Backlogs as a Communication Medium in Co-located and Distributed Agile Teams

Abstract

While uncommon, combining multiple forms of backlogs and scaled agile development is a challenge undertaken by some companies. This paper reports a study on communication with agile practices in a global software development organization distributed between three countries. The data was collected via interviews and observations in the department under investigation, and was analyzed qualitatively in order to describe how the use of backlogs affected communication among agile teams. The inconsistencies and transparency issues regarding the information between backlogs led to effects on communication.