VSTS: Group level between feature and work item

Question

I am working as a Product Owner for a development team using scrum, we are using VSTS for our backlog.

So far I have been organizing my backlog using Epics and Features, I am mainly using features.

I use Features both to group work items but also for keeping control of delivering stuff. If I for instance know that I need to deliver a certain functionality a certain day then I create a Feature for that and include the needed work items. I need to do that because I manage many projects simultaneously.

So far, so good.

But now Product Management want to start creating Epics and Features for them to organize work. I can live without the Epics, and it is fine that they create the features and I add work items. But when I start executing I need some way to organize into deliverables.

Any idea how I can do that, basically I need a group like features but in between feature and work item

Answer 1

You can add tags for your and other Epics to distinguish them...

basically I need a group like features but in between feature and work item

Alternatively you can create a new work item type like features. Please see Customize a project using an inherited process for details.

1. Create an inherited process
2. Custom the process
3. Add a new work item type
4. ...
5. Apply the customized process to your project

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UPDATE:

You need to add a new Portfolio backlog level, but in Azure DevOps (VSTS) the new Portfolio backlogs can only be added as the top level, that means the hierarchy should be Deliverable > Epic > Feature > Backlog Item.

So, in this case you can rename them to match your requirements, for example rename Feature to Deliverable, Epic to Feature, Deliverable to Epic...

Please see Customize your backlogs or boards for details.