You Incomplete me, Scrum

Scrum is an incomplete framework. Yes! We will explain that, but, first, a quick background below.

What is Scrum?

Scrum is an agile project management framework created by Ken Schwaber in the 1990s, with the latest update in 2020. The framework is designed to help teams work together more effectively to deliver high-quality products. Scrum is based on iterative and incremental development, where requirements and solutions evolve through the collaborative effort of self-organizing and cross-functional teams. The framework emphasizes on delivering a potentially shippable product increment at the end of each sprint, which is typically a time-boxed period of one to four weeks. The Scrum framework consists of three roles: the Product Owner, the Scrum Master, and the Development Team. The Scrum framework also includes several events, such as Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective, which provide opportunities for the team to collaborate, plan, review progress, and continuously improve.

Why does Scrum Work?

Scrum is a widely adopted and highly regarded framework for agile project management, known for its flexibility, transparency, and focus on delivering value to the customer. It has proven to be effective for several reasons:

1. Iterative and incremental development: Scrum is based on the idea of developing software in small increments, which allows the team to respond to changing requirements and feedback from the customer. This approach ensures that the product being developed is always aligned with the customer's needs and expectations.
2. Flexibility: Scrum is highly adaptable to changing requirements and situations. The framework allows the team to change course quickly and respond to new challenges or opportunities.
3. Empowerment of the Scrum team: Scrum puts a lot of emphasis on self-organizing teams that are responsible for planning and executing their work. This approach empowers the team members to take ownership of their work and collaborate effectively to deliver high-quality products.
4. Continuous improvement: Scrum provides regular opportunities for the team to review and reflect on their work and identify areas for improvement. The framework encourages the team to continuously improve their processes and practices to deliver better results.
5. Clear roles and responsibilities: Scrum defines clear roles and responsibilities for the team members, which helps to promote accountability and transparency. This approach ensures that everyone on the team understands their role and how they contribute to the project's success.

Scrum is INCOMPLETE !!!!

HOWEVER, Scrum is not a prescriptive, step-by-step process guide. Wait? What??? Yes, the Scrum framework intentionally does not prescribe every little step for the team to follow.

But Why??

This is because Scrum is designed to be flexible and adaptable to different project contexts, team dynamics, and customer needs.

Scrum provides a set of guidelines and principles that the team can use to develop their own processes and practices that work best for them. This approach allows the team to take ownership of their work and adapt their processes to the specific needs of their project, without being overly prescriptive.

The flexibility of Scrum also allows the team to experiment and innovate, trying out new ideas and approaches to improve their work. The framework encourages continuous improvement, and the team can use feedback from the customer, stakeholders, and their own retrospectives to make changes to their processes as needed.

Leaving the framework incomplete allows the team to focus on delivering value to the customer rather than following a rigid process. The team can prioritize the work that is most important and adapt their processes as they go along, which can help to reduce waste and increase efficiency.

Overall, the incompleteness of the Scrum framework is a deliberate choice to promote flexibility, adaptability, and continuous improvement, allowing the team to develop their own processes and practices that work best for them and their project.

SO, WE CAN DO WHATEVER WE WANT in Agile and SCRUM FRAMEWORK?

No, not at all. It is entirely possible that some teams may claim to be Agile by changing the Scrum Framework and following part of it. However, it's important to note that there are certain principles to follow, as documented in the Agile Manifesto. Scrum is one of the most widely used frameworks for implementing the principles of the Agile Manifesto. While the Scrum framework does not prescribe every little step, it does provide a set of guidelines and principles that are aligned with the values and principles of the Agile Manifesto. These principles include:

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
• Working software over comprehensive documentation
• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
• Responding to change over following a plan

These principles guide the team's decision-making and behavior, and the Scrum framework provides a structured approach for implementing them in the context of software development.

Furthermore, the Scrum framework includes regular opportunities for the team to reflect on their work and identify areas for improvement, which can help to ensure that the team stays aligned with the principles of the Agile Manifesto. Simply using the Scrum framework does not guarantee adherence to the principles of the Agile Manifesto. It's up to the team to understand and embrace these principles and use the Scrum framework in a way that supports them.