Yes, you can use GitLab's project boards to manage backlog trimming. GitLab provides a Kanban-style board to assist teams in managing their backlog, prioritizing tasks, and visualizing progress at various stages of the workflow. Here's how to use GitLab's project boards for backlog grooming:
- Set Up Project Boards - GitLab allows you to construct project boards for several categories, such as backlog, in-progress, and completed. The backlog board contains a list of issues that require grooming, prioritization, and estimating.
- Label issues to categorize them according to their priority (e.g., high, medium, low) or urgency. This helps to rapidly recognize which concerns require care during grooming sessions.
- Custom Columns for Workflow - You can tailor your GitLab board columns to your team's specific workflow. For example, you can construct columns for backlog grooming, prioritizing, and sprint readiness. This helps you see where each task is in the grooming process.
- Prioritize Backlog Items - During grooming sessions, you can easily reorder items on the board according to priority. Use the drag-and-drop feature to shift issues up or down and assign them to specific milestones or sprints for future development.
- Track Issue Progress - As you go through the backlog, issues can be updated with status changes, allocated to the appropriate team member, and estimated for effort. This guarantees that the team always gets a current picture of the work ahead.
While GitLab's project boards are useful for managing the backlog, they may not have as many capabilities as programs such as JIRA. However, for smaller teams or those who already use GitLab, this can be a simple and effective solution for backlog pruning.
