Business analysis glossary
Epic
What it is
An epic is a large body of work that is too big to finish in one sprint and is broken down into several user stories. It usually represents a major capability or business goal. An epic is refined over time: the first stories are detailed and ready, while later ones remain rough until the team learns more.
Why it matters
Epics let teams and stakeholders plan at a higher level, while stories carry the detailed, deliverable pieces of work. Tracking stories under an epic shows overall progress. Because epics roll up many stories, they are also the natural unit for roadmaps and for explaining to a sponsor what is coming next.
Example
The epic "Self-service claim tracking" at Tidewater Insurance contains stories such as "view claim status", "upload a document to a claim", "receive an email when status changes" and "see payment dates". Each story can be delivered, tested and released on its own, while the epic shows the bigger picture to the sponsor.