Launched in 1995, the Scrum Guide aimed to solve complex problems concerning the products among the team. Sutherland and Schwaber defined Scrum as the framework to achieve mentioned action and developed numerous rules, events, and artifacts.
Scrum Framework works by learning from mistakes. It uses the concept of experimentation to achieve excellence and agility in achieving the target and uses a framework for applying different processes and techniques. Based on practical aspects and challenges, it incorporates observation, experience and experimentation to lead to the solution. It is used mostly in IT projects, but its characteristic features make it more than suitable for any project and product development.
What is the Scrum Process Framework?
It is a set of events that must be accomplished within a certain time frame. The involved processes in the scrum framework are sequentially listed:
Daily Scrum
It refers to the regular conduction of meetings. The motto of the daily Scrum is to analyze the progress of the previous day's work and accommodate the backlog in a tight schedule without causing overburden. Additionally, the senior managers manage the upcoming planned work accordingly. The meeting involves the participation of Developers, Product Owners or Scrum masters and lasts for a maximum of fifteen minutes.
Sprint
Sprint is the short cycle overlooking the development of the product in a specified period. It is referred to as the head of Scrum and comprises planning, daily scrum meeting, progress, review and backlog.
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Sprint Planning Meeting
It involves the participation of each individual in scrum time. The meeting can expect to run for 8 hours for a month-long sprint while the time varies for different time spans. The main objectives of the meeting are to establish the sprint goal and define the goal and process to achieve the task.
Sprint Review
Team members practicing scrum framework meet with stakeholders for feedback. The expected time for sprint review is four hours for the 4-week sprint. However, it also changes based on the sprint timeframe.
Sprint Retrospective
Again involving the participation of each member, the ideal time is 3 hours. It is focused on understanding the weakness and strengths of the team and its actions.
What Are Scrum Artifacts?
Scrum artifacts involve three categories to be completed and tracked for monitoring the progress of works on the product. They are reviewed below -
Product Backlog
Continuous development and change in market patterns render the product useless or less consumed. So to remain in the market, the product's impact must be reviewed continuously. Scrum framework involves a detailed analysis of the product backlog that uses available details for its development. The team focuses on requirements, features, enhancements, and solutions to achieve them by going through the basics and original documents.
Sprint Backlog
It uses the progress of the product backlog as input. Sprint backlog decides the priority improvement required in the product and evolves during the sprint based on requirements. It works toward the final sprint goal.
Product Increment
Also known as the sprint goal, it is the end product and includes components like completed tasks. They include small milestones and hence are multiple.
Burn Down
It is an unofficial artifact. Thus its use depends on choice. However, multiple companies use it for communication purposes and progress tracking.
Benefits of Scrum Methodology
Following the scrum framework and methodology is associated with multiple benefits, including:
- Revenue
- Transparency
- Business engagement
- Flexibility/Agility
- Risk
- A valuable product
- Quality
- Customer satisfaction
- Interaction
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Learn the Basics of Scrum and the Scrum LifecycleEXPLORE COURSEScrum and Agile Relationship Explained
Scrum is a part of agile that encompasses philosophy on product development. Based on agile principles, it encourages fast working on products through analysis and adaptation. It provides a particular set of rules and guidelines to deliver products promptly. Agile methodology practices regular delivery of products and focuses on leadership.
While Scrum delivers products at the end of the sprint and focuses on collaboration with different teams and the development of self-worth characteristics, Agile is further different in embracing simple process methods. At the same time, Scrum utilizes innovation and experimental approaches to reach the goal.
Scrum Ceremonies or Events
Events, meetings or ceremonies are a part of the scrum framework, which has practically received both positive and negative feedback from the members. The scrum ceremonies require analysis of the best time and duration and a technique for a meet-up that suits every participant well. Mentioned are different scrum ceremonies:
Organize the Backlog
It is also known as backlog grooming and aims to identify the improvements needed for the product to remain competitive and boost usage. The current needs not only are required to be noted down but also require prioritizing to save time and utilize human power well. Managed by the product owner, the backlog is the source of tasks to be assigned to the team.
