Best Ways to Split User Stories for Efficient Product Backlog Refinement

Stories are the end-users descriptions of software systems' functions and are, therefore, a crucial part of the software development process. It verbalizes how much benefit the feature adds to the whole system. Requirements, acceptance criteria, priorities, and clients' wants are all condensed into little tidbits of information. 

Epic, task, and user stories are often misunderstood. Now that we have defined user stories, we can evaluate their differences. User tales are grouped into epics, which may contain many user stories. In contrast, the job is any action that must be taken to finish a user story.

In Agile, we frequently hear the advice to break up a single user story into multiple smaller ones. Many people have inquiries like "what does user story mean" when this occurs. Go for the best Agile certifications and improve your Agile learning.

What is User Story? 

A user story is the concise representation of a functional or technical requirement of a system. Writing appropriate user stories forms a strong base for achieving the sprint goals successfully and progressing towards the product vision eventually. This article provides information about user stories example, splitting, methods of splitting, benefits, etc.

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The attributes of a well-formed user story go by the acronym INVEST, which was coined by Bill Wake in his book "Extreme Programming":
Independent - Each story should be atomic and not dependent on any other stories

Negotiable - Should have scope to allow negotiation between the scrum team and business team on the grounds of technical , functional  and budget constraints and modify itself accordingly
Valuable - Must deliver some value to the stakeholders. If it is a functional user story, then there should be provide some business value , whereas technical user story should focus on architectural and non functional improvements.
Estimable - The team should be able to arrive at a fair estimation for implementing the user story in terms of story points. 
Small - Should be small enough to plan and implement within a sprint
Testable - Should have clear acceptance criteria, which gives the team all the necessary information to test every possible flow.

Product Backlog

Product Backlog is an essential artifact of Scrum Framework. It comprises a list of items (referred to as PBI) that are planned to be implemented in the future. PBIs are generally in the form of User Stories.

Product Backlog Refinement

Product owners have to maintain a healthy backlog by frequently grooming the user stories in it. In the grooming sessions (Product Backlog Refinement), PO discusses with the team and work on improvising the poorly written user stories, breaking down the large user stories into manageable size, adding more clarity to the acceptance criteria , prioritizing the user stories and estimating them.
As a Scrum Master, we should guide the team and PO in this backlog refinement activity by aiding them with the best practices in writing user stories of right size and prioritization.

Ways to Split User Stories for Efficient Product  

Here we have mentioned some techniques to split user stories:  

Epic Splitting 

Epics are prominent user stories that are too big to be finished in a single sprint. By breaking down an epic into smaller, more manageable chunks, teams can work on them in parallel and deliver them incrementally. This approach allows for faster value delivery to the end user and makes prioritizing and managing the work easier. 

Feature Splitting 

This splitting user stories technique involves breaking down user stories into smaller stories focusing on specific features or functionality. This allows teams to work on different features simultaneously and deliver them independently. This approach is practical when multiple features must be developed and delivered within a single sprint. 

Component Splitting

This approach involves breaking down user stories into smaller stories that focus on specific components or modules of the Product. This allows teams to work on different components simultaneously and deliver them independently. Component splitting is practical when multiple components must be developed and delivered within a single sprint. 

Layer Splitting

This approach involves dividing user stories into smaller stories that focus on specific layers of the Product, such as the user interface, business logic, and data persistence. This allows teams to work on different layers simultaneously and deliver them independently. This approach is practical when multiple layers must be developed and delivered within a single sprint. 

User Role Splitting 

This approach divides user stories into smaller stories focusing on specific user roles or personas. This allows teams to work on different user roles and deliver them independently simultaneously. This approach is functional when multiple user roles need to be developed and delivered within a single sprint. 

Acceptance Criteria Splitting 

This approach involves breaking down user stories into smaller stories focusing on specific acceptance criteria or test cases. This allows teams to work on different acceptance criteria and deliver them independently simultaneously. This approach is practical when multiple acceptance criteria must be developed and delivered within a single sprint. 

Techniques of Splitting User Stories

There are several techniques used for splitting user stories. The more practical ones are listed below: 

1. Split by Capabilities Offered 

This is one of the most effective techniques for splitting user stories. It's not uncommon for developers to write highly lengthy user stories encompassing a wide range of features. Once the team knows this, they may divide each capacity into its tale. Then, if additional simplification is required, they can be divided further. 

2. Split by User Roles

This method of separating user stories has the potential to be one of the most straightforward approaches to doing so. It is clear that when roles break down the user stories, one user narrative takes up the lion's share of the work, while the rest require minor adjustments. 

3. Split by User Personas

Needs can vary by the types of users interacting with the program or application and how they will use it. Furthermore, these variations can inspire user stories that lead to simple yet effective solutions. The production and division of stories rely heavily on human participation based on user personas. 

4. Split by Target Device

Users can access and interact with a system from various platforms, including personal computers, tablets, and mobile phones; as a result, the app must be customized for each platform. Splitting stories this way is another technique Agile teams use to boost quality for end users. 

Benefits of Splitting a Story

1. Easy to Understand and Groom 

Teams can work on user stories concurrently and deliver them incrementally by breaking them down into smaller, more manageable portions. As a result, value can be delivered to the end user more quickly, user needs can be better understood, and development can be more specifically catered to user demands. Additionally, because teams can concentrate on a single little piece of the puzzle at a time, it makes it simpler to prioritize and manage the work. 

