Epic Naming
Epic titles are important because they communicate the essence of a business or enabler initiative at a glance.
A clear, concise, and action-oriented title helps align stakeholders, guide prioritization, and enable better communication during Portfolio Management and beyond.
Best Practices for Naming Epics
Be Clear and Concise
- Aim for 5–10 words that summarize the intent of the epic.
- Avoid jargon or overly technical terms unless the audience is very familiar.
Start with an Action Verb
- Use verbs like Enable, Reduce, Improve, Automate, Introduce, Enhance, Streamline, etc.
Indicate the Value or Outcome
Mention the key benefit, problem solved, or user/business value provided.
Indicate the Phase
For the consolidation and clear communication at portfolio level the epics will need to be explicit on the following phases: Build, Testing and Rollout *
/ To check again., on the Agile projects the epic commonly goes through all the phases but an explicit statement (dummy epic) will need to be created for the purpose mentioned.
Template
[Verb] + [What] + [Target/Outcome]
Example: Improve customer onboarding experience or Reduce manual processing time for invoices
| Epic Title | Type | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Automate Data Reconciliation to Reduce input | Business | Action-oriented, outcome-focused |
| Improve Search Function in MySyensqo to Boost Customer Self-Service | Business | Clear, benefit-driven |
| Enable Authentication for new cloud solution | Enabler | Specific technical goal |
| Streamline incident Workflow to Reduce Time-to-Fill | Business | Highlights process improvement and business impact |
| Modernize Data Architecture for Scalable Analytics | Enabler | Indicates technical transformatin |
| Reduce Call Center Volume via Self-Service Portal Enhancements | Business | Addresses a problem with a measurable business impact |
| Reduce Call Center Volume via Self-Service Portal Enhancements | Business | Dummy/ Addresses a problem with a measurable business impact |