Sprint Planning
As evidenced by the name, it involves the decision of sprint goal and duration of achievement, developing a backlog list and reflecting on the feasibility of implementation. The meeting ensures transparency and a clear understanding of expectations from each member and the goal to be achieved.
Sprint
Sprint refers to the duration in which all the components of the scrum framework need to be completed. The typical time is around two weeks. However, it can vary based on the complexity, team members and other relevant factors. The sprint is partially fixed and can be modified according to the addition and decrease of tasks and other challenges.
Daily Scrum or Stand Up
It is a daily meeting of very short duration to review the progress. It also encompasses future actions and expectations. As the first step to start a day, it also serves as a reminder.
It includes stand up too, which focuses on individual evaluation of progress. It increases the attentiveness and participation of members with a focus on the team's blockers.
Sprint Review
Focussed on the goals or increment, along with stakeholders, the members present the milestones achieved and the final product. Sprint review can also be called on a change in the backlog or other inclusions for product development, further affecting the sprint and tasks of members.
Sprint Retrospective
It reviews the efficiency and room for improvement in methods, and tasks performed and completion. Detailed insight into the tools, mechanism of action and similar details saves time in future actions by understanding what works for which thing.
Scrum Pillars and Values
Scrum comprises three pillars, transparency, adaptation and inspection. Moreover, scrum values include trust, focus, openness, courage, respect, and commitment. The scrum pillars embrace the concept of experimentation through the inculcation of innovative approaches in small steps. The best results are approved for further observation and, at last, adaptation of new processes.
A list of moral values in scrum values enables the team's togetherness, building it as a united group to increase a cordial environment. It leads to positive behavior, encouragement of each other and good results.
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Learn the Basics of Scrum and the Scrum LifecycleEXPLORE COURSE3 Essential Roles for Scrum Success
The success of the scrum framework requires the distribution of responsibilities to three shoulders at the post: product owner, scrum master, and development team. The scrum product owner oversees the product-centered responsibilities involving the market, business and customer. The scrum master is the leader who enlightens the teams, business and product owners.
They achieve the task using their expertise, optimization techniques, and available resources. The main source of achieving the goal is scrum teams. They are a group of technical experts who perform the work. Working together using different skills, perspectives and knowledge, they strive to provide the best product.
Scaling Scrum to Multiple Teams
Scaling of scrums refers to effectively utilizing increased resources for growth rather than making the tasks harder (the latter is commonly observed). For the endeavor, the Scrum of Scrums technique is an effective approach. The scaling of multiple teams following the scrum framework requires an effective team size of 4 -6 individuals.
The larger team size hampers communication, and smaller results in a lack of resources and timely delivery of tasks. Thus, the multiple teams divided into small groups is among the top methods to scale the Scrum.
The Spotify model is another relevant method among the top ones. However, it acknowledges the need to develop one's technique depending on the business model as they did. They divided the team members into four types, squad, tribe, chapter, and guild.
Their model holds effective communication, as the individuals hold multiple expertise and are interlinked for proper functioning. Squads are multidisciplinary and autonomous, and tribes hold functional and technical expertise.
The chapter groups the employees according to their skills and knowledge who work under the coach. Guilds involve voluntary groups depending on the area of interest. Each member can be and is part of multiple groups in the Spotify model.
Large Scale Scrum (LeSS) is an effective approach to handling multiple teams by a single product owner. The owner deals with a maximum of 9 teams, which can contain 70 people. It involves the mindset of lean and systems thinking, focusing on the whole product and efficient work. It also includes transparency and continuous improvement through the empirical process, and it is customer-centric.
However, as specified above, the best method and technique depend on the business model. To choose among the mentioned ones, organizations can try different models or use relevant points and further use the trial and error method.
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Conclusion
A scrum effectively handles complex problems centered in any domain, such as product or IT. The set of rules and framework gathers the teams to work together, ensuring product optimization and timely product development. The involved sprint, ceremonies and pillars, values and artifacts, and scale-up models have been discussed in detail in the article.
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