Next PI Reassessment
1. Introduction (For Clients & Partners)
A Program Increment (PI) typically spans several sprints (often a quarter). If an item (feature or significant bugfix) isn’t fully addressed or is deferred to a later timeframe, it may be scheduled for reassessment in the next PI. This ensures that larger initiatives or complex requests remain aligned with our long-term roadmap and get the attention they need when capacity and priorities allow.
2. Who Is Involved
Role | Involvement | Benefit to You |
---|---|---|
Product Owner | Maintains the PI roadmap, decides which deferred items to revisit in the next PI. | Ensures your request is reviewed again in line with broader strategic goals. |
Release Train Engineer / Scrum Master | Coordinates multi-sprint planning, ensures items are queued for next PI analysis. | Keeps track of items that span multiple sprints or need more advanced planning. |
Dev Team | Reassesses complexity and feasibility once the new PI planning session starts. | Provides updated estimates or solutions based on the latest context. |
QA Engineer | Adjusts testing strategies for items deferred to the next PI. | Ensures consistent quality standards even for longer-term work. |
You (Client/Partner) | May supply extra information or updated requirements before the next PI session. | Allows your needs to remain top-of-mind when the team resets priorities. |
3. Process Flow / Schema
Here’s how items deferred to the next PI are revisited, with double quotes in the Mermaid diagram:
- Item Deferred: A feature or fix is deemed too large, low priority, or out-of-scope for the current PI.
- Wait for Next PI Planning: The item remains in a “deferred” state until the upcoming PI planning event.
- PI Planning Session: The Product Owner, Dev Team, and stakeholders review all carry-over or deferred items.
- Review Item Status & Context: The team discusses updated requirements, business impacts, and technical feasibility.
- Decision:
- Still Aligned: The item is re-estimated, possibly re-prioritized, and may enter the new PI’s backlog.
- No Longer Relevant: If business or product direction has shifted, the item might be removed or rejected, with feedback to you.
- Add to Next PI Backlog: If accepted, the item is scheduled for development in one of the sprints of the upcoming PI.
4. Short FAQ
Q1: Why would an item be deferred to the next PI instead of the next sprint?
A1: Some requests require larger planning windows or have lower immediate priority. Incorporating them into the next PI allows for full alignment with broader quarterly objectives.
Q2: How can I improve the chances of my item being accepted in the next PI?
A2: Provide detailed requirements, clear business value, and any relevant updates before the PI Planning session.
Q3: Do I have to wait the entire PI to see if it’s accepted?
A3: Typically, yes. PI Planning is where big-picture decisions are made. However, critical or urgent needs can be escalated earlier if circumstances change drastically.
Q4: Can a deferred item stay deferred for multiple PIs?
A4: Potentially. If priorities keep shifting or the item remains lower priority, it can be pushed further out until it either aligns strategically or is ultimately rejected.
5. Next Steps & Additional Resources
- PI Planning: Learn how items are broken down, estimated, and scheduled each quarter (or multi-sprint cycle).
- Quarterly Roadmap: See the broad view of what’s planned in the upcoming PI.
- Contact Us: Have questions or updates about a deferred item? Email
contact+support@aismarttalk.tech
or speak with our chatbot.
By deferring certain features or fixes to the next PI, we ensure thorough planning, appropriate resource allocation, and a strategic focus on initiatives that fit our product’s long-term vision—while still keeping the door open for their eventual development.