Chapter 5: Scrum Artifacts

We looked at how the Scrum Team regularly attends Scrum Events in Chapter 4, Scrum Events, as part of a constant inspection and adaptation cycle. These Scrum Events involve creating, reviewing, and modifying certain artifacts; namely, the Product Backlog, the Sprint Backlog, and the Product Increment.

In this chapter, we are going to examine these artifacts in greater detail. We will learn how to add value to the development process by undertaking certain commitments through artifact creation. We will learn how to capture requirements in the Product Backlog as user stories by using the three Cs and INVEST, as well as features, using impact mapping. Additionally, we will find out how to refine the Product Backlog, create a Sprint Backlog, and create a Definition of Done.

We will cover the following topics in this chapter:

• Understanding the value of Scrum Artifacts
• Creating and managing the Product Backlog
• Creating and managing the Sprint...

Understanding the value of Scrum Artifacts

Scrum Artifacts enable frequent inspections by the Scrum Team and the stakeholders and allow us to detect undesirable deviations from the road toward product delivery. They represent work that's performed to provide transparency and opportunities for inspection and adaptation (see The pillars of empiricism section in Chapter 2, Scrum Theory and Principles). The work each artifact represents is as follows:

• The Product Backlog captures an ordered list of the project requirements and allows us to create a product roadmap and define the items to tackle in a sprint.
• The Sprint Backlog enables us to clearly identify the work we intend to produce during a Sprint, set alongside a Sprint Goal (see Chapter 4, Scrum Events, the Starting the Sprint with Sprint Planning section).
• The Product Increment allows us to inspect the functionality of the work we produced and potentially expose it to the stakeholders.

The artifacts and...

Creating and managing the Product Backlog

The Product Backlog is an ordered list of everything that is needed in the product. Each product has its own unique backlog. It is the only source of planned work for the product. The Product Backlog is a living artifact; it is constantly in flux as requirements and market conditions change. The following diagram provides an overview of the role and significance of the Product Backlog:

Figure 5.2 – Product Backlog items as user stories

As shown in the preceding diagram, the Product Owner is the only role with direct access to the Product Backlog. The Scrum Guide states that the Product Owner is responsible for managing the Product Backlog. This can be interpreted in many ways, but it does imply that the Product Owner has the final say on the Product Backlog. Therefore, it is advisable that developers or stakeholders who wish to add or change items on the Product Backlog do so under the guidance and approval of...

Creating and managing the Sprint Backlog

The Sprint Backlog is simply a list of Product Backlog items that have been selected for the Sprint, along with the plan for delivering them and accomplishing the Sprint Goal. While the Product Owner is responsible for which items go in the Product Backlog, the developers are solely accountable for which items go into the Sprint Backlog. The Product Owner will make suggestions as to which items should go in the Sprint Backlog, but the developers will decide based on their estimation of the work needed for each item and their own capacity to deliver work within the Sprint. Often, if the Product Owner is very insistent on including certain items in the Sprint, the developers may exclude other items of equal size or complexity from the Sprint Backlog so that they can accommodate the high-priority item. Placing and removing items from the Sprint Backlog must always be driven by the Sprint Goal's imperative. Let's discuss how that happens...

Producing a Product Increment

A Product Increment is the working software that's created during the Sprint. It is a demonstrable stepping stone toward the Product Goal. Each increment is cumulative to previous increments and thoroughly verified, ensuring that all the Increments work together. An Increment must do the following:

• Be usable – a usable increment is a piece of software that can be used by stakeholders to enact some functionality required and related to the Sprint Goal.
• Meet the Definition of Done, as discussed in the Making a commitment – Definition of Done section.

An Increment is created the moment a Sprint Backlog item meets the Definition of Done.

Important note

Multiple Increments may be created within a Sprint. The sum of all Sprint Increments is presented at the Sprint Review so that all the work can be inspected. However, an Increment may be delivered to stakeholders before the end of the Sprint. Value, in the shape of...

Summary

In this chapter, we looked at Scrum Artifacts. We learned why we create those artifacts and the commitments we make when creating them. We saw how to create a Product Backlog and a Product Goal, how to select Product Backlog items for our Sprint Backlog, and how to define a Sprint Goal. We discussed Product Increments and learned how to define Done. We also examined when the artifacts are created, how they can be modified, and who's accountable for them.

Scrum Artifacts are designed to maximize the transparency of key information. They are key decision-making tools in the product development process. Therefore, it is very important that we know the artifacts' roles within Scrum and understand the value they add.

This chapter brings us to the end of the first section of this book, which covered the fundamentals of the Scrum framework. In the second section, we'll look at all the other things we need to do to make Scrum work in the real world – things...

Questions

1. The CEO asks the developers to add a very important item to a Sprint that is in progress. What should the developers do? (Choose the best answer.)

   a) Add the item to the Sprint Backlog immediately.

   b) Add the item to the Sprint Backlog, but only if the item is in line with the Sprint Goal.

   c) Add the item to the Sprint Backlog and drop an item of equal size.

   d) Inform the Product Owner so that they can work with the CEO.

2. True or False: When multiple teams work together on the same product, each team should maintain a separate Product Backlog.

   a) True.

   b) False.

3. Which of the following provides the Scrum Team with an objective and overarching direction for the Sprint? (Choose one.)

   a) The Sprint Backlog

   b) The Sprint Goal

   c) The Product Goal

   d) The Definition of Done

4. Halfway through the Sprint, the developers have already produced an Increment that is usable and Done. The stakeholders are very interested in reviewing the Increment as soon as possible. What should the...

Further reading

• The Scrum Guide, Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland (https://www.scrumguides.org/docs/scrumguide/v2017/2017-Scrum-Guide-US.pdf)
• User Stories Applied: For Agile Software Development, Mike Cohn, Addison-Wesley, 2004
• Managing Software Requirements the Agile Way, Fred Heath, Packt Publishing, 2020