Scrum

What is Scrum?

Scrum is a way of organising your workflow using specific principles and practices. More precisely, Scrum is a flexible system or framework for developing and managing projects, as well as teamwork and non-standard distribution of tasks within the team.

One might think Scrum is an acronym for the fundamental principles of Scrum methodology, but in fact, that's not quite the case. Instead, the word "scrum" comes from the sport of rugby. In rugby, a scrum is where the players on the same team wrap their arms around each other to move the ball forward together and face their opponents. It is also what Scrum looks like in business: a team rallies around creating one particular product.

Most product management strategies involve a clear plan considering all risks, timelines, and costs. However, such strategies quickly become obsolete in practice and require regular revision due to the unpredictability of external factors and the development process. Scrum methodology, for example, considers the volatility of the world and is therefore based on very different principles. According to this methodology, it is impossible to plan the workflow to the smallest detail, so the level of uncertainty and human factor plays a significant role in the development. On the flip side, Scrum welcomes change and experimentation instead of strict adherence to a plan.

Scrum is called the "Agile" method because it allows you to create a new product in an ever-changing environment without sacrificing budget, future product quality, or deadlines.

Scrum vs Agile: What's the Difference?

Scrum and Agile are different approaches, but they have much in common. For example, they both are flexible frameworks, which require non-standard approaches to work and seek to continually change and improve the product despite dynamical and uncertain circumstances.

However, the difference between Agile and Scrum is that Scrum is just one methodology based on Agile principles. Thus, Agile is a set of flexible approaches and methodologies consistent with the values reflected in the "Agile Manifesto." It is the primary document, which describes all those principles, according to which Agile exists.

So, the basic principles of Agile also reflected in the Scrum methodology, are as follows:

• People over Tools.

Employees and relations between them are more important than processes and tools used to achieve a goal. Since the foundation of any activity is always communication, even the best processes can fail if they don't get communicated with one another. Therefore, it is necessary to create a favourable psychological climate in the team and such conditions so that all its participants can quickly exchange information and, ideally - understand each other at a glance. In this case, nothing will be able to prevent a cohesive team from implementing the project.

• The Goal is a High-Quality Product.

Agile technology focuses primarily on the result, i.e., creating a new product that fully meets the needs of the customer and the audience. Thus, the teams working under the principles of Agile concentrate on making the product ready for use as quickly as possible. Consequently, remember you won't need to do a lot of paperwork. Therefore, in Scrum, only the most necessary documentation is produced without any bureaucratic formalities.

• More Cooperation with the Audience and Feedback from the Customer.

According to the principles of Agile, not only the developers themselves but also the customer is involved in creating the product. Furthermore, this technology implies the audience's active involvement in the product's development at all production stages, for example, through A/B testing. It helps to achieve greater mutual understanding and, ultimately, the desired result. Therefore, feedback from customers and consumers of the future product is the most important principle of Agile methodology.

• Experimentation Instead of a Clear Plan.

Agile technologies and directly Scrum are empirical because they are based on observation, experience, and experimentation. Additionally, you should always be prepared for changes because things may not go as planned during the Scrum process. For example, the requirements of the product itself or the conditions of its production may change. So, it would be best if you made adjustments at every stage of the development process.

These four postulates became the basis for the Agile philosophy. Thus, Scrum is implemented in its framework, reflecting the basic principles. In other words, you can call "Agile" a mindset, a philosophy, or an idea to strive for. By comparison, Scrum is a specific methodology that involves certain steps and actions to implement this idea.

Scrum vs Kanban: Commonalities and Differences

Kanban is also one of the Agile workflows, Scrum process methods primarily based on visualising the goal, tasks, and further progress.

The Kanban methodology is based on four fundamental principles:

• The Visualisation of the Scrum Process

An essential tool for visualisation is the whiteboard. Each of its columns represents a particular stage of work. The tasks to be performed at that stage are the cards on the board. You can create a Kanban board for small projects using a cork or marker board and stickers. For larger and more complex projects, using virtual online whiteboards with a much more comprehensive range of possibilities makes more sense. In any case, this approach to visualisation provides full transparency of the whole team's work.

• Limiting the Work

The Kanban method limits the number of tasks simultaneously performed. Simply put, it restricts the number of tasks on the board in one column, i.e., in one stage, and that helps to ensure that the team is not 'overloaded' and completes ongoing tasks before proceeding to the next.

