Scrum teams rely on Product Backlog items (PBIs) to organize and prioritize work. As the key elements that make up a Product Backlog, PBIs help drive Sprint Planning and ensure the team delivers value.
This post will explore what PBIs are, their different types and attributes, and how they are used in Scrum. You’ll learn the difference between PBIs and user stories, what makes a good PBI, and the benefits they provide.
With a solid understanding of PBIs, you’ll be equipped to leverage them for more effective Scrum projects. Whether new to Scrum or an experienced practitioner looking to optimize your use of PBIs, this guide will provide useful insights.
What Is PBI In Scrum?
A Product Backlog item (PBI) is a key element in Scrum and Agile software development that represents a single, actionable piece of work that needs to be done to complete a Product Increment.
PBIs are contained within the Product Backlog, which is a prioritized list of items maintained by the Product Owner. The Product Backlog contains various PBIs including user stories, features, enhancements, bugs, and technical work.
During each Sprint, the Scrum team selects the top priority PBIs from the Product Backlog to work on, and then breaks these PBIs down into tasks and works to complete them within the Sprint.
Use of Product Backlog Items (PBIs) in Scrum
The main purpose of PBIs in Scrum is to help the team organize, estimate, and prioritize work to be completed in each Sprint.
There are a few key ways that PBIs are utilized:
Breaking Down Work
The Product Owner along with the Scrum team breaks large product features and initiatives into smaller PBIs that can be reasonably completed in a single Sprint. This provides more granularity for planning and tracking.
Estimating Effort
During Sprint Planning, the team estimates the level of effort required to complete each PBI. This helps determine how much work the team can commit to for the upcoming Sprint.
Prioritizing and Ordering
The Product Owner prioritizes PBIs based on business value and customer needs. The highest-priority PBIs are placed at the top of the Product Backlog which gives the team clarity on what to work on first within the next Sprint.
Tracking Progress
As work is completed during each Sprint, the team updates the status of PBIs. This enables tracking of progress made versus the Sprint Goal.
Product Backlog Item Attributes
Product backlog items (PBIs) should be defined with enough detail and context to enable the team to understand, estimate, and complete the work.
Here are some key attributes that help create effective PBIs:
Clear Description
The PBI should contain a clear description of the desired feature or functionality to be developed including details like acceptance criteria, design specs, and dependencies.
Accurate Effort Estimation
The team should estimate the level of effort required to complete each PBI to set realistic expectations around how much work can get done per Sprint.
Business Value
The Product Owner should indicate the business value and ROI of the PBI to guide prioritization. High-value PBIs should rise to the top of the Product Backlog.
Owner Assignment
Each PBI should have an owner (usually the Product Owner) who is responsible for providing clarity and details for the team.
Progress Tracking
PBIs should be updated with statuses like “in progress”, “complete”, or “impeded” to track Sprint progress.
Types of Product Backlog Items (PBIs) in Scrum
Product Backlog items come in different forms depending on the type of work they represent. Here are some of the most common PBI types seen in Scrum:
User Stories
User stories describe a desired functionality or feature from an end user’s perspective and are a popular PBI type in Agile and Scrum.
User stories typically follow the format: “As a [user type], I want [feature] so that [benefit]”.
Bugs
Bugs or defects are PBIs that represent undesired system behaviors or functions that aren’t working properly and should be repaired as soon as possible.
Features
A feature PBI refers to a larger functional capability or enhancement the product owner desires. They help capture sizeable initiatives and areas of work.
Technical Tasks
Technical tasks are development or infrastructure-related work needed to support building the product. Examples include refactoring code, improving performance, and setting up new environments.
Knowledge Acquisition
If research needs to be done before work can begin, a knowledge acquisition PBI can be created. This may require spikes, prototypes, or proof-of-concepts.
Technical Debt
Technical debt PBIs enable the team to address shortcuts or workarounds taken in the past to meet deadlines. This pays down the metaphorical technical debt.
What Makes a Good Product Backlog Item?
Not all product backlog items (PBIs) are created equal. High-quality PBIs lead to greater transparency, collaboration, and results.
Here’s what sets good PBIs apart:
Detailed Description
A strong PBI contains a detailed description of the desired functionality, along with acceptance criteria, design specs, and relevant context.
Well-Estimated
Accurate effort estimation helps the team determine capacity and commit to the appropriate amount of work during Sprint Planning. A good PBI has an estimate reflecting its true complexity.
