azure-devopsazure-devops-extensionsbacklog

In Azure DevOps, need to view and prioritize Features, Product Backlog Items and Bugs in one list in relation to each other

In Azure DevOps, need to view and prioritize Features, Product Backlog Items and Bugs in one list in relation to each other.

So in Azure DevOps -> Boards -> Backlogs -> parents: Off -> you have to select a top level filter first (Testing, Top level, Epics, Features, Backlog items). Works nicely: -Select Features, prioritize Features starting from most important -Select Backlog items, prioritize items/bugs starting from most important

The problem: The development team needs a list that has both Features, Items and Bugs in one prioritized list so that they can check what out of all those they can do in the next sprint. So it means, a bug X can be more important than a Feature Y. They should not take only Features, but also not take only items or bugs. It needs to be a combination, a prioritized one.

Requirements: Backlog provides the possibility to drag&drop features/items/bugs so that their priority changes. This drag&drop needs to be possible in the suggested solution. Not a custom field/tag where you have to manually remember to update numbers. We have far too many items for manual management.

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Solution

  • You can workaround the issue by creating a custom work item type and customize backlogs.

    Steps:

    1. Create an inherited process.

      Select Organization settings > Select Process > ... (More actions) > Create inherited process. Choose the process that was used to create the project. For example, I created a new Scrum process here. new process

    2. Add a work item type named New Feature. You can disable the default Feature and let the users use the new one.

      new feature

    3. Edit the Backlog items backlog level to add the New Feature to it.

      add new feature to Backlog items

    4. Now, you can view and prioritize New Features, Product Backlog Items and Bugs in one list.

      view and prioritize New Features, Product Backlog Items and Bugs in one list

    The reason to create a new custom work item type is that we cannot change the backlog level of inherited default work item types. So, the default Feature work item cannot be added to the Backlog items backlog level.

    feature