Skip to main content

How to manage a suite of products (e.g., MS Office)

Last post 06:01 pm March 23, 2018 by Ian Mitchell
1 reply
01:43 pm March 23, 2018

Newer to scrum...

We have an existing desktop software tool (let’s call it “SuiteX”) which is being redesigned to be web-based.

The software suite has 5 key functions (complex calculators) that produce separate outputs, but are tightly integrated in that they share data and some logic.  Our initial thinking is that each function/calculator will be treated as a separate product, kind of like MS Office having MS Word, PowerPoint, etc as separate products.

Roadmap-wise we’re planning to package the base platform and function/calculator #1 into Release #1 with multiple releases thereafter (each containing a new function/calculator) over the course of a couple years.

  1. Terminology-wise, we are referring to "SuiteX" as a product, with sub-products, but it seems clumsy. Is there a better way to refer to the suite and it's sub-products?
  2. At what point would a function/calculator not be a separate product, but simply a feature?
  3. Using a tool like Jira, how should we setup our board(s) to best accommodate this (i.e., one board, multiple boards)?

Thank you.


06:01 pm March 23, 2018

Generally speaking, a product would be independently releasable, would amount to a value stream in its own right, and would benefit from clear ownership in order to maximize that value.

It’s not unreasonable to have composite products and product backlogs, as long as the ownership of each component is clear.


By posting on our forums you are agreeing to our Terms of Use.

Please note that the first and last name from your Scrum.org member profile will be displayed next to any topic or comment you post on the forums. For privacy concerns, we cannot allow you to post email addresses. All user-submitted content on our Forums may be subject to deletion if it is found to be in violation of our Terms of Use. Scrum.org does not endorse user-submitted content or the content of links to any third-party websites.

Terms of Use

Scrum.org may, at its discretion, remove any post that it deems unsuitable for these forums. Unsuitable post content includes, but is not limited to, Scrum.org Professional-level assessment questions and answers, profanity, insults, racism or sexually explicit content. Using our forum as a platform for the marketing and solicitation of products or services is also prohibited. Forum members who post content deemed unsuitable by Scrum.org may have their access revoked at any time, without warning. Scrum.org may, but is not obliged to, monitor submissions.