Product Backlog Item (PBI)

Definition of Product Backlog Item:

A Product Backlog Item (PBI) is a single element of work that exists in the product backlog. PBIs can include user stories, epics, specifications, bugs, or change requirements. The Product Owner of an Agile team compiles and prioritizes the product backlog, putting the most urgent or important PBIs at the top. PBIs comprise tasks that need to be completed during a Scrum sprint—a PBI must be a small enough increment of work to be completed during a single sprint. As PBIs move up to a higher priority in the product backlog, they are broken down into user stories.

Use of Product Backlog Items:

Developers pull the highest-priority PBIs from the backlog to work on, either by iteration in a Scrum environment or continually in a Kanban environment.

Benefits of Product Backlog Items:

• Product Backlog Items allow the team to quantify and schedule individual elements of work to be completed during a single sprint.
• Product Backlog Items ensure that the customer is getting the right product to meet their needs.