Creating Tasks
The word “task” is thrown around in Agile software development all the time. However, do the members of a Scrum team really know what a task is or how it is created? To be an effective team member, it is important to know the jargon used in Agile. Not only that, it helps to know the process of how tasks are created and worked on. Even the role of the developer can benefit from understanding the creation of Agile tasks.
What are Tasks?
Tasks are the smallest building blocks of an Agile project. It is the most granular level of defining work that must be done. Anything smaller is not a complete action. Anything larger can be broken down further, for better estimation. A list of tasks tells the Scrum team exactly what needs to be done for the project to be complete. These tasks can be checked off as they are finished, and show the progress of the team at any point.
User stories are another commonly used term in Agile software development. To a novice, they may seem similar to tasks. However, user stories and tasks are distinct concepts. A user story is a feature to be added to the product. It has to be an action or behavior, a way to describe what the software can do. User stories are almost always referenced from the stakeholders’ point of view. They do not need to know the technical details of the product, simply what it does.
Tasks represent work that must be done by the Scrum team. Whether it is a new development, testing, or meetings, tasks are what the team must do to finish the project. While user stories come from the perspective of the stakeholders, tasks are from the perspective of the Scrum team. Any single task might not result in any functional change to the product. New features often require several tasks to be properly implemented.
Recommended Further Reading
The following materials may assist you in order to get the most out of this course: