Agile backlog management: 6 pro tips for success

In this blog post, we'll delve into the best practices for keeping your backlog in prime condition. While user stories are commonly used in Agile teams, backlogs can also include epics, tasks, spikes, bugs, and more. For simplicity, I'll refer to all these components as "backlog items." Ready to enhance your backlog management skills? Let’s jump right in!

To keep your backlog healthy, visual grouping of work items based on common themes is essential. This is often done through epics, which are large backlog items that consolidate smaller ones like user stories and tasks. These epics represent significant customer values or features, such as "introducing a simplified Chinese interface" or a new venture like "opening a flagship store in London." They help in categorizing work according to different themes. Tools like Jira offer built-in epics functionality, while others like Trello use labels for this purpose.

When a team is tackling multiple large projects, the idea of separate backlogs might seem appealing. However, the essence of a backlog is to provide a unified view of the team's priorities. Therefore, there should always be one backlog per team, with clear visual cues to distinguish between different themes or projects. This approach ensures that priorities are clear and cohesive, allowing for effective management and execution.

When it comes to backlog management, there's a common misconception that every item needs constant attention to stay in perfect shape. However, this notion is contrary to Agile's core philosophy. Agile is all about flexibility and making decisions at the last responsible moment. This means that while it's crucial to have an overarching view of your vision, goals, and roadmap, the finer details and specific work order should be determined only when you're about to start work.

Organizing and perfecting lower-priority items at the bottom of your backlog is often futile. Their relevance might diminish by the time you're ready to tackle them, necessitating revisions and extra work. Instead, focus your energy on the top priority items. Keep the next 2-4 weeks' worth of tasks in good shape and correctly ordered. The lower end of your backlog can—and should—remain a bit unkempt and vague until its time comes. This approach ensures that your team's efforts are concentrated on what's most important and imminent, aligning with Agile's dynamic nature.

Estimation plays a pivotal role in Agile backlog management, as highlighted in my previous blog posts under the tag "estimation" (link). It's key for refining the scope of work and fostering a shared understanding within the team. The process of estimation is instrumental in shaping the backlog, identifying redundant tasks, and aligning work items with both customer value and effort required.

It's crucial to convey to your team that Agile estimation isn't about pinpointing the exact number of man-hours or drafting detailed Gantt charts. Instead, it acknowledges the inherent uncertainty in work estimation and the need for flexibility. The primary aim isn't to meet rigid milestones but to maximize customer and business value. Estimation, though imprecise, is a valuable tool in revealing scope misunderstandings and prioritizing work effectively.

In a previous blog post (link), I've explored various prioritization frameworks. The key isn't which specific framework you choose—most are based on balancing value and effort—but rather that you apply your chosen framework consistently. Relying solely on intuition is not enough.

The challenge in prioritization often lies in assessing customer value, which is inherently subjective and difficult to quantify. While effort can be estimated with relative accuracy, valuing customer impact requires a more nuanced approach. This is where a solid prioritization framework becomes invaluable. It introduces a systematic method to this process, ensuring consistency in decision-making. Select a framework that resonates with you and your team, and adhere to it to maintain clarity and direction in your backlog management.

Here's a time-saving trick for backlog prioritization: prioritize upwards only, without moving items downwards. Typically, when prioritizing, we shuffle items up or down the list, or sometimes remove them entirely. To streamline this process, focus solely on moving items upwards.

Picture your backlog as a list of items labeled A-Z. As you evaluate each item, instead of moving less important tasks (like 'B' or 'C') down the list, leave them where they are. When you encounter an item of higher importance, simply move it above 'B' and 'C', continuing this upward movement throughout the process. This method ensures you assess each item only once, significantly saving time and simplifying decision-making.

For effective backlog management, incorporating templates is a best practice many Agile teams embrace. Tools like Acceptance Criteria (scenarios describing expected outcomes for correct implementation), Definition of Ready (a checklist ensuring the item is fully prepared for development), and Definition of Done (a checklist confirming all aspects of the task are complete and it can be marked as 'done') are incredibly useful. While not all these tools are mandatory, they bring a level of consistency and thoroughness to each work item.

Consider using templates, particularly for similar types of work. This could be a checklist, a set of requirements, or any format that suits your team's needs. Most Agile tools, including Jira, Trello, Monday, and Asana, offer capabilities for creating templates or copying issues, allowing you to have a 'master item' to clone from. This practice not only saves time but also ensures uniformity across tasks.

However, it's important to maintain simplicity. The aim is to streamline and standardize the process without adding unnecessary complexity or bureaucracy. The right balance will keep your workflow efficient and clear.


While managing and organizing a backlog might initially appear daunting, it can actually be straightforward and even enjoyable with the right practices in place. The abundance of effective tools certainly helps, but the key lies in consistency. Establish your own best practices, adhere to them, and regularly review their effectiveness. Be open to tweaking your processes as necessary. This approach not only keeps your backlog in good shape but also ensures it evolves in tune with your team's needs, making it a vital and dynamic component of your Agile journey.