Add another status to the Kanban Backlog

[Mitch Kent]

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.

[L]

+1

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).

[L]

This is what we mean:

[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]

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]

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.

[Zachary Jones]

I hope to bring more light to this question.  We'd like to have the same thing.  I had hoped to solve it by putting 3 statuses in the 'kanban backlog' section of the board config.  I thought this might create a 3rd-horizontal-section on the backlog, with the name of the status, in the order it appeared in the 'kanban backlog' config.

[Jack Brickey]

@Zachary Jones, that is not an option in the backlog. There are other solutions discussed in other threads so you might want to search a bit. For example some people create a different Kanban for their “deep backlog”. They use that board as a first filter moving stuff ready to be considered for dev to the other board.

[Mudit Agarwal]

I also need this, is there any solution to it?

[victoria ricci]

I need this as well. It is something JIRA should really consider enhancing

[Eric_Forget]

I need it as well...

[John Fliczuk]

I want it too

[Deleted user]

agreed. We use rank for priority. This model is basically maintaining that priority through statuses in a single vertical page. it is in a way the same as kanban with columns, only visualized in a much more streamlined way. I am trying to build this too.

[Bodavo]

We would need this as well! The problem with the regular board is, for example, that when you move one story with visible subtasks to another column, then the subtasks remain there. However, in the backlog you have the possibility to move a story with all its subtask to another status.

[John Corfield]

We would like this feature as well.  We would want status sections in both the kanban and scrum backlogs represented in the order from top to bottom that we assigned the statuses in the columns config.

[Rémi Lamotte]

Same problem here.

It's hard to priorize a big number of tasks in the Kanban View because of the size of each element. Backlog view is much better when we need to see a huge number of tasks.

In our case, we have 4 status "Open, Qualified, In Conception, Ready to Dev" and we need to priorize these 4 tasks groups and their tasks. It would be very nice to have a "custom backlog view" with as much group of tasks as necessary (and to be able to also see them in kanban in the same order) 

[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]

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:

1. Add a label for every issue when first created, e.g. "refine" 
2. 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)
3. Keep all "refine" issues ranked at the bottom of backlog
4. When an issue has been 'refined' remove the label and rank the issue w/in the 'refined' issue list
5. 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]

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.

[Eric_Forget]

oh gosh Jira is so painfull ....

[Rodrigo de Medeiros Gianotto]

Is there any issue to vote on? 

Sometimes it is easy to view items in the backlog view, that is the point. 

[Ed Campbell]

No idea why this isn't a thing yet. You can do this with SCRUM boards by creating multiple sprints and dropping the issues into the corresponding areas. Why on earth is this functionality not extrapolated for Kanbans. I have three different statuses that do not need to be appearing on the board yet, but I do want to arrange them in the backlog view.

[Justina Schiroo]

We'd really like this feature. I know may not be considered "pure" kanban, but it's how we want to work.

We have a huge backlog, and we'd like to keep our "future work" separated from what we're considering doing next in a way that is easier to do than just moving individual stories up and down in the backlog itself. Sort of like "on deck" work, as opposed to future - it still needs some details/grooming, but it's the basic idea of what the devs want to do next.

[Lawrence Sarkar]

I'd also really like to see this feature implemented. I believe it adds value for teams that are implementing a hybrid Kanban / Scrum workflow, and also for breaking down large backlogs

Given the popularity of this request, it would be good to see this on the Atlassian roadmap and scheduled for a future release :)

[Riya Sharma]

I would like to see more than just the "backlog" in the backlog as well.  It is strange that it shows one other status and that cannot be removed. 

[Lisa Singh]

Just want to add to the numbers - we would find this super useful as well. We have the same issue.