be clearly defined. The plan also contains a few irrelevant ideas added; however, in the present scenario, it would not be implemented in the product. Discussions with the Developer filter these features, and the Product Backlog is refined. Hence, a Product Backlog becomes a vital document in any product development as it contains all the items that have to be converted into features and gives a sense of clarity for the Developer and Stakeholders.
What is a Sprint Backlog?
Sprint Backlogs can be considered a subset of the Product Backlogs as all the Sprint Backlogs are derived from the Product Backlogs. As mentioned, the Scrum approach has the features and updates added to the product in the form of Sprints. Sprints are developed within a month by the Scrum Developer. Before a Sprint begins, the Scrum Master organizes a Sprint Planning meeting where the Product Owner explains the most important Product Backlog Items. The Developer decides what items can be developed within a Sprint, and accordingly, a Sprint Backlog is formed. The Sprint Backlog contains the objects or features that have to be acquired by the end of the particular Sprint. A clear Sprint goal is also made such that the team is clear about what is expected at the end of the Sprint.
The Developer owns the Sprint Backlog as they define how much functionality will be included in the next increment and the work that needs to be delivered so that functionality goes to the "Done" increment. The Sprint Backlog contains all the work that the Developer identifies necessary to meet the Sprint Goal. The Sprint Backlog contains one high priority process improvement identified in the previous retrospective meeting to ensure that continuous improvement is taking place. The Developer has the authority to change the Sprint Backlog during a Sprint, subject to the Sprint Goal. They always modify the Sprint Backlog during the Sprint, which is highly visible during the Daily Scrum. The Sprint Backlog becomes a real-time picture of the Developer's work during the Sprint. The Sprint Backlog is solely the responsibility of the Developer.
Increment
The increment is the total number of features of the Product Backlog items completed during a Sprint and the values of the increments of all previous Sprints. A new increment is "done" at the end of the Sprint, which means that the increment should be in a usable condition and meet the Scrum Team's definition of "Done". At the end of the Sprint, an increment is developed, an inspectable, and done work that supports empiricism and is a step towards a vision or goal.
Difference Between Product Backlog and Sprint Backlog
Product Backlog | Sprint Backlog |
| It is the list of all the items that need to be completed so that the end product can be developed. | It is the list of all the items that have been taken from the Product Backlog and has to be completed so that the Sprint is completed. Also includes a plan on how the selected items will be converted to an Increment. |
| The Product Owner is responsible for collecting the Product Backlog items and prioritizes and refines them. | The Developer is responsible for creating the Sprint Backlog and works on them with a time frame to complete the Sprint. |
| The Product Backlog is specific to the entire goal of the product. | The Sprint Backlog is specific only to the Sprint goal in a particular Sprint. |
| May have chances to vary based on the vision of the customer. | Sprint Goal will remain the same for the Sprint while the Sprint Backlog may evolve during the Sprint subject to the Sprint. |
| It is the entire set or list of work that should be completed to develop the product completely. | It is a subset of the Product Backlog and is completed during a Sprint. |
| It is independent of the Sprint Backlog. | It is purely dependent on the Product Backlog. |
| All the product features and story points are assigned to each User Story individually | The Sprint Backlog acts as a to-do list for every Sprint. The Developer breaks the User Stories into individual tasks such that the estimated time for the completion of the task can be calculated. |
| Product Owner is solely responsible for Product Backlog management. | The Developer is solely responsible for the Sprint Backlog management. |
| Until the whole product is developed, the Product Backlog remains and has to be maintained. | Every new Sprint gets a new Sprint Backlog which ends as the Sprint ends. |
Conclusion
Product Backlogs and Sprint Backlogs are essential aspects of any product development and have many differences. They are necessary for the team to get motivated to finish the work. They give a status about the ongoing work and the remaining ideas to add to the product. Sprint Backlog cannot be created if a Product Backlog does not exist. However, Product Backlog can independently live. These backlogs are crucial as they function as a transparent document that keeps all the Scrum Team members and Stakeholders updated about the product.
References:
- https://www.Scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-product-backlog
- https://www.visual-paradigm.com/Scrum/what-is-product-backlog-in-Scrum/
- https://www.Scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-Sprint-backlog
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