Scrum is a project management methodology that emphasizes teamwork, collaboration, and flexibility to get things done. It’s widely used in software development but can be applied to any project. So if you’re looking for a way to streamline your projects and get things done quickly, Scrum might be the answer.
Here’s an overview of how it works.
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The Scrum framework is based on three pillars: transparency, inspection, and adaptation.
Transparency is a fundamental assessment of the needs of the stakeholders and their willingness to participate in the project.
Inspection assesses the implementation of the project and its results through reviews and retrospectives.
Adaptation is a recognition that we cannot foresee many of the adjustments needed to be made during a project, nor can we predict events outside our control. Therefore, we need to be able to change our plans and make decisions quickly, often without a deep analysis of the situation. With this ability, we move from being dependent on an environment that may not be in our favor to one of increased control over our destiny.
The Scrum framework is designed to help teams optimize their productivity and deliver the best possible results.
At a high level, the Scrum methodology is a framework for helping teams optimize their productivity and good results. It offers a practical game plan for delivering high-quality products within a limited deadline. As you may know, the word “Scrum” is derived from rugby. In rugby, when a team has possession of the ball, the team has to go toward the end zone. If any player on the team goes out of bounds, the ball is passed back to the other team. In a scrum, however, you can never pass the ball back to your opponent. This is what it means to “stay in bounds.” When you opt to use Scrum methodologies, you commit to building and improving your products while staying within bounds.
The scrum master
The scrum master ensures that a Scrum development team adheres to Scrum theory and practices. The scrum master is not required for the execution of the Scrum process. When needed, the scrum master facilitates teamwork among the cross-functional product owner, the development team, and the stakeholders. The scrum master must do whatever is needed to help resolve impediments to Scrum implementation and remove organizational constraints that prevent the realization of value from the product.
The scrum master upholds the values outlined in the Agile Manifesto: communication, collaboration, courage, and respect.
The product owner
For the effective implementation of Scrum, the product owner is a crucial role. The product owner is responsible for the entire backlog and can change the priorities at any time. The product owner is responsible for maximizing the value of the scrum team through the product backlog and can prioritize accordingly. It is the role of the product owner to ensure that there are no impediments in delivering value to the stakeholders by continuously ensuring clarity on what to deliver from sprint to sprint.
The Developers
In Scrum, the developers are responsible for the technical design and development of a product, or feature, which is one of the outcomes of a sprint. But instead of working on a particular product, they work on all of them during an iteration.
In Scrum, instead of having dedicated designers and developers (such as team A developing product X’s User Interface and team B responsible for the Customer Billing Module), both designers and developers are assigned to each sprint to complete specific features.
This approach promotes code reuse instead of individual features and can save more time, thus increasing velocity.
The Scrum framework is based on iterative development
According to SWS, the Scrum framework is based on iterative development and fosters a high level of teamwork. This standardized approach brings predictability and control to product delivery and provides transparency for all. Real-time visibility is achieved with daily Scrum meetings, which are time-boxed to a maximum of 15 minutes with a focus on what went well during the previous day, what challenges the team faced and how they will be overcome during today, and finally, what can be done to improve the process before the next daily Scrum meeting.
Final Words
The most important thing you’ll remember about Scrum is that it’s Agile. The Agile paradigm of doing things in small product increments instead of rigidly scheduled projects has made project management easier for software developers. But Agile in general and Scrum specifically are not just for software or tech startups. They work for any small team doing a narrow scope of work.
