Technical Task Map
A Technical Task Map is a visual artifact that organises the various technical tasks required to complete a single user story. It maps out the sequence and relationship of tasks, providing a clear pathway from the start to the completion of a feature.
Purpose
A user story often requires development across multiple services and levels of the technology stack. A Technical Task Map helps break down the work into smaller, more manageable units, enabling the team to track progress, allocate resources, and ensure that all necessary components are developed and integrated effectively.
- Visualisation: Offers a clear visual structure to the breakdown of a into actionable tasks, enhancing understanding and collaboration among team members.
- Prioritisation: Helps teams prioritise tasks based on their sequence and dependencies, ensuring efficient workflow and resource allocation.
- Gap Identification: Assists in identifying any gaps or overlooked areas in the development plan by laying out all the tasks in a mapped format.
- Progress Tracking: Facilitates easier tracking of progress on a feature by marking off completed tasks, providing a quick overview of what's done and what's pending.
Format
A Technical Task Map typically includes:
- User Story: A short, simple description of a full feature to be developed told from the perspective of the user or customer.
- Technical Slices: The header row represents the technical slices of the feature, such as front-end, back-end, database, etc.
- Tasks: A series of detailed tasks that need to be completed to fulfill the user story. Each task is represented as a card or an entry on the map.
Anti-patterns
- Overcomplication: Breaking down tasks to less than a few hours clutters up the map and provides little benefit.
- Under-detailing: Conversely, putting in tasks that take longer than a day to complete inhibits the teams ability to move quickly.