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Managing work items effectively in Azure DevOps is essential for delivering high-quality software on time. Azure Boards acts as your project’s central hub, providing a real-time view of progress, priorities, and blockers. Teams can collaborate directly on work items, update statuses, and link tasks to code, builds, and releases—all in one place.

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Typical Sprint Workflow

In an Agile Scrum framework, work flows through a series of well-defined stages during each sprint cycle:
  1. Backlog Grooming
    The Product Owner gathers requirements, user stories, and bug fixes, then prioritizes them in the backlog.
  2. Sprint Planning
    The team selects backlog items, defines sprint goals, and estimates effort.
  3. Development & Testing
    Developers build features, testers validate functionality, and the team addresses blockers during daily stand-ups.
  4. Review & Retrospective
    Completed work is demoed to stakeholders, feedback is recorded, and the team reflects on improvements.
  5. Delivery
    Shippable increments are deployed, and the cycle repeats.
A typical sprint lasts 1–4 weeks. Adjust the duration based on team size, product complexity, and release cadence.
The image illustrates a "Flow of Work" diagram, depicting a process from customer input and requirements through stages like backlogs, planning, design, coding, testing, deployment, review, and deliverables, with a focus on a sprint cycle.
Next, let’s explore the four out-of-the-box process templates that Azure DevOps provides to support this workflow.

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Out-of-the-Box Process Templates

Azure DevOps provides four built-in templates—Basic, Scrum, Agile, and CMMI—to help teams standardize how they plan, track, and deliver work.
The image illustrates four methods for managing the flow of work items: Basic, Scrum, Agile, and CMMI, each represented with an icon.
TemplateBest ForKey Features
BasicSmall teamsSimplified work items, minimal fields
ScrumSprint-driven teamsSprint backlogs, burndown charts, capacity planning
AgileContinuous deliveryIterations, Kanban boards, customer feedback loops
CMMIRegulated environmentsDetailed work item states, process governance, audits

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Basic

The Basic template offers a lean setup with only the essential fields, making it perfect for small or newly formed teams that need to get started quickly.
The image is a flowchart titled "Flow of Work – Basic," illustrating three steps: simplified work tracking, ideal for small teams, and streamlined project management. Each step is represented by an icon and a brief description.
  • Minimal work item types: Issue, Epic, Task
  • Quick onboarding and minimal configuration
  • Streamlined board for high visibility

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Scrum

The Scrum template is tailored for teams that plan work in fixed-length sprints. It includes artifacts like sprint backlogs, burndown charts, and capacity planning tools to support iterative delivery.
  • Sprint Backlog and Product Backlog work item types
  • Built-in Burndown Chart and Sprint Capacity widgets
  • Integration with Azure Pipelines for CI/CD
Use the burndown chart daily to track sprint progress and identify scope creep early.

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Agile

Designed for fast-moving teams, the Agile template emphasizes continuous delivery and rapid response to stakeholder feedback.
  • User Stories, Features, and Epics hierarchy
  • Kanban board with customizable columns
  • Frequent releases via release pipelines

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CMMI

Organizations requiring a highly structured process often choose CMMI. This template enforces rigorous documentation, audit trails, and formal process controls to meet compliance standards.
The image illustrates the flow of work in CMMI, highlighting three components: process improvement focus, Capability Maturity Model Index, and structured product approach.
  • Detailed work item states and transitions
  • Rich reporting for audits and performance measurement
  • Emphasis on process improvement and quality assurance
The CMMI template introduces more fields and states; evaluate the overhead before adopting it for smaller projects.

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Conclusion

Choosing the right process template in Azure DevOps sets the foundation for transparent, efficient delivery. Whether you need a lightweight board for a small team or a comprehensive framework for compliance, Azure DevOps has you covered.

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