Product Backlog - Dependences

Carlos,

How is the Product Owner determining business value in their backlog? Is allowing an impediment to prevent delivery of any work a "valuable" strategy?

On another note, it seems if the Development Team in question was fully cross-functional, they would not be dependent on another team. Most likely, the PBIs are designed incorrectly, since they reflect a component/specialization view, instead of an e-2-e view.

What effect do you think it would have if your team's Definition of Ready included a criterion stating that every story must be independent?

Timothy,

I got it what you told, but, I think we are talking about different stuff.

The team is cross-functional and the product backlog is based on features (end-to-end view, as you said).

BUT, let's suppose the PO have 4 items, ordered by business value:

Item A: Value: 500
Item C: Value: 400
Item D: Value: 300
Item B: Value: 200

However, the item C is dependent of external component, like a report generator (let's suppose that a business decision was made about buy rather than make the component). This component will be delivered just 3 months from now.

My question is: Should the Product Owner re-order the product backlog? Like this...
Item A: Value: 500
Item D: Value: 300
Item B: Value: 200
Item C: Value: 400

See, the business values keep the same! But the order was changed.

OR, should the PO keep the original product backlog's order?

regards,

Calors

The ordering of the Product Backlog is a key mechanism for reducing and eliminating dependencies.

Does this change your answer?

I got it.

Let's re-order the backlog! Thanks Ian and Timothy!

Was the above answer to re order the backlog to maximize  utilization correct? 

Do you think it is? If yes, why? If not, why?

Sometimes an impediment appears that cant be solved by the development team, like when an external supplier will be late for delivery. I think in this situation the re-ordering of the backlog is necessary to maximize the flow of value

The Answer (1): Re-order the Product Backlog to maximize utilization of the Development Team sound good to me up to the part that this should happen because of the utilization of the Development Team.

So the Answer (2): Nothing. His primary concern is the flow of value reflected in the ordering of the Product Backlog. Timeline of the flow might be influenced by such dependencies but doesn't necessarily change the ordering. Sound also good for me apart from the part that the backlog ordering is necessarily changed.

If i hadto choose i would go with answer 2, because it implies that an impediment can but doest doesn't necessarily have to change the ordering.

What are your thoughts about it?

The dependency could be external. E.g. the dev team wants to integrate its product to say, a 3rd party system and the integration is yet to be developed by the 3rd party. Obviously, the dev team won't work on creating the integration by themselves (think proprietary issues). In such cases, the PO would re-write, re-order the PB so the independent items can be worked upon while the 3rd party develops the integration. However, the PO would cite this dependency in the PB (maybe by creating an PB item just before the integration PB item).

The first option doesn't seem right to me as the goal is to optimize the value of the product and not the output of the dev team.

My view is that given that value maximization is key for the PO so keeping the Scrum value of Focus in context,  "2) Nothing. His primary concern is the flow of value reflected in the ordering of the Product Backlog. Timeline of the flow might be influenced by such dependencies but doesn't necessarily change the ordering." seems to be the right approach. The Dev team being cross-functional should resolve this impediment with the Scrum Master's support (if needed). 

Thoughts?

Does dependency affect how PO reorders? Y or N 

Does dependency affect how PO reorders? My view is a Yes.

The reordering of the Product Backlog can be influenced by dependencies. Scrum Guide says PO primary focus is maximizing value, however in my opinion, the PO should also consider re-ordering the Product Backlog to maximize the value delivered during each Sprint as work progresses and insights emerges.

The emerging insights cum impediments can lead to the PBI reordering irrespective of the value while every change to the ordering of the Product Backlog might automatically change how that value is perceived.