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Add another status to the Kanban Backlog

Mitch Kent_f6apmn

Hi,

I have a project with a Kanban Backlog, which shows `Backlog` items, and `Selected for Development` items. These are both driven by the status of an issue.

We have a status that lives between backlog and selected for development. The project is for externals and we have a status called `Refinement` which is like a backlog item, but it has been populated with all the relevant information and is for the developers to review that it can be worked on, once this is agreed, we can move it into Selected.

Currently we can toggle a filter on/off for tickets in refinement status, however if we could have another sprint-like section between backlog and selected, this would be great. Anyone know if it is possible?

Image above has 2 sprint like sections, I am trying to add a 3rd that sits between the two.

Many thanks,

Mitch.

Accepted answers

All comments

Alexey Matveev

You should go to the Board Settings -> Columns and add a new column. Then you should map a status to the column. You can find more info here:

https://confluence.atlassian.com/agile064/jira-agile-user-s-guide/configuring-a-board/configuring-columns

Mitch Kent_53s1wa

Thanks Alexey,

I specifically want it to show in the backlog view, and not on our development board.

Thanks,

Mitch.

Alexey Matveev

Backlog does not have columns. It is backlog. You can not add columns to backlog.

Mitch Kent_f6apmn

Thanks again Alexey for taking the time to respond.

I'm not talking about columns, I know backlog doesn't have columns.

However, in Kanban backlog mode, you have the backlog with two sections that look a lot like sprints if you are using scrum mode.

These two "sprint-like" sections are driven from the 2 status types `Backlog` and `Selected for development`. I was wondering if it was possible to add a third sprint-like section in between, driven by a status preferably but other means would be fine.

I hope my request is a little more clear now.

Jack Brickey

@Mitch Kent, I did something a few years back that was similar to what you are speaking of however ultimately I found it too cumbersome.

Basically, I had a rather complex workflow with two main focuses and two boards. The first covered statuses that applied to the Product Management team and the second with Development. The PM team would guide the issues thru the assessment and requirements stage and then finally land them in Selected for Development (right most column). The Dev board began with this status so it was the Backlog. Then the Dev team would basically select from the Backlog and place into the sprint.

In summary you could easily use another status, label, custom field and use that to exclude issues into a refinement Backlog and manage with two boards. However, as Alexey conveyed, it can be done on a single board.

Mitch Kent_53s1wa

Thanks Jack,

What I'm trying to achieve could be done within a single board, hopefully, I was just trying to prevent things from showing up on our board if they are not yet "Ready".

In scrum previously this was achieved by creating a sprint or two back in the backlog, BA/PM/PO could put the tickets in those psuedo-sprints, and dev team would be refining those tickets prior to sprint start. I want to replicate this by having a backlog that we can see what tickets are candidates for "selected for development" but without polluting our kanban board.

The only way I know how is, as you point out, filtering based on status (or label/field) but it would be nice if there was a permanent visual way of displaying these in the backlog view.

Jack Brickey

In Kanban world (as it exists today) you are not going to be able to create another 'section' in the backlog. Scrum is obviously different and does allow you that level of planning by using multiple sprints in the backlog view.

With Kanban if you want it on a single board then you could simply use a label, something like this:

Add a label for every issue when first created, e.g. "refine"
Display labels on the cards in the backlog (this can get messy for sure if you use a lot of labels so you could consider a custom field)
Keep all "refine" issues ranked at the bottom of backlog
When an issue has been 'refined' remove the label and rank the issue w/in the 'refined' issue list
when ready move the issue to Selected for Development

Messy, and I wouldn't go there personally but that would be a single board solution. Personally, I would opt for two board solution unless my 'deep backlog' needs were few. My two board solution would actually be a status called NMI (need more info), exclude NMI from the Dev board and have the other board be only NMI. When i'm ready I transition an issue from NMI to ToDo.

Mitch Kent_53s1wa

Thanks Jack - it was a hopeful request, rather than an expectant one

I will likely do as you suggest, but with a quick filter based on status type in backlog view - this was always my backup plan. Alternatively I may create a column for it in our board so that it means we're aware of it, but I'll discuss that with my team first - it's still early days so we'll work it out as we go

Thanks again.

unknown

This would really help us organizing the pre-kanban organisational part. Our backlog is too big and we need more "sections" to organize things.

But maybe our current solution helps somebody:

Since you can have several boards we added a 2nd one:

one Kanban (called Development) => for the devs
one Scrum Board (called Management) => for the organizational people

Since in the SCRUM board it is possible to add several sections (they are normally sprints but who cares) we use this board to organize things. We have like 5-7 sections in there... And at a certain point in time we move a story to the (scrum) backlog and then it appears in the kanban backlog (which is thus the synchronization point between the two boards).

unknown

This is what we mean:

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