SCRUM

Definition

Scrum is a single-team process framework used to manage product development.

The framework consists of scrum roles, events, artifacts and rules.

Scrum can be used in:

• complex environment
• complex projects

So, it is essential to implement all scrum events.

It uses sprints approach to deliver working product.

Scrum is run on sprints of equal timeboxes of 1 month or less.

The sprint is a stage where a potentially releasable increment of product (working product) is produced.

SCRUM ROLES

1. Product Owner:

He is an individual that is responsible for:

• defining and maximizing the value of the product.
• creating, prioritizing and communicating the product backlog.
• ensuring that the product backlog is transparent, visible and understood.
• approving requested changes to the product backlog.
• communicating the project objectives to internal and external stakeholders.
• participating in scrum reviews and scrum retrospectives.

Product owner better be specialist in the project discipline, not just a client representative.

2. Scrum Master:

He is the servant leader who is responsible for:

• ensuring the scrum process is appropriately performed and is effective by ensuring that the scrum team adheres to the scrum practices and rules.
• coaching the development team members in self-management and cross-functionality.
• removing impediments and obstacles that face the work.
• protecting the team and the process from disruptions.
• facilitating the scrum events to ensure they are effective and within the timebox.
• explaining agile to internal and external stakeholders as required.
• helping the scrum team to focus on creating high-value increments.
• helping the product owner in managing the product backlog such as creating, prioritizing, communicating, grooming and changing it.

3. Development Team:

It is a group of individuals that:

• comprises a team that is:

1. cross-functional (because it is performed by single team)
2. self-organizing

• are committed to creating shippable working increment each sprint.

The development team should have everything the team shall need to deliver working products without depending on others outside of the team.

The development team is responsible for:

• developing for each sprint a:

1. sprint backlog
2. sprint plan

• creating a shippable working increment each sprint.
• continually adapting their actionable plan towards sprint objectives.

SCRUM EVENTS

1. Sprint:

It is timeboxed stage where a potentially releasable increment (working product) of the project product is produced.

2. Sprint planning

A collaborative event conducted by:

• product owner
• scrum master
• development team

where they plan the work of the current sprint.

The sprint planning includes:

• The Sprint objectives. It is identified by the whole scrum team.
• Items from the product backlog to be developed in the sprint. They are selected by the development team.
• Actionable plan that contains activities to develop selected items considering scope, time and cost of the sprint. It is prepared by the development team.

These three items are referred to as the sprint backlog.

Sprint planning is timeboxed to maximum eight hours for a one-month sprint.

3. Daily scrum:

A brief, daily collaboration meeting conducted by:

• scrum master
• development team

where they:

• review progress from the previous day.
• adjust the sprint backlog and work plan as necessary.
• present the works to be performed on the current day.
• highlight any obstacles encountered or expected (not discuss the obstacles nor how to remove them).

The scrum master and development team can hold other meetings as required during the day to discuss:

• adjusting the sprint backlog and work plan for new arising reasons.
• in more detail, the adjustments on the sprint backlog and work plan that discussed in the daily scrum.
• in more detail, the obstacles that presented in the daily scrum and how to remove them.
• the technical aspects of the development.

Usually, the daily scrum is held every working day at the same time and place.

The daily scrum is timeboxed to 15 minutes.

It is also known as daily standup.

4. Sprint review:

It is meeting conducted by the:

• product owner
• scrum master
• development team
• selected key stakeholders

at the sprint end where:

• the scrum master and the development team review the sprint outcome by:

1. inspecting it.
2. determining future adaptations to it.

• the scrum master and development team present to the product owner and selected key stakeholders:

1. the sprint outcome (the increment) with analysis of:

1.1. items that done as planned

1.2. items that not done considering their mandatory deadlines.

1.3. incorporated changes

1.4. overcame obstacles

2. the progress toward the project outcome.

• the attendees validate the sprint outcome and decide:

1. what items to be categorized “Done”.
2. what remain categorized “Not Done”.

• the attendees suggest:

1. adjustments and updates to the product backlog if required.
2. changes on processes or team if required.

The meeting outputs may affect the product backlog.

The sprint review is timeboxed to a maximum four hours for a one-month Sprint.

5. Sprint retrospective:

It is meeting that conducted by:

• scrum master
• development team

after the sprint review where they plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness of the:

• Development processes.
• Development tools.
• Development team performance.

The development team discusses:

• what done well during the sprint.
• what not done well during the sprint how they were (or were not) solved.
• what would done better if somethings were different.
• the delivery performance of development team
• what can improve the processes, tools and team performance.

The meeting outputs may affect the:

• product backlog.
• sprint backlog for the next sprint.

Sprint retrospective is a lessons learned workshop.

