Best practices for Agile project management

Azure DevOps Services | Azure DevOps Server | Azure DevOps Server 2022 | Azure DevOps Server 2020

This guide helps project managers get started with Azure Boards. It summarizes practical recommendations for configuring teams, planning work, and using Boards, Backlogs, Sprints, and Delivery Plans to deliver value predictably.

Most recommendations apply to both Azure DevOps Services (cloud) and Azure DevOps Server (on-premises). Some features—such as Rollup, Analytics, and some portfolio planning tools—are available only in the cloud.

Configure teams

Define a team for each delivery group that should work autonomously. Configure teams along value streams so each team can plan, track, and deliver independently while still rolling up to product-level plans.

Recommendations:

• Create a team per feature or delivery group (commonly 6–12 developers).
• Give each team its own area path and iteration cadence.
• Use team settings to assign default Area and Iteration paths so work items added by the team inherit correct context.

More information:

• Configure a hierarchy of teams
• Create or add a team

Configure sprints

Define iteration paths (sprints) at the project level, then assign teams to appropriate iterations. Keep a consistent sprint cadence across related teams where it helps coordination.

Recommendations:

• Choose a common cadence for teams that deliver together (1–4 weeks typical).
• Create at least six iterations to support planning for the next 3–6 months.
• Use iterations consistently for forecasting and sprint planning.

More information:

• Define and assign iteration paths
• Configure team iterations and sprints

Choose work item types

Pick the work item types that match how your teams plan and deliver work. Map project-level work (Features, Epics) to team-level work (User Stories, Issues, PBIs) and let teams break work into Tasks.

Recommendations:

• Use Feature to represent customer-facing deliverables.
• Use User Story / Issue / Product Backlog Item for team-scoped work depending on your process.
• Use Task for developer work that fits within a sprint.
• Agree how teams handle Bugs (as backlog items or as development work).

More information:

• About work items
• Agile workflow in Azure Boards
• Default and work item fields used in process templates
• Define features and epics

Create and maintain your product plan

Use the Features backlog as your product plan. Have project managers prioritize and refine features; let development teams decompose features into requirements and tasks.

Recommendations:

• Keep the Features backlog in priority order.
• Break features into sized requirements that teams can complete within sprints.
• Review and refine backlogs regularly (backlog grooming / refinement).

Features backlog

Project managers create and prioritize features in the Features backlog. Each feature should represent a shippable capability.

Product backlog

Teams add User Stories (or equivalent) to the product backlog, size them for a sprint, and map them to parent Features.

Recommendations:

• Size stories so a team can finish them in a single sprint.
• Keep acceptance criteria and the definition of done clear.
• Map unparented work to the appropriate Feature.

More information:

• Create your backlog
• Organize your backlog
• Forecast your backlog

Forecasting and milestone planning

Use the Forecast tool and team velocity to estimate when features might ship. Forecast requires estimates (Story Points, Effort, or Size) on requirements. If you prefer simple forecasting by count, assign estimate = 1 for each requirement.

Recommendations:

• Establish a consistent estimation approach across teams that feed a common product plan.
• Use Forecast to model several sprints ahead and validate assumptions.

Manage dependencies

Track cross-team dependencies using Predecessor/Successor links and by surfacing dependencies in Delivery Plans.

Recommendations:

• Tag dependent work with a consistent tag (for example, dependency) for quick queries.
• Use Predecessor/Successor link types to capture formal dependencies.
• Visualize dependencies in Delivery Plans or use query-based reports to triage blocking items.

More information:

• Track dependencies by using delivery plans
• Link work items

Work in sprints

Use the sprint backlog and Taskboard to plan and deliver sprint work. Update statuses daily so burndown and progress charts remain accurate.

Recommendations:

• Plan each sprint with the team and define a sprint goal.
• Ensure work items assigned to the sprint have clear scope and acceptance criteria.
• Update remaining work and status throughout the sprint.
• Monitor the Sprint burndown chart to spot scope creep or blockers.

More information:

• Assign backlog items to a sprint
• Configure and monitor sprint burndown

Review progress and delivery

Use the Features board, rollup columns on the Features backlog, and Delivery Plans to review progress across teams.

Recommendations:

• Add rollup progress or totals to the Features backlog to monitor completion at a glance.
• Customize Features board columns to match your delivery lifecycle (for example: Research, On Deck, In Progress, Customer Rollout).
• Use Delivery Plans to coordinate cross-team dates and dependencies.

More information:

• Display rollup progress or totals
• Review team delivery plans

Process improvement

Make continuous improvement part of your cadence. Use retrospectives, velocity charts, and dashboards to identify improvements and track progress.

Recommendations:

• Hold regular retrospectives and capture improvement actions.
• Use velocity and completed work metrics to validate estimation approaches.
• Track improvement work on a dedicated board or backlog.

More information:

• View and configure team velocity
• Add and manage dashboards

Next step

Related content

• Manage requirements
• Work with multi-team ownership of backlog items
• Why use Azure Boards to plan and track your work