What Happens in the Lab?
The lab guides teams through a structured agenda that includes:
Reviewing product vision, goal and known constraints
Identifying major themes and outcomes that align with the product goal
Break big rocks into actionable backlog items
Prioritizing work based on value, risk, and effort
Enriching items with acceptance criteria, dependencies, and research needs
Defining next steps for refinement and ongoing backlog maintenance
By the end of the session, teams walk away with a backlog that’s not only ready for delivery—but built with purpose and confidence.
Three Compelling Reasons to Sign Your Team Up
1. Accelerated Clarity and Alignment In just one session, your team will move from scattered ideas to a shared understanding of what needs to be built and why. This clarity reduces rework and sets the stage for focused delivery towards the defined Product Goal.
2. Expert Facilitation and Proven Tools Our facilitators bring deep experience and a toolkit of techniques—from Product Vision statement, prioritization, and sequencing and refined acceptance criteria —which help teams uncover value, manage risk, and make smart trade-offs.
3. Tailored for Real-World Teams Whether you're just starting out or emerging from a discovery phase, the lab adapts to your context. It’s especially powerful for cross-functional teams forming around a new product or initiative.
Real-World Impact: A Data Science Team’s Success Story
One of our clients brought their data science team in for a one-day Product Backlog Creation Lab. At the time, they had multiple competing streams of work on the go and needed clarity on how to move forward. Two months later, when we checked in, the results were clear:
The team was aligned to the work and focused on achieving their goal.
They were actively following the process they defined in the lab to maintain and refine their backlog.
This led to a greater shared understanding of the work, increased focus on priorities, and less time spent cherry-picking tasks.
They were even able to host their own refinement sessions, applying shared approaches for breaking down work, estimation, and prioritization.
This is exactly the kind of result the Product Backlog Creation Lab is designed to deliver.
Ready to build your backlog with purpose? Explore upcoming sessions at https://www.improving.com/training and give your team the clarity and confidence they need to deliver.