• Flow Management

Flow Management means that any malfunctions or errors made in product development are corrected promptly. Flow management also means minimising various risks, such as product defects. All team members must regularly update the Kanban board to keep track of these. Indeed, it is how you can identify weaknesses and eliminate problems whilst the workflow continues uninterrupted.

• Continuous Improvement

It is necessary not only to update the Kanban board but also to monitor the operation of the entire system and the reactions of the Scrum team and the client because getting feedback and constantly looking for ways to improve processes is essential for all Agile methodologies.

Thus, the essence of Kanban is in a continuous flow of tasks, visualisation of Scrum processes and further work on the Kanban board. Scrum, on the other hand, offers many more tools and practices, which you'll learn about next.

The Principles of Scrum

Follow these Scrum team principles to maximise the effectiveness of product development:

• Working in Short Cycles.

These cycles are called sprints. A sprint is a short, time-limited period when a scrum team works on a certain amount of work. All future activities are planned solely within one sprint. Moreover, each work cycle has narrower objectives and targets to achieve by the sprint's end. In other words, Scrum methodology tells you not to over-plan the project all at once but rather regularly in one work cycle. This format allows for responsiveness to challenges and the ability to correct faults as needed.

• Flexibility.

The flexibility of the process means that the team is always ready for changes, e.g. in the strategy or product development environment. In order not to lose momentum, it is necessary to test the product after each sprint. It is the only way to identify any errors that have occurred, which get considered when planning the next work cycle. It is these actions that help both the working team and the project itself to become more mobile and flexible.

• Customer and User Involvement in the Work on the Product.

Customer and user involvement in the work on the product is a fundamental principle borrowed from the Agile philosophy described above. The feedback from the customer and users allows us to understand what changes should be made to the product for the greatest convenience to the customers.

• Close Interaction of Team Members with Each Other.

The close interaction of team members with each other is also a basic tenet of all agile methodologies: team members work together as a unit. Moreover, even achieving a goal results from several people working together for the same result.

Scrum Values

There are five fundamental Scrum values:

1. Dedication or Commitment. In a Scrum methodology, all employees or team members should be aware of common goals, be committed to them, and support each other in achieving them.
2. Focus or Concentration. The primary focus for all Scrum team members must be to make maximum progress toward the goal. To do this, it is necessary to focus entirely on developing and improving the product.
3. Openness. Not only team members but also management and customers, in essence, all stakeholders should be open to discussing all emerging issues and problems.
4. Mutual Respect. All the scrum team members respect each other and do not allow unethical behaviour.
5. Courage enables all team members to propose the boldest and most unusual solutions to problems, which often turn out to be correct and most effective.

Thus, all activities of the staff must be aimed precisely at reinforcing these values and not, on the contrary, at neglecting them. When all team members share the same core values, three fundamental pillars of Scrum methodology emerge which support the work process:

• Transparency;

• Inspection;

• Adaptation.

Transparency implies that everyone on the Scrum team is ready and willing to share their accomplishments and, conversely, their challenges along the way. After all, Scrum methodology aims at analysing and identifying the causes of both success and failure. Remember that the key objective is a quality product, so pay attention to all the subtleties of production that trouble or challenge you. You should not hide any problems or mistakes that have been made.

The next "pillar" is inspection. In other words, it is an inspection of how the Scrum process is going and how the product is being improved. It involves answering the questions: what's easy and what's difficult, why it's difficult, how to fix it and what to do to improve it. It will solve problems that have already occurred and eliminate emerging issues, leading to the main goal - a quality product.

The last "pillar" has to do with adaptation. It means that all scrum team members must be prepared to adapt all processes to solve the identified problems. In other words, if problems are detected, one should immediately think of the most effective ways to change the situation - for example, changes in the production of the product itself, changes in working conditions for employees, and new arrangements with the customer.

These three "pillars" are closely linked, so don't neglect any of them. But moreover, agree that if regular inspections get carried out, but no further attention is paid to adaptation, it is pointless because the ultimate goal is to create the highest quality product possible.

Composition of the Scrum Team

The Scrum team is a working group of five to eight people. It is the best number, but there are also groups with fewer people. On the contrary, if there are more than eight people, their interaction becomes complicated, reducing the team's efficiency and productivity.

