Stage 4: Decomposition
Overview
Decomposition converts finalized product specifications into trackable work items. This stage bridges the gap between planning artifacts and execution by creating structured task hierarchies in Azure DevOps or GitHub Issues.
When You Enter This Stage
You enter Decomposition after completing Stage 3: Product Definition with finalized PRDs and ADRs. TPMs who skipped Product Definition enter directly from Stage 2: Discovery with a sufficient BRD.
NOTE
Prerequisites: PRD or BRD finalized with clear acceptance criteria. Azure DevOps project configured (for ADO work items).
Available Tools
| Tool | Type | How to Invoke | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| ado-prd-to-wit | Agent | Select ado-prd-to-wit agent | Convert PRDs into ADO work items automatically |
| github-backlog-manager | Agent | Select github-backlog-manager agent | GitHub issue discovery, triage, and backlog management |
| ado-get-my-work-items | Prompt | /ado-get-my-work-items | Retrieve your assigned work items |
| ado-process-my-work-items | Prompt | /ado-process-my-work-items | Process and prioritize existing work items |
| ado-wit-planning | Instruction | Auto-activated on workitems | Enforces work item planning conventions |
Role-Specific Guidance
TPMs own Decomposition, creating work item hierarchies that engineers pick up during Sprint Planning. The quality of decomposition directly affects implementation velocity.
Starter Prompts
ADO Work Items
Select ado-prd-to-wit agent:
Convert the PRD at docs/prds/customer-onboarding-v2.md to Azure DevOps
work items. Create epics for each major feature area, user stories for
individual capabilities, and tasks for implementation steps. Tag all
items with "onboarding-v2".
/ado-get-my-work-items Show my assigned work items
/ado-process-my-work-items Process and prioritize my work items
GitHub Issues via RPI Workflow
Select github-backlog-manager agent:
Convert the PRD at docs/prds/customer-onboarding-v2.md into GitHub
issues. Create tracking issues for each major feature area, task issues
for implementation steps, and apply the "onboarding-v2" label to all
items.
After creating issues, add them to a GitHub Project for tracking:
Add all issues labeled "onboarding-v2" to the "Onboarding v2" GitHub
Project. Use the gh CLI to list matching issues and add each one to
the project board.
Stage Outputs and Next Stage
Decomposition produces work item hierarchies in ADO or GitHub Issues, with acceptance criteria traced to PRD requirements. Transition to Stage 5: Sprint Planning when work items are created and prioritized.
Coverage Notes
NOTE
Teams that use GitHub Issues instead of ADO can use the RPI workflow with the github-backlog-manager agent for decomposition. Decomposition currently has no skills or templates.
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