Scrum: How does it Work?

On the Internet, I often come across articles "Agile VS Scrum", an "expert" opinion that these are completely different concepts. But in fact, Agile can somehow exist without Scrum, but Scrum can’t exist without Agile. Agile is a family of flexible approaches to software development. Scrum is an Agile framework that provides all the basic modules for organizing workflow and efficient teamwork. Scrum makes all activities productive, and features are as valuable as possible for the business. Although Agile and Scrum originated in the IT environment, they can be applied to any area of activity that requires teamwork. Let’s see how it works!

1. What is Scrum?

Scrum is a development methodology that is divided into clear, fixed iterations — Sprints. The Scrum framework is based on five values: Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, and Courage. Scrum teams don't have a vertical hierarchy. The work is flexible.

Scrum is based on the 3-5-3 rule: 3 roles, 5 events, 3 artifacts.

2. What are the key roles in Scrum?

According to the Scrum Guide, the core idea of Scrum is that work is done in small teams. In these Scrum teams, there are only three roles: Product Owner, Development Team and Scrum Master.

The Product Owner is one person who can make any decisions related to the product. The functions are to represent the client, sponsor, manage, and advertise. At the same time, he is a member of the team and is always available to clarify requirements or make decisions.

The Development Team is people directly involved in the creation of the product: developers, testers, designers, etc. The team size usually doesn’t exceed 9 people, which means that specialists must be cross-functional. That is, a team of narrowly focused specialists is unlikely to be able to work according to Scrum principles. A distinctive feature is that the team doesn't require constant monitoring. Team members work on the principle of self-organization: they manage their work independently.

The Scrum Master may seem to many to be the very manager who controls the team, but this is not so. The role of the Scrum Master in creating an effective workspace and organization of processes. They help while remaining neutral.

3. What are Key Events in Scrum?

The 5 main Events in Scrum include Sprints, Sprints Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective.

A sprint is a time period ranging from a week to a month. Most often, teams use monthly sprints, but the duration is not the most important thing. It is more important that the sprints are of the same length. Within one sprint, a usable and releasable product increment is created. A new sprint starts after the end of the previous one.

In Sprint Planning, the work that will be done during one Sprint is discussed. The key points are the main functions of the developed software and the steps for creating these functions. Scrum Teams also set goals in the Sprint Planning.

Planning lasts up to 4hours for a two-week Sprint and up to 8 hours for a monthly Sprint. It is controlled by the Scrum Master so that the discussion does not drag out in time and there are no conflicts.

Daily meetings are designed to share the daily updates. Team members meet online or offline and talk about what they have done, what they plan to do and what difficulties they have encountered. This contributes to team cohesion. In addition, each of its members always keeps abreast of the latest changes. The duration of such a meeting is not more than 15 minutes.

At the end of the Sprint, the teams showcase what they have been working on during the Sprint. It's called Sprint Review. Teams not only show their achievements, but also receive immediate feedback.

The Sprint Retrospective concludes the Sprint. Team members discuss the actions and results of the Sprint, as well as note its pros and cons, which will be taken into account when planning the next Sprint.

4. What are the Artifacts in Scrum?

There are three artifacts in Scrum: the Product Backlog, the Sprint Backlog and the Increment. They ensure transparency of key information, so that all participants in the process have a common understanding of each of the artifacts.

The Product Backlog is a list of tasks for product development. This list is organized and constantly updated. Availability, ordering and filling the product backlog is the task of the product owner. In the course of refining the product backlog, tasks are revealed: supplied with up-to-date refinement information, broken down into smaller and more specific ones, received size estimates and ordered.

The Sprint Backlog is the result of the sprint planning. It includes the tasks selected for this Sprint and other elements. The Sprint Backlog answers the questions "Why?" (goals), "What to do?" (tasks) and "How to do?" (plan for the implementation of tasks).

managed by the Developers for the Developers themselves.

The Increment is a collection of all items in the sprint backlog, the result of one sprint.

Conclusion:?

Scrum is an iterative and incremental approach to software development. Scrum's goal is to optimize the way software is developed, delivered, and supported. Scrum is needed for work planning, system organization of the workflow, development of responsibility and self-organization in the team. The methodology makes it easy to adapt to changing environmental factors and constantly learn. It is a framework designed to help teams of software developers, working in close proximity, to organize their efforts.?

Scrum is a way for people to collaborate and coordinate their efforts to create a product of the highest quality. This agile methodology defines clear roles for participants, so it can be used in companies with different work specifics. There are 3 basic roles in Scrum: Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Scrum Team. There are also artifacts that define the framework:? the Product Backlog, the Sprint Backlog, and the Increment.