The Sprint Backlog should be visible through a Taskboard that is placed in the Development Environment. Scrum Team members should update the Taskboard continuously throughout the Sprint. Updating Effort Estimates can be done during or prior to the Daily Scrum. The Tasks are moved around the Taskboard throughout the day as Product Development progresses. A Taskboard should have the following elements:
- To Do: Place for all Tasks that are not in the “Done” or “In Progress” columns.
- In Progress: The Tasks that the Scrum Team are currently working on.
- Accept: The Tasks that are awaiting acceptance from the Product Owner
- Done: The Requirements that have been accepted
To Do Column
Firstly, the highest priority requirements that have not yet been developed are placed in an ordered list in the ‘To Do’ column. As the developers complete their current task, they can then take a new task from the top of this column. In the event that more than one developer selects the task, they may choose to conduct paired development on the task. They may also choose for one developer to shadow a second developer, or they may decide on an individual who is best placed to conduct the task.
In Progress Column
Tasks that are in the ‘In Progress’ column are the tasks that the development team is currently working on. These tasks are the highest priority, and there is also a limit to the number of tasks in this column. A cross-functional team should have only one or two user stories within this column. Where multiple tasks are being worked on, then there are risks of incomplete tasks at the end of the sprint.
Accept Column
Once the development team has completed a task, they move it into the ‘Accept’ column. User stories within this column require the Product Owner to review them. After being reviewed the Product Owner will either accept the user story or will reject it. If they reject the story then they will provide feedback to the development team on any issues observed. For the rejected user stories, the task will then go back into the ‘In Progress’ column if there is sufficient time left in the sprint. However, if there is not enough time, the task will be put back into the Product Backlog for re-prioritizing.
Done Column
The user stories that the Product Owner accepts are moved from the ‘Accept’ column to the ‘Done’ column. The Product Owner is the only person that can move a user story into this column. They should only move items once they have fully reviewed the user story and are happy that all of the requirements are complete.
Development Team Taskboard
Having the Taskboard in sight of the Development Team ensures that the whole team knows the current status of all Tasks. This is including what is done, what is in progress and what Tasks still remain to be done.
Our Favourite Agile Books
