Azure Boards: Work Item Types
Azure Boards is a service for managing work across your teams. It provides a flexible set of tools, including work item tracking, to plan, track, and discuss work across your software development projects. Understanding different work item types is crucial for effective agile planning and execution.
Standard Work Item Types
Epic
Represents a large body of work that can be broken down into a set of features. Epics span multiple sprints and often represent strategic initiatives or significant product releases.
Key Characteristics:
- High-level planning item.
- Decomposes into Features.
- Long-term objective.
Feature
Represents a service or a distinct piece of functionality that delivers business value. Features are typically delivered within a few sprints and are the building blocks for larger initiatives (Epics).
Key Characteristics:
- Major functional area.
- Decomposes into User Stories or Product Backlog Items.
- Delivers measurable value.
User Story
Represents a requirement from an end-user perspective, often phrased as "As a [type of user], I want [some goal] so that [some reason]". User Stories are the primary unit of work in many agile methodologies.
Key Characteristics:
- Describes user needs.
- Small, deliverable increment.
- Decomposes into Tasks.
Bug
Represents a defect or issue found in the product. Bugs are tracked to ensure they are resolved and do not impact user experience or system functionality.
Key Characteristics:
- Identifies a defect.
- Can be prioritized and assigned.
- Often linked to User Stories or Features.
Task
Represents a specific piece of work required to complete a User Story or Bug. Tasks are typically assigned to individual team members and tracked for progress within a sprint.
Key Characteristics:
- Actionable unit of work.
- Tracked with effort (e.g., hours).
- Belongs to a User Story or Bug.
Customizing Work Item Types
Azure Boards allows you to customize these standard work item types or create your own to perfectly match your team's workflow and development processes. You can add custom fields, states, rules, and even create entirely new work item types to represent unique aspects of your project.
Common customization scenarios include:
- Adding fields for priority, severity, or specific technical details.
- Defining custom states to represent your unique workflow (e.g., "In Review", "Blocked").
- Creating new work item types for things like "Test Case", "Risk", or "Opportunity".
Best Practices
Hierarchical Structure
Utilize the hierarchical relationships (Epic > Feature > User Story > Task) to maintain a clear overview of your project from high-level strategy down to individual task execution. This hierarchy aids in planning, progress tracking, and reporting.
Clear Definitions
Ensure your team has a clear and agreed-upon definition of "Ready" and "Done" for each work item type. This reduces ambiguity and ensures consistent quality.
Appropriate Granularity
Break down work into appropriately sized chunks. User Stories should be small enough to be completed within a sprint, and Tasks should be manageable for a single developer within a day or two.
Consistent Usage
Encourage consistent use of work item types across the team and across projects within your organization to facilitate reporting and cross-team collaboration.