Rethinking Backlog Management: Why a Flat Structure Boosts Agility and Value Delivery

In my journey as a professional Scrum trainer and Kanban coach, I’ve often encountered a common misconception: the belief that a hierarchy is essential for effective backlog management. Today, I want to share my insights on why this approach can be detrimental and how we can rethink our backlogs to enhance our agility and focus on delivering value.

Understanding the Backlog

At its core, a backlog is simply a list of tasks or items that need to be completed. However, the way we order this list is crucial. Each item should have a distinct position, first, second, third, without any items sharing the same level of importance. This flat structure allows us to prioritise effectively, ensuring that the most critical tasks are addressed first.

The Pitfalls of Hierarchical Structures

Many teams fall into the trap of creating a hierarchical backlog, often breaking down epics into features, which then break down into stories or tasks. While this might seem logical, it introduces several challenges:

• Work Breakdown Structure: This hierarchical approach often leads to a focus on breaking down work rather than delivering value. Teams can become so engrossed in managing the structure that they lose sight of the ultimate goal: delivering value to the customer.

• Inflexibility: When items are tied to a parent-child relationship, it becomes cumbersome to reorder them based on changing priorities. If I want to elevate the importance of a task, I might inadvertently change its parent, complicating the management process.

• Limited Relationships: Most tools enforce a tree structure, which means each item can only have one parent. This limitation makes it difficult to represent items that contribute to multiple features or initiatives, hindering our ability to manage work effectively.

Rethinking Our Approach

So, how can we shift our mindset and practices to avoid these pitfalls? Here are some strategies I’ve found effective:

1. Embrace a Flat List: Instead of viewing your backlog as a hierarchy, treat it as a flat list. Each item can have additional context, such as tags or links to documentation, without being constrained by a parent-child relationship.

2. Utilise Tags for Context: In tools like Azure DevOps, you can use tags to provide context for each item. This allows you to filter and view items based on features or projects without losing the flexibility of a flat structure.

3. Focus on Value, Not Volume: Shift your team’s focus from merely completing tasks to delivering value. This means prioritising items based on their impact on the business rather than their position in a hierarchy.

4. Visualise Flexibly: Use your tools to create visualisations that make sense for your team. Whether you’re using Azure DevOps, Jira, or even a simple whiteboard, ensure that your backlog reflects the current priorities and context.

Practical Application

Let me illustrate this with a practical example. In Azure DevOps, I often set up my backlog as a flat list, tagging items according to their associated features. This way, I can easily filter and prioritise tasks based on their relevance to ongoing projects. For instance, if I have items related to “Feature One” and “Feature Two,” I can quickly assess which tasks are most critical for the upcoming sprint without being bogged down by a rigid hierarchy.

During sprint planning, my team and I can review this flat backlog, considering various factors such as business priorities, ongoing engineering work, and customer needs. This approach allows us to make informed decisions about what to include in the sprint, ensuring that we remain agile and responsive to change.

Conclusion

Moving away from a hierarchical backlog structure can be challenging, but the benefits are undeniable. By embracing a flat list approach, we can enhance our ability to manage work effectively and focus on delivering value. If you’re struggling with this transition, remember that support is available. My team and I offer consulting, coaching, and mentoring programmes designed to help organisations like yours thrive in an agile environment.

Let’s connect and explore how we can elevate your backlog management practices together.