How to manage a suite of products (e.g., MS Office)
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.
- 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?
- At what point would a function/calculator not be a separate product, but simply a feature?
- Using a tool like Jira, how should we setup our board(s) to best accommodate this (i.e., one board, multiple boards)?
Thank you.
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.