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¶ Sprint Breakdown
¶ What it is
Sprints are the most critical units in scrum management to evaluate and accept periodical deliveries. The project backlog is also clear with the decision made on the project scope. The next question is how to break down the backlog into sprints with the correct number of tickets and proper sequence.
¶ Why it is useful
Sprints breaking down helps the project manager create the project timeline and plan the needed resources to deliver successfully. It also could show the potential risk and dependencies inside/outside the project. The output of the sprint breakdown is used as high-level proof to justify the product roadmap to be communicated with the team and stakeholders.
¶ When to use it
The breakdown usually happens during the project planning phase. The breakdown itself can be rough at the beginning. As the project goes on, things might change. It is the nature of Agile to welcome any changes in the plan or even scope during iterations.
¶ How is it done
1. Group and prioritise by modules
- Group the relevant features/modules for higher production efficiency.
2. Set the sprint budget & estimate efforts.
- Understand the team capacity and set the sprint budget. Roughly estimate the needed efforts of each module.
3. Sort out dependencies
- This also helps decide the sequence of production.
4. Double-check with the initial product roadmap.
- Make sure the milestones and checkpoints can be fulfilled with the sprint breakdown.
¶ Do's & Don't
Do's
- Reserve 20% buffer time for each sprint to respond to non-planned events.
- Think about Plan B for dependencies.
Don't
- Don’t be too optimistic about dependency due dates. Leave space between dependencies.
¶ Tools needed
- Jiraor similar
¶ Example