A team consists of:

• The Product Owner.

This person represents the product and mediates between the customer, the users and the development team. However, most often, the customer is a scrum team member.

• Scrum Master.

It must be a specialist who can lead the team to success. But simultaneously, they must manage the work team and ensure that the principles of Scrum methodology are followed. Therefore, such a specialist must maintain a balance: not to pressure employees, but not to do all the work themselves. At the same time, they aren't required to distribute responsibilities among the team members. The Scrum master only helps and guides while solving all the difficulties hindering the product creation process.

• The Developers Themselves.

The composition of a Scrum team implies several specialists with different skills and abilities. Indeed, the name "developers" is relative because the working team may consist of designers, programmers, and marketers, depending on the product. This diversity allows one team of several people to create a product from scratch. By the way, this is also a necessary clarification: one team equals one finished product.

Stages of the Scrum Team

Here are the stages in the formation of a Scrum team:

Stage 1: Assembling a Scrum Team.

First, you must identify those professionals who will make up your scrum team. Their united work determines the quality of your future product. Remember that with the Scrum method, all team members work as one. Also, team composition should not change, so it is vital to have professionals who share all the Scrum values.

Step 2: Identifying the Owner of the Product.

The owner of the product can be the customer or their representative. In any case, this person must be ready to interact with the team, give feedback, share their experience and offer exciting new solutions at all development stages.

Step 3: Choosing a Scrum Master.

The Scrum master is the most crucial part of the team since they determine how easy it will be for all the team members to work. However, it is also essential to understand that the team must not have a leader. All activities are based on the mutual exchange of opinions and knowledge, and the Scrum master acts as a curator and only helps the team to unite. Therefore, the Scrum master only plays the role of a mentor and only allows the team to collaborate. Thus, the Scrum master should be an experienced specialist familiar with Scrum methodology in theory and practice.

Step 4: Compiling the Product Backlog.

The backlog is an ordered list of the elements, functions, and tasks which your product should contain. It should be compiled before you start the actual development. In other words, the backlog is a list of all the product features and requirements that the product owner and all the parties must agree upon. This list is to be adhered to.

Step 5: Planning One Sprint.

All sprints start with planning. At the beginning of the sprint, a small planning meeting is held in which the teams determine what can be achieved in the sprint and how. Then, the Scrum team members analyse the product backlog together and make further decisions. At the end of the planning meeting, each team member should know what needs implementation. In other words, for each sprint, a key goal and objectives are set for the developers to achieve by the end of the work cycle. Thus, the sprint's backlog, i.e., the list of tasks for that period, is generated. Moreover, setting deadlines for each task at this stage is necessary.

Step 6: Conducting a Scrum Meeting or Stand-Up Meeting.

A daily scrum is a short, fifteen-minute (or even shorter) meeting to discuss progress and identify obstacles. You can also call it a "daily stand-up" because it is best to hold the meeting standing up to avoid keeping participants longer than necessary. The essence of such a meeting is to analyse the work done and to identify growth. Consequently, this is what they call a step on the way to the goal in Scrum methodology. To achieve this, each member of the group should answer several questions, for example:

• What have I managed to do since the last meeting?
• What do I need to do today?
• What are the obstacles or challenges?

In this case, the task of the Scrum master is to understand how things are going and, if something is going wrong, to help the team cope with the difficulties.

Step 7: Bringing In the Scrum Board.

The Scrum board is one of the techniques for visualising the workflow and is also used in Kanban methodology. Similarly, the Scrum team hangs or creates a virtual board divided into specific parts that reflect all the project stages. This relatively simple way helps all team members track overall and development progress.

Step 8: Sprint Retrospective.

In the Sprint Retrospective, you review the product after completing one sprint. At this point, testing the product and determining if all the tasks scheduled to be done for this cycle have been completed is necessary. Depending on this, planning and idea generation for the next sprint and so on are performed.

You can use Scrum methodology in any field, and participants of Scrum teams may be specialists in different areas. Nevertheless, the most common use of Scrum is with software teams. It enables teams to respond quickly to changing requirements and stay within a budget. Thus, it is challenging to identify the disadvantages in the Scrum approach, but it is essential to consider where it would be most beneficial. For the method to be effective, employees must be willing to experiment. You can delay introducing the Scrum methodology if a company successfully uses a well-established algorithm to create new products.