Using Excel to work with the Sprint Backlog
Excel provides a neat way of getting a large amount of Sprint Backlog items loaded into Team System or
performing multiple similar edits very efficiently. It is also a great way to work with the backlog for
team members who don't have or don't want to use Visual Studio. If Excel is used to create new Sprint
Backlog entries then they will have to be manually linked to Product Backlog items once they have been
published from Excel.
Using Excel to Populate the Sprint Backlog
Having successfully connected an Excel worksheet to your Team Foundation Server you can create new
Sprint Backlog items and "Publish" them back to the connected Scrum project. Ensure that you have all
the fields selected that you are interested in by using the "Column Chooser" to select and order them.
Ensure that your spreadsheet includes the "Work Item Type" column as you will need to specify
that each entry is a "Product Backlog Item".
The example below shows a Sprint Backlog item being added through a spreadsheet created with the
"Input List" (indicated by "Query: None"). In order to write this new backlog item back to the
Scrum project we use the "Publish" button on the Team Foundation toolbar.