Tracking rank

[Mike Lyons]

We are just getting started with GreenHopper. In Sprint Planning we start with a nice backlog that has been prioritized by our product owner. During the meeting we work as a team to move items from the backlog to the sprint. I have run into two problems and wanted to know if anyone had a solution.

1) When I move an item from the backlog to the sprint I cannot compare the original ranks of each item. So if item A and item B both were added to the sprint, I would like to see that the product owner originally ranked item B higher than item A.

2) A related problem happens when we want to move an item from the sprint backlog back into the full product backlog during the planning meeting. This happens when we are working and find that there is not enough room for this item in the sprint that we are planning. I need a way of seeing the rank that was originally assigned by the product owner so that I can put it back in the correct position in the backlog.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Mike

[Renjith Pillai · Accepted solution]

Hmm. How about using two Ranks? Create another custom field of type Global Rank and create a board which is sorted based on that.

And for sprint planning work on the second rank. The orginal board should remain untouched as it's ranking is based on the existing Rank field.

[Mike Lyons]

That is what we have been playing with since I posted the question. I hate to have my product manager duplicate work but it looks like there is no other option at this time.

Thanks,

Mike

[Renjith Pillai]

Going back one step. Isn't it that you do ranking first and then drag the sprint marker for planning the sprint? And the sprint marker shows the total of the estimates so that you know the capacity planning. Does that help?

[Mike Lyons]

Renjith,

We do the ranking before the sprint planning. The problem is during the sprint planning when we are dragging an item from the backlog to a sprint and then change our minds. We lose track of the original rank. In addition when I do drag an two items into a sprint during planning, I don't have a way to see the original rank from the backlog so that I know which of the two items is more important to the product owner.

Thanks,

Mike