Product Backlog Refinement is the process of adding details, estimates, and order to items in the Product Backlog. Each Sprint requires ongoing Product Backlog Refinement to prepare items for future Sprints. When backlog items are refined to the appropriate level of granularity, the items at the top of the Product Backlog (highest priority, largest size) are broken down so they are suitable for one Sprint, as shown in the figure below.
Product Backlog Structure
Granularity Levels of PBIs
Not all items in the Product Backlog are the same size or level of detail. PBIs that we plan to work on soon should be near the top of the backlog—smaller in size and highly detailed—so they can be completed within a short Sprint. PBIs we won’t work on for a while should be at the bottom of the backlog—larger and less detailed.
- At the top of the diagram, the large orange blocks represent business objectives the system must achieve—use cases or user features.
- At the next level, PBIs are larger than a single Sprint but smaller than a release. Let’s call these PBIs “Epics” at this level.
- At the third level, we find PBIs that are sized appropriately for a Sprint—they can be completed in days rather than weeks. These items meet the team’s Definition of Ready and can be expressed as user stories.
- At the lowest level, these PBIs can be broken down from user stories into tasks and passed during a single iteration.
Sprint Planning Process
Sprint Planning typically requires proper preparation to ensure the Product Backlog has been refined to an appropriate level of detail and includes estimates and acceptance criteria (which is the purpose of Product Backlog Refinement). If Product Backlog items have been thoroughly analyzed and carefully considered during the refinement process, they can be clearly understood and easily selected during the Sprint Planning meeting.
Sprint Planning Process
Product Backlog
The Product Backlog lists all required deliverables. Its content is ordered by business value. As mentioned above, the most important items appear at the top of the Product Backlog, so the team knows what to deliver first. The priority of backlog items may change, and new requirements can be added or removed—making the Product Backlog an ongoing, continuously maintained plan that delivers growing business value over time.
Product Backlog Items
Product Backlog Items (PBIs) are the elements that make up the Product Backlog. PBI items can include specifications and requirements, use cases, epics, user stories, bugs, or even time-boxed research tasks.
Product Backlog Items
Summary
The goal of the Product Backlog Refinement process is to prepare Product Backlog items for Sprint Planning so that they are:
- Clear and understandable to everyone on the team
- Small enough to fit within a Sprint
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