<aside> <img src="/icons/bookmark-outline_red.svg" alt="/icons/bookmark-outline_red.svg" width="40px" /> OUTLINE
</aside>
Scrum play makes visible the dysfunction that was always there." - Jeff Sutherland
Are you looking for ways to improve your software development process? Have you considered implementing the scrum framework? Scrum is a widely used agile methodology emphasizing collaboration, communication, and adaptation to change. It offers a well-defined structure for teams to work together towards a shared objective and has been shown to increase productivity and efficiency in software development.
This chapter explores the main components of the scrum, including roles, events, and artifacts, and how they can help your team work towards a common goal. It addresses the benefits and challenges of implementing scrum in your organization and best practices for effective stakeholder collaboration and communication.
Scrum is a widely used agile methodology in software development that offers a well-defined structure for teams to work together towards a shared objective. It emphasizes collaboration, communication, and adaptation to change and is based on the values of transparency, inspection, and transformation. The framework is based on three main components: roles, events, and artifacts.
Scrum defines three roles: the product owner, the scrum master, and the development team. The product owner is responsible for the product backlog, which is a list of all the features and improvements that the product needs. The scrum master is responsible for facilitating the scrum process and ensuring that the team is following the scrum framework. The development team is responsible for developing the product according to the product backlog.
Scrum is based on sprints. A sprint is a time-bound iteration of development work, usually lasting one to four weeks. A sprint aims to enable the development team to produce a potentially releasable increment in product functionality. This incremental approach allows for frequent delivery and feedback, which can help the chapter stay on track and adjust its strategy as needed.
The team holds a sprint planning event at the beginning of each sprint. During this event, the team collaborates to define a sprint goal and selects the items from the product backlog they will work on during the sprint. This process involves analyzing the product backlog, breaking things into smaller, more manageable tasks, and estimating the work required to complete each task.
The selected items are then moved into the sprint backlog, which serves as the plan for the sprint. The sprint backlog is a living document that the team updates frequently throughout the sprint as they complete tasks and gain new insights. The team must keep the sprint backlog up-to-date and accurate to ensure they are on track to achieve the Sprint goal.
A sprint goal is a concise statement that describes what the team aims to achieve during the upcoming sprint. It clarifies the team and helps align their efforts toward a common objective. The sprint goal should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. By setting a sprint goal, the team can work towards a shared vision and increase their chances of success.
In scrum, sprints have three major events: the sprint planning, daily scrum, sprint review.
Sprint planning is the event where the product owner and the development team plan the next sprint. The sprint planning session marks the beginning of the sprint, where the team sets the agenda and focuses. It is an essential meeting as it helps the team stay on track, focused, and motivated throughout the sprint. During this session, the team reviews the product backlog, identifies the most critical items to work on, and decides how much work they can complete during the sprint. Once the plan is set, the team starts working on the delivery tasks.
A well-planned sprint can create an environment where the team is motivated, challenged, and successful. The team members feel empowered and engaged when involved in planning and can work together towards a common goal. However, good sprint plans can derail the team by setting realistic expectations.
When the team commits to more work than they can deliver, they risk missing the sprint goal, which can demotivate them and harm the project's progress. Therefore, it is crucial to clearly understand the team's capabilities and adjust the sprint plan accordingly to ensure that they can meet their commitments without compromising the quality of their work.
Sprint planning is played out as follows:
[WHAT]: The product owner plays a crucial role in the agile development process by articulating the sprint's overarching objective or goal, also known as the sprint goal. During sprint planning, the product owner communicates this goal to the scrum team and helps them understand how each backlog item contributes to it.