What is Agile Scrum Methodology?
Scrum is a framework that was created as a part of the Agile methodology. It was made to help teams address complex problems within a project. The Scrum method was created to improve productivity within the team and deliver products that deliver the highest value to the consumer in a creative manner.
The Agile Scrum Methodology is focused on improving teamwork through continuous learning using iterations. Scrum was mainly used by software development teams but has now grown to be accepted within other industries as well. The framework has principles and lessons that can be adapted by any team in any industry, making it all the more popular. The Scrum method consists of various tools, roles, and techniques that team members can learn to help them improve the structure of how they work.
Scrum, when applied correctly can be very successful. More than 62% of the projects completed using scrum have been successful. An ideal Scrum team is usually made of between four to nine team members, which is what leads to the highest levels of success.
What Are Scrum Values?
The Scrum framework was created on the empiricism theory. The theory of Empiricism states that all knowledge comes from shared experiences as well as decision-making processes based on pre-existing knowledge of what is known. This is why the Scrum method uses iterations with increments to ensure that all future risks can be controlled and it optimizes future predictions. There are three pillars of empiricism that the Scrum method upholds, which are listed below.
Transparency
Transparency is important for all stakeholders. There are certainly important aspects of the development process that need to be visible at all times to the team so that there is a clear outcome. These aspects need to be well-defined and standardized so everyone can easily understand and interpret all the information.
Inspection
All the artifacts used in every sprint need to be thoroughly examined by the Scrum team. This inspection helps in detecting any disruptions or undesirable variances in the process. It needs to be done regularly but in a way that it does not interrupt the sprint.
Adaptation
If there are any issues found during the inspection, the problems need to be addressed. This is so that the end product is acceptable to the customers. It can be solved by adapting or making adjustments to the processes so that all future deviations are minimized.
What Is a Scrum Master?
In a Scrum team, there are various roles assigned, and these roles are responsible for certain actions. The Scrum Master is one of them. The role of a Scrum Master is responsible to ensure that all the operations and processes in the project are being run in an Agile way. He is also responsible for making sure all the processes are going on smoothly. A Scrum Master’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Clearing up any problems or obstacles faced by the Scrum Team
- Creating an environment for the team to work efficiently and effectively
- Addressing the roles and responsibilities of each team member and maintaining the team dynamics
- Make sure that there is a healthy balance between the team and product owner and also all the other stakeholders involved in the project
- Creating an environment for the team to work without any external disruptions or distractions
What Is the Scrum Lifecycle?
A Scrum lifecycle can be defined as the steps and iterative stages that take place during the lifecycle of a project. The sprints or iterations are the main part of the Scrum lifecycle. All Scrum projects take place with multiple sprints until the final product is ready. Each sprint is then split into many stages to ensure timely and successful completion. This ensures high product quality and timely delivery.
What Is a Scrum Sprint?
A Scrum sprint is an iteration that is a part of a continuous development cycle for any given Scrum project. A sprint lasts for approximately 2 to 4 weeks where a certain amount of work needs to be completed by the Scrum team. With each sprint, more and more work of the project gets completed and reviewed. All main aspects of the project are broken down into multiple, consistent intervals to plan, refine, build, deliver, and review the product until it reaches its final stage of completion.
What Are the Scrum Ceremonies?
Each sprint is made up of four stages known as Scrum ceremonies so that it gets executed perfectly. The ceremonies are listed below.
Sprint Planning
Sprint planning creates an environment for a successful sprint for the entire team. All team members participate before beginning any sprint to discuss all product backlog items with each other, discuss the timelines, and the timelines to complete the sprint. After this, there is a sprint forecast made to create a sprint backlog to complete within the duration of the sprint. This is the backbone of any sprint.
Daily Scrum
The daily scrum takes place every day of the sprint to make sure all team members stay updated on their progress. It creates transparency and accountability within the team. It is a short meeting held at a specific time of the day where certain questions are answered and problems addressed. It is not a detailed meeting, which means it does not last for more than ten to fifteen minutes. Team members discuss what has been completed, what they will be working on in the day, and if there are any issues faced.
Sprint Review
There is a review conducted after each sprint gets completed by the entire Scrum team. Here the team can showcase what they have done and review the developments they have worked on in the sprint. It creates a platform for feedback for the team members so that they can improve their processes in the next sprint. It is a complete review of the work done in the sprint so this Scrum ceremony is not a time-bound process.
Sprint Retrospective
The final ceremony takes place after the review and does not last longer than one hour. The Scrum team gets together to discuss the feedback provided in the review to come up with ways to implement it in future sprints. It helps with the continuous improvement of processes in the Scrum team, which is a very important aspect of Agile.
What Are the Scrum Artifacts?
The Scrum Artifacts are crucial aspects of the Agile Scrum Methodology to help with the product development process. They give the Scrum team all the important information necessary to create a successful sprint. The artifacts consist of Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Increment.
Product Backlog
A product backlog is essentially a list of requirements for a product. It is made up of all the features, functions, enhancements, and fixes that are necessary for a product life cycle. According to a recent survey, 70% of the PBIs take less than three weeks to go through the entire workflow of all product backlogs. A product backlog is updated regularly based on the change in requirements.
Sprint Backlog
The PBIs are divided into sprints, creating the Sprint Backlog, which is essentially the list of the items in a product backlog that need to be completed within a sprint. A sprint backlog also includes a plan to deliver product increments and how the team can achieve the Sprint Goal. It defines the work of the development team that is necessary to meet the objective of the sprint.
Increment
The final artifact is an increment, which is the total of all the completed product backlog items within the duration of a sprint and the sprints before. After each sprint, the increment needs to be marked as “Done,” which is an acceptable usable condition for the product, whether or not it gets released.
Final Thoughts
To understand and implement the Agile Scrum Methodology, it is imperative that Scrum teams are trained in popular Agile Certification Courses. Once a major percentage of employees are trained in Agile methodology, then it becomes easier for enterprises to achieve complete Agile transformation through Scrum best practices.
Some of the popular Agile Certification Courses that individuals and enterprise teams can take up are:
