User Stories & Agile Artifacts
Article About Agile BA Deliverables:
Another key role for a BA on an agile team is to manage the backlog:
The Backlog is a list of things that are in queue for the team to work on. This list comes from things like:
- Requests from users
- Requests from leaders and stakeholders
- Defects reported
- Enhancements & Features requested
- Items from the analysis BAs do! (This is often the most neglected, yet often the most valuable items needed!)
And, some will simply say that the Backlog is made up of all the user stories for the team.
Video: Where do user stories come from
All of these backlog inputs are needed, yet none force an item to be worked on. The process to determine what gets on the backlog and what gets prioritized to be worked on is another key aspect of the BA role.
Not all defects, requests, ideas, or enhancements need to be done. Not all items that come from analysis need to be done. The BA needs to ANALYZE all of these items and the backlog against the Product Vision and what will add the most value, and propose what gets worked on in what order, getting alignment from leaders (Product Owner, Product Manager, Business Sponsor, Business Owner, Steering Committee, or whomever the decision makers are). I have found in my career that items adding the most value are often not even on the Backlog, but once I understand the business strategy, goals, and challenges, then analyze what needs to be addressed I can propose improvements that add more value then anything currently on the backlog! This is a critical piece of work BAs do! BAs are not “order takers” and are not ‘Backlog Jockeys”, BAs own the role of analysis and posing decisions that take into consideration this bigger picture that no other role sees.
Video; Backlog Health Check
Video: User Stories, why follow best practices
Video; Webinar Top 10 User Story Tips
BA-Cube has some deeper courses on many of these topics discussed in this lesson.
To learn more about User Stories, Story Maps, Story Splitting and Acceptance Criteria, see the links below and take these additional courses when you are ready to dig in more on these topics.
- User Story Basics
- Acceptance Criteria
- User Story Mapping
- User Story Splitting