Scrum Methodology

The Scrum methodology is an agile development approach used primarily for managing software development. It’s characterized by its emphasis on flexibility, iterative progress, and team collaboration.  

The key to Scrum is adaptability and iterative progress. As teams progress through work, they should constantly communicate, reevaluate their priorities and processes, and adapt to optimize productivity and product quality.  

Scrum is a subset of Agile, a set of principles for software development under which requirements and solutions evolve through the collaborative effort of self-organizing and cross-functional teams. Agile represents a broader philosophy and set of guidelines, while Scrum is a specific methodology for “how to be” Agile.  

Scrum’s emphasis on adaptability, communication, and iterative progress has made it a go-to methodology in project management. Its influence continues to grow as more industries start to adopt Agile practices.

Key Scrum Methodology Details

Here are some key details about Scrum:

1. Roles: Scrum has three fundamental roles: the Product Owner, the Scrum Master, and the Development Team.

• The Product Owner represents the business or user community and is responsible for working with the user group to determine what features will be in the product release.
• The Scrum Master is a facilitator for the product owner and the team and is responsible for managing the exchange of information between all parties. The Scrum Master ensures that the team adheres to Scrum principles and practices.
• The Development Team delivers high-quality, working software at the end of each sprint.

2. Artifacts: Scrum uses several artifacts to manage the work, including:

• Product Backlog: This is a prioritized list of all potential features of the product, managed by the product owner.
• Sprint Backlog: This is the list of tasks identified by the Scrum team to be completed during the current sprint.
• Burndown Chart: This chart shows how quickly work is completed and how much work remains.

3. Ceremonies: There are four key ceremonies (meetings) in Scrum:

• Sprint Planning: A meeting at the start of each sprint where the team decides what they will work on during that sprint.
• Daily Scrum (Standup): A short daily meeting where team members update each other on what they completed the previous day, what they are working on today, and any obstacles they face.
• Sprint Review: A meeting at the end of each sprint to show what tasks have been completed. It’s an opportunity to get feedback from stakeholders.
• Sprint Retrospective: This is a meeting held after the Sprint Review, during which the team discusses what worked, what didn’t, and how they can improve in the next sprint.

4. Sprints: Work in Scrum is divided into time-boxed iterations called sprints, typically lasting one to four weeks. The goal of each sprint is to create a usable, potentially shippable product increment.
5. User Stories: User stories are often used in Scrum to define requirements. Each user story includes a type of user, what they want, and why they want it, helping to keep the focus on the user’s needs.
6. Values and Principles: Scrum is based on the principles of transparency, inspection, and adaptation. It also emphasizes courage, focus, commitment, respect, and openness.  

Origins of Scrum

Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland formalized the Scrum methodology as we know it today in the early 1990s. The official Scrum rulebook has been regularly updated since its creation, with essential updates happening in 2020.

These updates have refined the framework over the years, and the guide is freely available for anyone to read and use.  

Scrum Certifications

Several Scrum certifications are available, such as Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), offered by organizations like the Scrum Alliance and Scrum.org.

These certifications help individuals demonstrate their knowledge and expertise in Scrum.  

Use Beyond Software Development

While Scrum was initially created for software development, it’s adaptable and used in other fields like marketing, HR, and education.

The focus on delivering value in small increments and learning and adapting can be applied to many contexts.  

Scrum in Under 5 Minutes