2. Leads to Accurate Estimation

One of the advantages of splitting user stories techniques is that it promotes more precise estimating. Teams can better predict how much time and materials will be needed to complete tasks when those tasks are broken down into smaller, more achievable stories.

As a result, teams may more precisely assign resources and set reasonable deadlines, resulting in improved overall project planning and management. More tiny tales are also simpler and need fewer resources, making it simpler to make any changes to the plan. A precise estimate of the work also aids in finishing the project on schedule and within budget. 

3. Results on Quicker Implementation

Splitting user stories techniques are more likely to be implemented rapidly if they are broken up into smaller, more manageable pieces that can be supplied with incredible speed and efficiency. This results in a better user-focused final product that can be delivered to customers more quickly. 

4. Aids Through Testing

The ability to test and validate individual functionality is facilitated by breaking down user stories into smaller chunks, leading to a higher quality final product, fewer faults, and more user satisfaction.

Methods of User Story Splitting 

A user story can be split:
Horizontally - through architectural tiers as one layer at a time
Vertically - as functional pieces across all the layers at a time. The horizontal layers split accordingly can be further divided as tasks.
A common metaphor used to differentiate both these methods is cutting a cake layer by layer ( horizontal) and portion by portion of all the layers (vertical). Only by tasting a portion of all the layers would one be able to feel the essence of the entire cake.
The same is the case with story splitting. Vertical (Functional) splitting is more valuable than horizontal one.

Advantages of Vertical Splitting

• Dependencies and risks could be identified at an earlier stage
• Nice to have features that can be segregated and deferred for later sprints
• Considerable progress can be seen on the functional part every day, whereas, in horizontal slicing, no benefits are seen until all related stories are complete
• This leads to quicker testing and a faster feedback loop - horizontally, need to wait until all the dependent stories are done 
• Helps to prioritize based on the incremental value

Techniques for Splitting Stories Vertically

User stories can be split vertically based on the following patterns:

Generic Terms

If an user story has more generic terms, then there is a possibility to split it vertically. 
For eg: As a library member, I want to search the availability of various kinds of books for children and share it with my network.

Here, "various kinds" , "share it" are more generic terms. They provide a way to split the story incrementally as below :

* Develop a UI that displays all the book categories when a registered library member login
* Provide a search functionality to the member, where in results are also categorized, such as "fiction for kids under 10", "fiction for kids 11-15," and so on
* Enable to users to share the result via email, whatsapp etc

Connectors

If the user story is represented using a compound sentence, then it is obvious that it can be split vertically. In such cases, look out for conjunctions in the user story like "and, or, as well as, when, if" and split it based on these connecting words or conjunctions like : and, or, if, when, but, as well as.

Acceptance Criteria 

Read out the acceptance criteria; if it is too complex and some parts of it can be pulled out and developed as an independent user story, follow the same.
Eg:  As a senior associate  of the organization, I want to register for the in house training programs so that I can attend the trainings and upskill myself.

Acceptance Criteria:  All the senior associates must be informed about the training programs through mail. Senior associates should be able to submit their details through a form for registration. Mail confirmation must be sent on successful registration. In the above scenario, each of the criteria can be designated as a separate user story.

Workflow Steps: Identify the workflows that connect different roles for a specific function, and if they can be completed independently, split them as a separate user story.

Eg: For an assignment approval system in a school, the following can be the possible user stories
       As a student, I should be able to submit my assignments to the teacher for grading 
       As a teacher , I should be able to view the assignments submitted by the students
       As a teacher, I should have the UI to request for more clarifications

Apart from the above, below are the other patterns based on which user stories can be split vertically:

• Operations - Create, Read, Update, Delete operations required for a functionality
• Business Rules deviations
• Variations in Data given as input to the system
• Variations in User Interface
• Spikes - If there are many unknowns in a user story and it requires research to uncover the grey areas, then create spikes to get the insights of the user story. Based on the spike's outcome, we can proceed with the implementation of actual user story.

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Best Practices for Story Splitting

When dividing a story, it is essential to keep these guidelines in mind:

1. One should begin with a firm grasp of the primary plot aspects and the novel's arc. Use this to break the story up into manageable chunks. 
2. When deciding how to divide the plot, keep the tempo in mind. Create a beginning, middle, and end for each segment. 
3. Using cliffhangers is a great way to build suspense and interest. This can keep the reader interested and eager to continue reading. 
4. Imagine the characters' internal development throughout the story. The adventure should progress in stages, and each chapter should advance the protagonists to the next stage. 
5. Add complexity and depth to your story by including subplots and supporting characters. Including them in your story can make it more exciting and complete. 
6. Pay attention to how long you make each paragraph. Keep the total length reasonable; some parts may be shorter or longer than others. 
7. Once you have broken up the story, go back and edit it. This will aid in making sure the plot is consistent and enjoyable throughout. 

Conclusion 

Effective product development is breaking user stories into smaller and more manageable portions. User stories can be divided using a variety of methods and strategies. Each splitting user stories technique has its advantages and can be applied in various circumstances. The secret is to select the best strategy for your project and team and make necessary adjustments.

Teams can work on smaller, more manageable chunks of work that can be delivered more quickly and efficiently by dividing user stories in this way. In the end, this results in improved product development and happier customers. CSM certification training will help you earn 16 PDUs and SEUs.