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What is Scrum Methodology?

Scrum processes can help reduce stress, crises and chances a collaborative project might fail. As companies seek to respond to a changing world with new technologies and new demands, problem-solving methodologies like Scrum will continue to hold promise.

Understanding Scrum Methodology

Scrum methodology is an Agile methodology that鈥檚 an effective competitor to classic project management. As a process, Scrum uses close collaboration and adaptive development to solve problems, develop products and create value in a highly agile manner. Created by software developers, the Scrum methodology is highly applicable to software development. Many industries where Scrum is popular prioritize building out and growing software or proprietary technology in fast-paced markets. For example, as companies seek to build apps or websites so their customer base can connect online, Scrum methodology can help developers solve the complex challenge of bringing a robust webpage to life.

What are sprints?

If you鈥檝e seen the term "Scrum sprint" or "sprints," it refers to sprint planning, a key component of Scrum and other Agile methodologies.

Basically, a sprint means a shorter timeline for executing a specific task or set of tasks within a project, which may have a longer-term goal or more distant deadline. Says Atlassian: "聽methodologies and getting sprints right will help your agile team ship better software with fewer headaches."

What is sprint planning?

In a sprint planning session (to plan an upcoming Scrum or Agile sprint), a team will get together to determine what needs to be accomplished in the sprint, plot out all the steps of the sprint, and figure out how long the sprint should last. Once that鈥檚 out of the way, they can leap right into the sprint itself (perhaps immediately following the meeting, perhaps after approval by higher-ups).

What are sprint reviews?

While 鈥渟print reviews鈥 may sound like聽 a process of going over the sprint afterward and determining what went right or wrong, that鈥檚 not the case, as Atlassian points out.

&辩耻辞迟;础听聽is about demonstrating the聽hard work of the entire team:聽designers, developers, and the product owner," they note. At some companies, "team members gather around a desk for informal demos and describe the work they鈥檝e done for that iteration. It鈥檚 a time to ask questions, try new features, and give feedback."

What are sprint goals?

Sprint goals help get a Scrum team on track to achieve product goals, which are usually longer term or overarching. For instance, a sprint goal to create the digital presence for a new business could be broken down like so:

  • Sprint Goal #1聽Create a website for this business.
  • Sprint Goal #2聽Establish social media pages.
  • Sprint Goal #3聽Get higher-ups to sign off on brand copy/language on the above.
  • Sprint Goal #4聽Create and issue a press release announcing the brand and its website and social media pages, monitor social media reactions, website UX, traffic, etc.

What is a product backlog?

"A product backlog is聽聽that is derived from the roadmap and its requirements," writes Dan Radigan, an Agile coach. "The most important items are shown at the top of the product backlog so the team knows what to deliver first."

A product backlog is, when referred to during Agile or Scrum, the series of tasks or "sprint goals" the sprint crew must complete, according to the overall Scrum team. Sometimes the backlog is to complete tasks the team has struggled to finish or it could be new issues that have cropped up. In some cases, the backlog may be tasks that were not a priority initially but, because circumstances have changed, suddenly become top priority.

What are daily standups or daily scrums?

A "daily standup" is corporate shorthand for a quick, regular or daily meeting that involves a few key people standing and conversing quickly, instead of sitting around a conference table and settling in for a long discussion. The "daily Scrum" is basically the same thing, although it may take place among members of the Scrum or sprint.

Agile Scrum roles explained

The two main Agile Scrum roles are:

The Product Owner听鈥撀, prioritizing its tasks, and canceling or altering the sprint, serving as project manager

The Scrum Master聽鈥 facilitates discussions, oversees collaborative efforts, runs interference with those outside the Scrum.

The rest of the Scrum will likely be called:

Development Team Members听鈥撀犅爋r sprint goals that the Scrum is tasked with, tests products or other outcomes, and delivers final product as part of cross-functional teams

Agile vs. Scrum methodology: A false dichotomy

Scrum was born out of the "Manifesto for Agile Software Development." This is a 2001 document written by a group of software developers who wanted to improve upon what they saw as outdated development practices and methodologies. According to industry lore, the creators of the concept decided that the best visual representation for the practice of Scrum sprints and Scrum processes was to compare them to聽聽in which players work together to move the ball up field and keep it away from their opponents.

"Agile" is the umbrella term for development methodologies. It favors a responsive and collaborative process. Scrum is one of the main examples of an Agile methodology.

According to Apiumhub,聽聽and Agile methodology is designed to assist teams in an ever-evolving business world, where outside demands on our attention, productivity, and well-being can hinder or outright sabotage projects. Its manifesto 鈥渋s based on continuous improvement, flexibility, input of the team, and the delivery of results with high quality."

The Agile suite of methodologies differs from the more traditional model of project management known as "waterfall." With a waterfall method, tasks are divided into a series of phases that progress linearly. With Agile methodologies, tasks are distributed throughout the team to be completed in parallel. Developing in parallel allows the team to deliver value to customers faster.

Several industries have implemented Agile methodologies. The major ones are:

  • Information technology
  • Financial services
  • Construction management
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Marketing and advertising
  • Real estate

What is the Scrum process?

Scrum uses "sprints" (think rugby again), one-to-four-week blocks of time in which project goals are accomplished. At the end of each sprint, the Scrum master, team members and other project stakeholders gather to discuss how the sprint went and what to focus on for the next sprint. In this way the Scrum process is iterative and adaptive, as the development team can reflect on the work accomplished so far and create new goals based on results from previous sprints.

The Scrum framework is rooted in empiricism, meaning that evidence is gathered through verifiable observation. Empiricism is rooted in maintaining interteam transparency, adapting goals to new challenges and evidence, and regularly inspecting ongoing work.

Sprint collaboration relies on a once-per-day, 15-minute time-boxed meeting known as the daily Scrum. Its purpose is to envision the next 24 hours of the sprint. In a daily Scrum meeting, team members can plan collaboration, resolve issues and inspect work. This is all to further home in on the goals of the sprint, tackling challenges in smaller and more accomplishable tasks.

Agile project management with Scrum methodology

This upper-division, 5-week course provides students with an understanding of how an Agile project manager can utilize the Scrum methodology. Students will learn how to apply the Scrum framework to improve organizational outcomes. Practices discussed in the course include:

  • Self-organizing teams
  • Scrum roles
  • Sprint planning
  • Tracking
  • Measuring processes and tools

After completing the course, students will earn three credits and have learned key course objectives to help them in their project manager or Scrum roles. These objectives include:

  • Introduction to Agile principles
  • Agile process components and artifacts
  • Agile roles and responsibilities
  • Agile planning and estimating
  • Sprint execution, review and retrospective

Interested in learning more about Scrum Methodology? 爱豆传媒 offers an聽Agile Project Management with Scrum Methodology听肠辞耻谤蝉别.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jonathan Dale is a freelance writer with a background in SEO content creation and blog article development.

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