Defined as a project management process anchored on incremental progress, the Agile Scrum methodology is a popular collaborative framework designed to approach complex projects. Every iteration has about three to four sprints where the target for each sprint is to establish a product’s leading features first until it becomes worthy of being launched. As team members gather more feedback during and between sprints, more features are added to better the product.
Whereas most project management philosophies encourage creating a product in one go and then gathering feedback after, the agile scrum methodology zeroes in on the principle of building products in multiple sprints to produce the most value in the least amount of time.
While this may seem radical to many entrepreneurs, this methodology is packed with benefits that one doesn’t always see in other business frameworks. For instance, because each set of targets has to be met within each sprint’s set duration, the agile scrum methodology pushes for the faster building of products. And because progress is measured heavily in phases, teams and leaders must focus on goal-setting and planning a lot more frequently. In other words, contrary to conventional methodologies where teams have only the final end-goal in mind, this strategy requires members to focus on meeting the requirements of every iteration gap first versus looking at the bigger picture altogether.
Defining scrum
Referred to as a framework meant to foster improved teamwork dynamics, scum was fundamentally designed to advance complex products. While software development teams are often the fondest of this methodology, scrum is perfect for any organization or group looking to meet objectives. Put merely, scrum is a collection of various tools, meetings, and roles that augment each other to improve how teams go about their workload and goals.
Who benefits from scrum the most?
Although scrum is advantageous to a host of enterprises, this methodology’s biggest beneficiaries are often the following:
- Teams with elaborate projects that deal with frequent backlogs will find scrum works best to hasten projects.
- Enterprises that put a premium in results — any business that values progress documentation will benefit significantly from scrum as the methodology is built on feedback gathered in multiple iterations.
- B2C enterprises — because market preferences dictate the business direction, scum functions terrifically for enterprises that directly cater to customers.
Defining agile
Referred to as a process that enables organizations to effectively manage projects by breaking them down into multiple phases, agile encourages stakeholders to work more collaboratively during every stage to ensure unison.
What are the advantages of the agile scrum methodology?
On the get-go, there are several benefits to going for this methodology. Here are a few:
- Better collaborations among teams
- Improved organizational harmony
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Creativity and innovation
- Cheaper costs
While each of these benefits is all amazing, the biggest advantage among all of these is flexibility. Because of the sprint-based strategy, feedback is more accounted for and is, therefore, more efficient. Should there be necessary adjustments, teams can quickly and easily modify product goals in the next phases to give way to more valuable iterations. In this manner, stakeholders are happier because they’re more actively involved in every stage of the process, whereas traditional project management processes only involve major stakeholders once everything is done.
To properly implement this methodology, it’s advised for a scrum expert—external or otherwise—to ensure scrum principles are being thoroughly practiced. More than anything, the agile scrum methodology demands precise execution. If not, everything can fall out of place.
The roles involved in the agile scrum methodology
There are two role sets involved in the agile scrum methodology: ancillary roles referred to as chickens, and core roles, referred to as pigs. Overall, the “pigs” are the product owner, the scrum master, and the team.
Let’s break down the roles:
Product Owner – representative of stakeholders, product owners symbolize customers, and clients. To make sure that the team consistently extends value to the business and its stakeholders, product owners dictate what the expectations are and keep track of necessary changes, on top of administering backlogs. Because, as the name implies, they are the product owner, they’re also in charge of calling the shots for every sprint.
Scrum Master – considered the facilitator of the development process, the scrum master is the one in charge of leading the team, from scheduling meetings to making sure everyone is motivated and on track.
Team – as the name implies, the team is the workforce behind the entire development process. These people are usually between three to ten individuals, each possessing analytical, design, and software-related skills to carry out necessary tasks. As with every other enterprise, team members are responsible for meeting deadlines and fulfilling business needs where and when applicable.
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