In very broad strokes, there seem to be three categories into which backlog items can be put:
1. End Results – new functionality or capability that provides direct value to stakeholders.
2. Infrastructure Investment – work that is done to support the creation or delivery of end results but which does not directly provide value.
3. Debt Reduction – work that is done to eliminate barries to the creation of end results.
There are also some types of items that (typically) are not put on backlogs:
- Ongoing Tasks – tasks that are repeated on a regular basis.
- Constraints – descriptions of the qualities of the end results.
- Milestones – events or dates that define the transition from one state to another in an endeavor.