It should be conducted in trust atmosphere without blaming or judging.

The sprint retrospective is timeboxed to a maximum three hours for a one-month Sprint.

SCRUM ARTIFACTS

1. Product backlog:

It is a prioritized list of work items that the development team shall develop during the project.

It is derived from the product requirements by the product owner in collaboration with relevant stakeholders such as the:

• business analysts
• end users
• development team
• subject matter experts

It is the single source of:

• work to be undertaken by the development team during the project.
• work items to be selected for development in the sprints.

Outside the sprints, the product backlog continually be updated as necessary by adding, eliminating, refining, splitting and/or reordering the work items.

The product backlog update should be upon the product owner approval.

This process in also known as grooming.

2. Sprint backlog:

It is a list of work items identified by the development team to be completed during the sprint.

It also includes actionable plan that contains activities for delivering the Increment (the sprint plan).

However, it accepts swarming to remove bottlenecks.

It is prepared by the development team.

It can be updated during the sprint the development team but without adding new tasks from the product backlog.

3. Increment:

It is a functioning, tested and accepted product that is a subset of the overall project outcome.

It is described as shippable working product.

SCRUM STEPS

Step 1:

The project sponsor selects the followings from his organization or contracts with a contractor to provide them:

• product owner.
• scrum master.
• development team.

Step 2:

The product owner:

• defines the maximum values that the project outcome shall provide (define project scope).
• develops the product backlog from the product requirements in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
• prioritizes the product backlog.
• communicates the product backlog and the project objectives to the scrum master and the development team.

Step 3:

The development team agrees on a sprint duration based on the:

• team capacity.
• management and technical tools.
• total efforts to deliver all items in the product backlog.

Step 4:

The:

• product owner
• scrum master
• development team

conduct a sprint planning meeting for the first sprint to plan the work of the sprint such as:

• defining the sprint objectives (by the whole scrum team).
• selecting Items from the product backlog to be developed in the sprint (by the development team).
• setting actionable plan that contains activities to develop selected items considering scope, time and cost of the sprint (by the development team).
• organize these three items in the one document called sprint backlog (by the development team).

Step 5:

The:

• scrum master
• development team

conduct the daily scrum meeting for the sprint to:

• review progress from the previous day.
• adjust the sprint backlog and work plan as necessary.
• present the works to be performed on the current day.
• highlight any obstacles encountered or expected.

Step 6:

The development team:

• develop and test the items in the sprint backlog.
• adapt the actionable plan:

1. to better delivery.
2. towards sprint objectives.

The scrum master:

• ensures that the scrum process is appropriately performed and is effective.
• coaches that the development team members in self-management and cross-functionality.
• removes the impediments and obstacles that faces the work and development team.
• protects the team and the process from disruptions.

Step 7:

The:

• scrum master
• development team

can hold more meetings as required during the sprint to discuss:

• adjusting the sprint backlog and work plan for new arising reasons.
• in more detail, the adjustments on the sprint backlog and work plan that discussed in the daily scrum.
• in more detail, the obstacles that presented in the daily scrum and how to remove them.
• the technical aspects of the increment development.

Step 8:

The:

• product owner
• scrum master
• development team
• selected key stakeholders

conduct a sprint review meeting at the sprint end.

In this meeting:

• the scrum master and development team:

1. present the sprint outcome (sprint increment).
2. present the progress toward the project outcome.

• the attendees:

1. inspect the sprint outcome (sprint increment)
2. validate the sprint outcome and decide on what items considered “Done” and items considered “Not Done”.
3. suggest adjustments and updates to the product backlog, project team and processes if required.

Step 9:

The:

• scrum master
• development team

deliver the sprint outcome (sprint outcome).

Step 10:

The:

• scrum master
• development team

conduct a sprint retrospective meeting after the sprint review meeting.

In the meeting they plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness of the:

• development processes.
• development tools.
• team performance.

by discussing:

• what done well during the Sprint.
• what not done well during the Sprint how they were (or were not) resolved.
• what would done better if somethings were different.
• the delivery performance of development team.
• what can improve the processes, tools and team performance.

Step 11:

After the sprint completion, the product owner:

• return the “Not Done” work items to the product backlog.
• review product backlog, update it by the considering feedback and reprioritize its items as required.
• if requested, approves/disapproves the requested changes to the product backlog.

Step 12:

The development team calculates the team velocity in (stories/sprint) or (story points/sprint) by dividing:

• the actual completed stories or the story points of actually completed stories in all previous completed sprints by
• the number of these sprints.

The team velocity is a factor for identifying the volume of the stories in the next sprint.

Step 13:

The:

• product owner
• scrum master
• development team

repeats the steps from step "4" till completing all work items in the product backlog.