Skip to main content

How to manage impediments in Sprint Backlog?

Last post 11:28 pm March 7, 2022 by Daniel Wilhite
6 replies
01:08 pm March 4, 2022

Hi,

I am bit confused of managing impediments in Sprint Backlog. Mainly it is about impediments that can not be resolved in short time (during the current running Sprint) and prevent product backlog item in the Sprint Backlog to be completed. Should those items must  removed from current Sprint Backlog and put back to the Product Backlog? Or what is the preferred way on working with these items?

Thank you

 

 


06:34 pm March 4, 2022

What impact do these impediments have upon the Sprint Goal?


07:24 pm March 4, 2022

There is no "preferred way" unless your organization chosen one.  

Many of us have had good experience with handling uncompleted items in the Sprint Backlog by discussing them, putting them into the Product Backlog, providing updated information/estimates and then pulling them into a future Sprint.   Others choose to roll them into the next Sprint.  Still others will choose to split the item into "completed" work and work left to be done. 

In the end, it is all a matter that your organization must deal with.  Ideally, each team will decide how to deal with the situation since they are self-managed, self-organized. 

I will end with stating that @Ian's question is the basis of how I help my teams determine how they would like to handle the situation, since the goal of a Sprint is to satisfy the Sprint Goal. 


05:57 am March 5, 2022

Hello,

Thank you for your comments. It does not have much impact up on Sprint Goal.

Daniel your approach was helpful for me.

Thank you


08:47 am March 7, 2022

Agreed with @Daniel. However impediments size, dependency on others, feasibility also needs to be considered. So to help Team as a SM , a SM needs to help team to include impediments into PB, analyse all the prospects, help the team to remove impediments. as even self organizing team needs SM to resolve organizational impediments and few team level impediments.

Below link can give a better insight on impediments handling -

Getting to Done: Tackling Impediments | Scrum.org

ProjectManagement.com - Impediment Logs in Scrum


10:28 am March 7, 2022

Thank you Jaya Agnihotri!


11:28 pm March 7, 2022

I just re-read my comment and realized I missed one point.

I can't believe that I didn't state that in addition to it being something your organization and each team needs to decide, I always advocate that there should not be a "standard".  I encourage that each time this situation arises, it should be viewed as unique.  There are times that I've had teams do all of the processes I mentioned depending on the situation. So, don't come up with a "standard process".  Use the empirical nature of Scrum to make the most appropriate assessment of the situation and arrive at the most appropriate solution. 


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.