Valuable
The PBI should clearly tie to business goals and customer needs, and the Product Owner should indicate the value to guide backlog prioritization.
Appropriately Sized
PBIs should be small enough to complete in one Sprint, but big enough to deliver demonstrable value. Good PBIs balance granularity and value.
Testable
The PBI needs to be written in a testable way, with measurable outputs and outcomes to determine success.
Actionable
A good PBI is actionable and ready for the team to begin work, without blocked dependencies or unknowns.
Benefits of PBIs
Using Product Backlog items (PBIs) provides several key benefits for Scrum teams. These benefits include:
- Planning and Estimating: Breaking down large initiatives into PBIs allows more accurate Sprint Planning and effort estimation.
- Prioritization: The Product Owner can prioritize work based on business value to determine which PBIs should be done first.
- Tracking Progress: Teams can update PBI status like “in progress” or “complete” to track progress through each Sprint.
- Focus: Well-defined PBIs give the team clarity on what needs to be delivered and enable them to focus efforts accordingly.
- Flexibility: The Product Backlog can be re-prioritized as needed, with higher-value PBIs rising to the top.
- Ownership: Assigning a PBI owner provides accountability for completion according to specifications.
PBI vs User Story
Product backlog items (PBIs) and user stories are commonly used together in Scrum to enable effective Sprint Planning and execution.
PBIs capture WHAT needs to be done at a high level, while user stories describe the WHY and WHO in more detail for developers.
Let’s look at a more detailed comparison:
Definition
A PBI is a high-level requirement or piece of work that needs to be done. A user story on the other hand describes a specific feature from the user’s perspective and in their own words.
Scope
PBIs tend to be larger buckets of work, while user stories focus on smaller, detailed functionality.
Breakdown
As high-priority PBIs come up in the Sprint, the Product Owner and team break them down into more detailed user stories for the developers to code.
Focus
PBIs focus on what needs to be built, while user stories emphasize who wants the feature and why they want it.
Format
There is no standard format for PBIs. User stories typically follow a template like “As a [user], I want [feature] so that [benefit]”.
Usage
PBIs are used for planning and tracking purposes while user stories are more for development execution.
Difference Between a Task and a PBI
Tasks and product backlog items (PBIs) are also related in Scrum but with some key differences including:
Size
A task is a small unit of work that can be completed in hours or days. A PBI on the other hand is larger and more complex, requiring weeks or months.
Scope
Tasks focus on how work will get done and have a narrow scope while PBIs define what work needs to get done with a broader scope.
Planning
Tasks are identified during Sprint Planning to break down PBIs. PBIs are crafted beforehand for the Product Backlog.
Estimation
Tasks sizes are estimated in hours during sprint planning. PBIs are given story points estimating complexity and effort.
Tracking
Tasks track Sprint execution and daily work completed. In contrast, PBIs track product delivery and business value.
Ownership
Tasks are owned by the team member doing the work while PBIs have an accountable Product Owner.
Purpose
Tasks enable sprint execution while PBIs facilitate product roadmapping and long-term planning.
Conclusion
As we’ve explored, Product Backlog items (PBIs) are essential for organizing and managing work in Agile Scrum.
By breaking initiatives into well-defined PBIs, teams can effectively plan, prioritize, estimate, track, and complete development Sprints.
High-quality PBIs with clear descriptions, sizing, and business value empower the Product Owner to guide the team.
PBIs provide focus for the scrum team and link key development activities to larger product goals and customer needs. Now you have a deeper grasp of this integral scrum artifact and how to leverage PBIs for product success.
FAQs
Who owns the PBI in Scrum?
The Product Owner owns the PBIs in Scrum and is responsible for creating, maintaining, prioritizing, and providing details for the Product Backlog items. They are accountable for defining PBIs that will deliver maximum business value.
Who Creates a PBI?
The product owner creates Product Backlog items (PBIs) by eliciting product requirements from stakeholders and translates those into detailed PBIs to be worked on by the development team.
This ensures the PBIs capture the necessary features, enhancements, and fixes needed to achieve the product vision.
Who is Responsible for All Estimates of PBI?
The development team is responsible for estimating Product Backlog items (PBIs) during Sprint Planning. The scrum team reviews the PBIs prioritized by the Product Owner for the upcoming Sprint and collectively estimates the level of effort required to complete each item.
This ensures the team has an accurate understanding of the work needed to deliver the Sprint Goal.
