Agile updates in OpenProject 17.3

With the upcoming release of OpenProject 17.3, we are introducing a major upgrade to the Backlog module – thoughtfully designed to make your agile workflows smoother, more intuitive, and more powerful than ever.

We know that change can sometimes feel overwhelming, so we want to walk you through everything ahead of time, explain the reasoning behind each decision, and make sure you feel fully prepared and confident when 17.3 lands.

Here is what is coming with 17.3:

A fresh new look

The Backlogs module is getting a visual refresh. The new design is cleaner and built to help you focus on what matters most – delivering great work.

A smarter layout for agile teams

We have reorganized the layout so that the Backlog now appears on the left and your Sprints on the right. This mirrors the natural flow of agile practices – from backlog refinement on the left to sprint planning on the right – making the process feel more intuitive for your team.

We understand that this flip in layout might take a moment to get used to, especially if you have been working with the different arrangement for a while. In future releases both sections will become fully resizable, so you can adjust the split to suit your preferences. We are also planning multi-select dropdowns so you can zoom in on a specific sprint at a glance – more flexibility is on the way!

Your backlog, automatically populated

No more manually adding work packages to the backlog one by one. In 17.3, your backlog will automatically be populated based on the work packages in your project. You can easily prioritize by placing the most important items at the top – and with just two clicks via the new context menu, you can move anything straight to the top of the backlog. We are also planning backlog buckets and advanced filters in a future version to give you even more ways to organize and structure your work.

What about your existing backlog and sprint buckets?

Your existing buckets are not going anywhere – we will automatically migrate all of them as part of the 17.3 update, so nothing will be lost. Here is what to expect: in 17.3, both your previous backlog buckets and sprint buckets will be visible together on the right-hand side of the new layout. Please think of it as a transitional step – all your existing structure is preserved and fully accessible. Looking ahead to 17.4, we are planning to introduce dedicated backlog buckets on the left-hand side, giving you the ability to sort and organize your backlog with even greater flexibility.

In the meantime, your buckets will be neatly sorted so they are easy to navigate: buckets with start and end dates are sorted chronologically with the most recent ones appearing at the top, while buckets without dates are sorted alphanumerically.

Automated sprint boards

Starting from 17.3, you will have the possibility to start and complete a sprint. Starting a sprint is now even more powerful. When you kick off a sprint, OpenProject will automatically generate a dedicated sprint board – replacing the previous task board. This board gives you a precise view of your sprint scope and lets you filter by any work package attribute, so your team always has exactly the information they need, right at their fingertips.

There will be many new features coming to the boards soon and in case you are interested in learning more about it, please check out our blog article presenting the future of agile way of working in OpenProject.

A smooth sprint completion flow

Wrapping up a sprint is now just a click away. Hit the “Complete Sprint” button when you are ready, and OpenProject will guide you through moving any remaining work packages - automatically - to the next sprint or back to the backlog. No loose ends, no manual cleanup.

What should you do to prepare?

Nothing special is required from your side before the update. We recommend taking a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the new layout description above – especially the new positioning of the Backlog and Sprint panels – so the first time you open the module after the update, it already feels familiar.

We will also be providing updated documentation as part of the 17.3 release to support you every step of the way.

What is coming in future?

We are genuinely excited about these improvements and believe they will make a real difference for agile teams using OpenProject. This is just the beginning. Further improvements will be released every month. If you would like to understand where we are heading, please take a look at our agile product vision or at our detailed roadmap.

As always, your feedback is important to us. If you have questions or thoughts, do not hesitate to contact us to share your feedback and experience.

Thank you for being part of the OpenProject Community. The best is yet to come!