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What is the difference between Agile Roadmap and Product Backlog?

With some regularity, we get the question, “What is the difference between Agile Roadmap and Product Backlog? Good question. And the answer is: there is a substantial difference. The world of Agile working is full of terminology, so today let’s zoom in on these terms together: Agile Roadmap and Product Backlog.

What is an Agile Roadmap?

The Agile Roadmap is a visualization of the vision, direction, progress and the goal you want to achieve. This is placed right next to a timeline and thus you have a strategic planning technique at hand. Simply put, the road to the result and goal is visualized.

And this it handy: it helps to communicate with team members and stakeholders, and it makes the whole project transparent which makes it easy(er) to present and/or discuss strategy. The 4 best-known benefits of an Agile Roadmap are:

  1. It engages people and motivates them to participate;
  2. It translates an abstract vision into concrete plans;
  3. It is a handhold for making decisions;
  4. It brings the complete picture of a project into focus.
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What is a Product Backlog?

A Product Backlog is an ordered list of all the requirements that may be needed to achieve the project goal. It is used within the Scrum framework to keep track of all the work that still needs to be done or is outstanding. It is thus used to coordinate the project.

The person who manages the Backlog is the Product Owner. Together with the Developers and Scrum Master, work is done using the Product Backlog. The best-known benefits of a Product Backlog are:

  • A Product Backlog makes team members understand each other and speak the same “language.
  • It is flexible and is discovered collectively throughout the project;
  • It provides insight for the Scrum team: Scrum Master, Product Owner and Developers;
  • Prioritizing keeps you working efficiently and smoothly toward the goal.

What is the difference between the two?

An Agile Roadmap shows short-, medium- and long-term direction. A Product Backlog maps out near-term initiatives.