In user story scope management, clarity in requirements definition and prioritization are essential.
Sergio Vergara
Sergio Vergara
May 28, 2024 — 7 minutes reading time
Acceptance Criteria and MoSCoW methodology for scope management in User Stories
Photo by @sebastien_bonneval on Unsplash
Unfortunately, I have seen many projects and people underestimate effective anhui mobile numbers list the importance of requirements definition and short- and long-term scope management of big ideas, even though these are the most important phases in software development. There are many systems to carry out requirements definition, some simpler like User Stories and others with acceptance criteria with Gherkin syntax that could be more complete, but the most important thing is that any Agile framework like these, fosters a common understanding in the team and is the core of quality control. In this article I will explain what they are and what technique can be useful to effectively control the scope of a User Story with the MoSCoW method for your projects.
How does Agile define requirements?
Before getting to the main point, I need to explain some basic Agile concepts.
Product Backlog
A Product Backlog is a central artifact that consolidates all information related to a product, such as requirements, estimation, communication, progress status, etc. In waterfall management , it is called a ticket, issue, or task. A Product Backlog consists of four layers of hierarchy: Theme, Epic, User Story, and Task.
The theme represents a long-term product strategy spanning several months or years.
Epic has enormous value, impacts business investment, and requires more than a Sprint over several months.
User Story is the small value that must be delivered in each Sprint.
Task is a breakdown of the User Story that can be completed in a few days.
User Story
A User Story should have three essential elements to clarify the requirements: a User Story (sentence), Acceptance Criteria, and a visual image. A User Story (sentence) describes what users want to achieve through a product with who, what, and why. An example is shown below.
As a user (who), I want to log in to the platform with the email address and password (what) so that I can use the platform securely (why).
Visual images can be sketches, prototypes, or sophisticated designs that support common understanding and stimulate conversation. Since user stories and acceptance criteria are text-based expressions, visual images help people imagine how the software should behave.