How do you maintain quality in Scrum artifacts?

1 Align with the vision

The first step to ensure quality in Scrum artifacts is to align them with the product vision and the customer needs. The product vision is a concise statement that describes the purpose, value proposition, and target market of the product. The product owner is responsible for creating and communicating the product vision to the Scrum team and the stakeholders. The product backlog is a prioritized list of features, requirements, and enhancements that support the product vision. The product owner should refine and update the product backlog regularly, based on feedback and changes in the market. The product backlog items should be clear, concise, testable, and valuable.

2 Define and follow the definition of done

The definition of done is a shared understanding of what it means for a product backlog item or an increment to be complete and ready for delivery. The definition of done should be agreed upon by the Scrum team and the stakeholders, and should include quality criteria, such as coding standards, testing, documentation, and compliance. The definition of done should be visible and transparent to everyone involved in the Scrum process. The Scrum team should follow the definition of done for each sprint backlog item and each increment, and should not compromise on quality for speed or scope.

3 Inspect and adapt

The Scrum framework promotes frequent inspection and adaptation of the product and the process, to ensure continuous improvement and alignment with the customer expectations. The Scrum team should inspect and adapt the Scrum artifacts at various events, such as the sprint planning, the daily Scrum, the sprint review, and the sprint retrospective. The Scrum team should use various tools and techniques, such as feedback loops, metrics, demos, and retrospectives, to monitor and measure the quality of the Scrum artifacts, and to identify and implement actions for improvement. The Scrum team should also embrace change and experimentation, and be open to learning from failures and successes.

4 Collaborate and communicate

The Scrum framework values collaboration and communication over documentation and contracts. The Scrum team should collaborate and communicate effectively with each other, with the product owner, and with the stakeholders, to ensure quality in Scrum artifacts. The Scrum team should use various channels and methods, such as face-to-face meetings, online platforms, code reviews, pair programming, and cross-functional teams, to share information, knowledge, feedback, and ideas. The Scrum team should also foster a culture of trust, respect, and transparency, and avoid silos, conflicts, and misunderstandings.

5 Apply technical excellence

The Scrum framework encourages the Scrum team to apply technical excellence and craftsmanship to the development of the product. The Scrum team should use various practices and tools, such as test-driven development, automated testing, continuous integration, continuous delivery, refactoring, and code quality analysis, to ensure quality in Scrum artifacts. The Scrum team should also follow the principles of simplicity, elegance, and emergent design, and avoid unnecessary complexity, waste, and technical debt. The Scrum team should also invest in their own professional development and learning, and seek feedback and guidance from experts and mentors.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?