Scrum
Scrum is a project management framework primarily utilized in software development, designed to facilitate the efficient handling of complex projects. It involves self-directed teams that select tasks from a prioritized list, known as the product backlog, and work on them in iterative cycles called sprints, typically lasting two to four weeks. This structure allows teams to break larger projects into manageable segments while fostering continuous improvement through regular reviews and feedback meetings. Originating from a 1986 article by Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka, and later popularized by Jeff Sutherland and others, Scrum draws its name from a rugby term, reflecting teamwork and collaboration.
The Scrum methodology emphasizes the role of the ScrumMaster, who ensures adherence to Scrum principles and acts as a liaison between the team and the product owner. Companies that fully embrace Scrum have reported productivity increases of up to 400%. However, partial implementation can lead to challenges, particularly when integrating traditional workflows with Scrum practices. This adaptability has led to its adoption in various industries beyond software development, inspiring organizations to explore innovative operational frameworks like Lean and Agile methods. Overall, Scrum represents a shift towards more flexible and effective project management strategies.
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Scrum
Scrum is a process for managing projects. It is most often used in conjunction with the development of new software. The scrum process involves the use of self-directed teams that choose a task from a predetermined scrum list and work on that task until it is completed. The process allows complex projects to be broken down into manageable sections and worked on in an efficient and expedient manner. When the scrum process is followed completely, it reportedly increases productivity by as much as 400 percent. However, implementing only some aspects of the process usually results in failure. Some industries outside of software development have also begun implementing variations of scrum.
Background
The word scrum was borrowed from the sport of rugby. Play is restarted in rugby by a move called a scrum. The ball is placed between two groups of opposing players who keep their heads down and arms hooked together until they are able to kick the ball out of the area between them to their teammates. These specialized units play a key role in the success of the whole team. The move inspired Japanese business experts Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka to apply the term to a new specialized team approach to the management of the development process. They introduced the concept in a 1986 Harvard Business Review article entitled "The New New Product Development Game."
In 1993, American businessman Jeff Sutherland and colleagues Jeffrey McKenna and John Scumniotales expanded on the work of Takeuchi and Nonaka and put it into practice at Easel Corporation, a software development company later bought by VMARK. The business world as a whole learned of scrum when Sutherland and software developer Ken Schwaber gave a presentation entitled "The SCRUM Development Process" at the 1995 Object-Oriented Programming, Systems, Languages, and Applications (OOPSLA) conference in Austin, Texas. Since then, Sutherland, Schwaber, McKenna, software developer Mike Cohn, and others have refined the process and coached hundreds of companies in the implementation of the scrum process.
Overview
Scrum was developed to provide a structure for completing the complex process of developing new software. The process creates a framework that allows the larger task to be broken down into a number of smaller tasks that can be completed in short bursts, or sprints, of two to four weeks of work. As each task is completed, the teams review their work and reflect on the process to determine if there were any problems or room for improvement. They then take another task and start another sprint.
The product owner—the person or company that wants the new software—begins the scrum process by creating a list of priorities for the new product. This list includes all the things the product owner needs the new software to do in the order of importance. This becomes what scrum teams call the product backlog. The tasks are assigned priorities in a group event known as a sprint planning meeting, where the overall project is broken into sprint-sized chunks.
Each scrum team chooses a task from the top of the backlog list. The team then decides what needs to be done to complete it and how much time it will take. These deadlines are usually set for between two and four weeks and are unchangeable once established.
Each team is self-directed. Team members work with a ScrumMaster, a member of their team who helps ensure scrum principles are followed. The ScrumMaster also serves as a liaison between the team and those outside the team, including the product owner, to help ensure everyone understands how the process works and that the team is not interfered with during the process. The team reports directly to the product owner during the sprint process to address any questions, concerns, or changes. The team holds brief daily scrum meetings to update all members on progress, identify any problem areas, and make sure team members are continuing to work toward their goal.
During this process, the software company managers do not interfere with what the team is doing or how they are doing it. The teams are self-directed and completely responsible for having their task ready to present to the product owner at the end of the sprint. Once a sprint is completed, the team members review the work, get feedback from the product owner, and look for ways to improve their own processes. This is called the sprint retrospective. When this is done to the satisfaction of all concerned, the team chooses a new task and the process begins again.
The teams are the full focus of the scrum process. The team determines which tasks it will take, how much time it will take to complete the task, and sets the agenda for getting the work done in the timeframe established. The goals for completing the task are set by the team, and the team itself measures how well it is completing the task. Although these principles are part of other project management models, they were never combined in this way before the development of the scrum method.
Companies that fully implement the scrum method have reported radical jumps in productivity and effectiveness. In some cases, the workplace productivity increase has been estimated to range between 200 and 400 percent. However, these increases have only been seen when a company completely embraces the process for all aspects of its operation. When companies have tried to use scrum methodology only for certain aspects of its work, issues have developed between areas using scrum and those that do not. This is because the differences in the way work is handled sometimes mean conflicts in deadlines or difficulties integrating workflow between the areas. Still, the potential for improvement is so noteworthy that some companies outside of software development have looked for ways to adapt scrum methods to other types of business. Some customer service companies have adopted the sprint concept as a way to schedule teams to different areas of expertise, for instance. The scrum method is part of an overall shift to finding innovative ways to do business that also includes the Lean and Agile methods of corporate organization.
Bibliography
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