Kanban Backlog Management

Every so often I’m asked “How do I manage our huge backlog?” First of all, a huge backlog is a red flag. Often, it would take years to go through everything on it, and by then, most of those items wouldn’t be worth doing. There are always new items, and those new items are always more important than what’s on there, so existing items get pushed down, and are never built. So, the first thing you need to do is limit the backlog size to the things you will do—a month’s work maximum, and even that is way too big for me. (I often work with no backlot at all.) As for the huge part, just throw everything out. Yes. Everything. The important stuff will come back very quickly. To keep things under control from that point forward, you need to put a hard limit on backlog size. (Think of the backlog as a Lean ready queue; this is a simple WIP limit.) Literally nothing goes on unless something comes off, thereby freeing a slot. Engineering will open slots as it pulls work, but Product can add things to a full backlog by removing something from it. That means that the Product people need to think about value. Which thing on the backlog is lesser value than your thing? What will the person who put that allegedly low-value story onto the backlog say when they discover that you’ve replaced their item? Discussion will ensue, and that’s a good thing.

Do you feel anxiety when looking at your Product backlog with those 1014 tickets? What if I told you there is another way? Here are 8 ways to keep your backlog clean and actionable: 1) Differentiate between a backlog item and an idea - It's ok to have a notebook, Figma, mural, whatever, where you collect all ideas and requests. However, the backlog should only contain items you aim to work on FOR REAL within the next 1-3 quarters. 2) Set a hard limit of tickets - In my experience, only the top 20-30 tickets will actually have any chance to ever be closed as completed. There are too many new directions, opportunities, and urgent tasks coming in overriding the priority of tasks further in the backlog. Just close the items that will never happen or at least move them to your ideas space. 3) Don't make it a BUGlog - bugs are tasks like all others. They need value and effort estimation and have to be prioritized against any other product opportunity. If they don't make the cut, they don't make the cut, sorry. No point collecting bugs - they are not Pokemon! 4) Keep the tickets high quality - However, if there is something in your backlog, let it shine! Make sure to include the user story, impact hypothesis, requirements, and links to design and tracking specifications. The tickets should be able to speak for you when you are not around. 5) Try to have 3 months' worth of refined items ready to go - It might be hard (try daily refinements!) to achieve and it's worth it! With items ready for the next 3 months for the team can pick up, you will have so much time to do proper long time planning and assessment. It's worth the initial effort! 6) Introduce visual cues - It's much easier to look at the backlog if you can easily tell apart a new feature task, improvement initiatives, bugs, and research. If you add other color cues to represent item status, you will be able to tell everything at a glance. 7) Add key stakeholders to their tickets of interest - A personal update email may work. Automated status updates work too and keep relevant people in the loop with no time investment on your end! 8) Create a task document associated with a backlog item - This is basically an extended version of the ticket, where you can collect all the pre-development research and post-development results and observations. Collecting this info in one place saves you hours when it comes to writing progress updates and presentations. At the same time, your tickets remain clean and hold only the relevant information. There you go! Here are my 8 ways to keep the backlog neat and functional. Will those work for your backlog and if not, why? Or perhaps you can contribute more pieces of advice? Sound off in the comments! #productmanagment #productmanagers #backlog P.S. Having a clean backlog is one thing. Having great tasks to put there is another challenge every Product Manager faces. To be well equipped to face that challenge, check out my courses at drtbartpm. com :)

🧠 Product Ownership Isn't Just a Role—It's a Discipline. A takeaway that really landed with me during Sumeet’ class. If you're not actively managing your Product Backlog, you're not leading your product. 📌 Product Backlog Management is not about maintaining a feature list—it's about making strategic product decisions constantly. It's one of the most underrated yet powerful skills a Product Owner must master. 🎯 A well-managed backlog helps the Scrum Team: ✅ Deliver the correct value at the right time ✅ Reduce ambiguity and rework ✅ Align around a shared Product Goal ✅ Increase transparency for stakeholders ✅ Focus effort on outcomes, not outputs But when backlog management is neglected… ❌ Teams get buried under bloated wish lists ❌ Stakeholders lose trust ❌ Developers waste time refining items no one wants ❌ The product loses direction 🔍 Here's what excellent Product Backlog Management looks like: 🧭 It starts with the Product Goal → Clear, outcome-driven, measurable goals that guide the team toward the vision. 🚫 It includes knowing what not to build → A lean backlog requires ruthless prioritization and the courage to say no—with empathy. 📈 It's ordered by value → Not all bugs deserve fixing. Not all features deserve building. Prioritize by impact. 🧩 It's continuously refined → Break down large items. Add clarity as you learn. Refine collaboratively with the team. 📐 It enables sizing → Empower Developers to estimate using what works best—story points, t-shirt sizing, or right-sizing for one Sprint. 🧠 It's a team sport → Collaborate with stakeholders and Developers. Transparency and feedback shape the best backlog. 📌 Product Owner doesn't just collect requests. They shape strategy through the backlog—one decision at a time. The backlog isn't a to-do list. It's a map of how you'll deliver value—iteratively, transparently, and intentionally. #Scrum #ReTHINKscrum #ProductOwnership #BacklogManagement Agilemania Agilemania Malaysia

Teams: Don’t Do Everything in the Backlog A backlog isn’t a to-do list, and it’s definitely not a job queue. Sure, backlogs and queues both involve lists of work items, but their purposes are different. What Is a Backlog? A backlog is a dynamic, prioritized list of potential work. It represents what might be done, helping teams focus on the most impactful items. The keyword is "might." A backlog isn’t a commitment to do everything. It’s a decision-making tool designed to maximize value. Think of it as a list of future conversation about potential investments. This aligns with Agile Principle #1: “Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.” A backlog isn’t about doing it all; it’s about delivering what matters most. A Backlog Isn't a Queue Unlike a backlog, a queue is a fixed sequence of tasks, processed in a predefined order (often FIFO). Queues assume all items are equal, and the focus is on throughput (getting tasks done quickly). Backlogs, in contrast, prioritize value. They’re actively managed by a PO (or similar role) to align with strategic goals. This reflects Agile Principle #10: “Simplicity - the art of maximizing the amount of work not done - is essential.” Don't Treat a Backlog Like a Queue Treating a backlog as a queue misses its purpose entirely. Not everything is valuable: Some items lose relevance or become less important compared to new opportunities. Last month's great idea might have no value today. Some backlog items have just always been bad ideas. Time spent on low-value work is time not spent on what could deliver greater impact. A queue mindset dilutes focus, pushing teams to clear older items instead of tackling what matters (which may be new, old, or somewhere in-between). Focusing on value aligns with Agile Principle #8: “Agile processes promote sustainable development.” Clearing a backlog like a to-do list creates unnecessary waste and pressure. Backlogs Thrive on Adaptability Backlogs embrace change. Items are added, refined, reprioritized, or removed as priorities evolve. Queues are rigid. They assume fixed order and equal importance. This flexibility supports Agile Principle #2: “Welcome changing requirements, even late in development.” A backlog helps teams respond to change so they deliver the highest value. Manage Your Backlog Effectively Regularly evaluate and (re)prioritize items based on their impact and business value. Regularly remove low-priority or outdated items that no longer align with goals. The degree of refinement should reflect each item's relative priority. Communicate clearly. Help stakeholders understand a backlog isn’t a promise or a guarantee. It’s a planning tool. It’s Not About Doing More If something’s not in the backlog, it won’t get done. But just because it’s in the backlog doesn’t mean it should - or will - be worked on. That’s the point. Don’t aim to clear the backlog. Aim to maximize value.