Software Development and Project Management with Scrum -Empirical Process Control

The previous article on this Scrum series showed the six principles that are essential to the Scrum Framework. In this article, one of these principles will be detailed, the Empirical Process Control.

Three behaviors contribute to better decision-making processes based on observation and experimentation:

Transparency: all aspects of the Scrum process are prone to be checked, observed by anyone, feeding an open work culture through the transparent, easy flow of information. Artifacts of the process must be shared to achieve process transparency:

1. The Project Vision Statement

2. The Prioritized Product Backlog (PPB) with User Stories

3. The Release Planning Schedule

Transparency of these items is attained thru: 

1. Information Radiators, where the information is constantly updated:

a. Burndown Chart

b. Scrumboard

2. Daily Standup Meetings, where teams report:

a. What they have done in the previous day

b. What they plan to do today

c. What problems are pesting their work so far

Inspection: the main point of inspection for Scrum processes is, among other radiators, the Scrumboard, which reports the progress in the current Sprint. Additionally, other opportunities for inspection may be found on the collection of feedback from the customer and other stakeholders during the phases:

1. Develop Epic(s)

2. Create PPB

3. Conduct Release Planning

Other point of inspection and feedback from stakeholders is the Demonstrate and Validate Sprint, during the Review Meeting. 

Adaptation: happens when the Scrum Core Team and Stakeholders have learned through transparency and inspection and, based on that knowledge, make adaptations to improve the work. Opportunities to adapt occur during:

1. Daily Standup Meetings, where impediments are identified

2. Constant Risk Identification: identified risk are input to the processes:

a. Create PPB 

b. Groom PPB

c. Create Sprint Backlog

3. Change Requests, that are discussed in the processes:

a. Develop Epic(s)

b. Create PPB

c. Groom PPB

4. Scrum Guidance Body, that interacts with Scrum Team members to provide expertise on adaptation during the processes:

a. Create User Stories

b. Estimate Tasks

c. Create Deliverables

d. Groom PPB

5. Retrospect Sprint Meetings, where Agreed Actionable Improvements are signed, with adaptations to be integrated into future Sprints and into future projects.

6. Retrospect Project Meetings, where the lessons learned are formalized into documents and improvement opportunities are identified.

So far, so good. In the next article we will continue to explore the Scrum Principles, talking about Self-Organization.