Product Backlog Template
Use our Product Backlog Template to list action items and store and prioritize product development tasks to keep teams more focused.
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About the Product Backlog Template
The Product Backlog Template is a tool that allows you to store everyone's ideas, plan epics, and prioritize tasks. You can put all ideas and tasks in the product backlog from any device and be assured that they are all in one place. Many product and project managers use the Product Backlog Template to plan, prioritize, and manage tasks, moving them to the starting line and staying focused on the issues and results.
What is a Product Backlog?
An example of a product backlog is an action item list related to product development that is used by product teams to plan, prioritize, and manage tasks.
Development teams are often juggling many products at once. A product backlog is a project management tool that helps teams keep track of projects in flight as they build and iterate. The highest-priority tasks are at the top of the product backlog so the teams know what to work on first.
Product backlogs make it easier for teams to plan and allocate resources, but they also provide a single source of truth for everyone to know what development teams are working on. In doing so, backlog templates help developers manage stakeholders’ expectations and keep everyone aligned.
What is a Product Backlog Template used for?
Teams often use this template for agile and sprint planning. It’s a great way to manage everyone’s tasks and prioritize them. Add all ideas and tasks to the Miro Board from any device, and share it with your team. As you work, move tasks to the starting line, stay focused on the most critical issues, and track results.
Benefits of using a Product Backlog Template
There are many reasons why the backlog template is one of the most popular Agile tools. Teams can use it with the Product Roadmap to define what they need to work on, giving managers the big picture. Here are other benefits when using the Product Backlog Template:
The ready-made Product Backlog Template makes it easy to save time and create a product backlog quickly and efficiently.
You can import your spreadsheets as sticky notes and reduce future effort if you already have a backlog.
If your backlog is intricate and seems to take up endless space on the board, use the helpful Text Search feature to find items by keyword.
Use digital sticky notes and separate them by size and color or by tags and clusters. When your product backlog is filled, you can work on grooming and prioritizing specific features.
You can also import Jira cards to visually organize Jira issues directly on your Product Backlog Template.
How do you create a Product Backlog?
Here is an example of how to fill in your backlog template to set your team up for success:
Step 1: Roadmaps and requirements
Start with the two Rs: roadmap and requirements. These two elements are the foundation of every product backlog. The roadmap is the scaffolding for how a project will take shape. The requirements are the list of backlog items that development teams need to accomplish in order to complete a project. Make note of your roadmap and requirements so you can start building around them.
Let's say your development team is building an app that shows runners how safe a given road is. Since this app is the highest priority for the company, it is the first and most important item on the roadmap. The team must first collect data on road safety. You would list data collection as a requirement.
Step 2: List tasks
List the tasks you must accomplish in order to finish the first item on your roadmap. Draw those tasks under each action item on the map. Some teams choose to have one task in progress at a time, while others will only ship a product once everything is complete.
Put these tasks in order according to their urgency. Usually, tasks with the highest impact on your customers are assigned the highest priority. Oftentimes, teams use user stories to get an understanding of what features will be most noticeable and useful for customers. Teams also choose to assign priority based on how urgently they need feedback, the difficulty of implementation, and the relationship between work teams.
Step 3: Team review
Once you've built the product backlog, it’s time to review it. Product owners should periodically conduct backlog grooming before each planning meeting. Specifically, it helps to double-check prioritization and to make sure developers are implementing feedback.
Step 4: Sort
To scale the backlog, group tasks into near-term and long-term items. Flesh out near-term items before sorting them: make sure product teams and design teams are on the same page, and clarify development estimates. While longer-term items can remain vague, they should have a rough description and timeline.
How do you use the Product Backlog template?
Start with our pre-made template, making any changes you’d like to suit your particular needs. Invite team members to join your board and collaborate. Use the @mention or video chat if you need to get input from others. You can upload other file types such as documents, photos, videos, and PDFs to store all the relevant information in one place.
Why should you have a Product Backlog?
A product backlog is an important tool for any company that builds and iterates at scale. It serves as a bridge between product owners and development teams. Product backlogs empower teams to collect feedback, assign priorities, decide on timelines, and maintain flow.
What is the difference between sprint backlog and product backlog?
The difference between a sprint and product backlog is that a product backlog is a log of all action items and subtasks necessary to complete a project, while a sprint backlog is only those tasks that can be completed in a single sprint.
How is the product backlog prioritized?
This will depend on the project and the team, but typically the tasks in a product backlog are prioritized by their overall importance to the goals and deliverables of the project, with the most essential tasks at the top of the backlog.
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