Scrum: Definition, method and process

Scrum is an agile project management model that allows small teams to work in a self-organized manner. It is particularly suitable for complex projects where the specific requirements are unclear at the beginning. Find out here what Scrum is all about, how the Scrum process works and what the advantages and limitations are.

Definition: What is Scrum?

Scrum is a framework for a specific type of project management. It is characterized by lean processes, step-by-step development and regular feedback loops. Originally it was mainly used in software development, but it is now used in many other industries.

At the heart of Scrum is an incremental, iterative process: in individual, self-contained phases (= sprints), different product versions are created one after the other. These sprints are repeated until a satisfactory finished product is obtained.

The term Scrum means like “crowd”. This should illustrate the close cooperation in the team and the concentrated work in phases.

The Inventors

The beginnings of Scrum go back to the Japanese scientists Ikujirō Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi. The two software developers Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber formalized their considerations and published the Scrum framework in 1995. Sutherland and Schwaber also publish the Scrum Guide, which you can download for free.

What Advantages does Scrum Offer?

The goal of Scrum is the fast and cost-effective development of marketable products – especially in a dynamic environment. As a method of agile project management, Scrum offers the possibility to react flexibly to changed requirements and goals during development.

Ken Schwaber, one of the fathers of Scrum, put it this way with regard to software development:

“Scrum accepts that the development process is unpredictable. The product is the best possible software considering cost, functionality, time and quality.”

The advantages of Scrum also include:

  • Risks of incorrect development are reduced because the product is developed step by step and goes through numerous feedback loops.
  • High transparency for stakeholders and team members through regular meetings.
  • Quick and early user feedback, which can be incorporated; guarantees high usability of the end product.
  • The lean processes ensure that the products developed are brought to market quickly.
  • Short sections with tangible results increase motivation in the team.
  • Continuous learning and improvement process through systematic reflection.

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In a Nutshell: Overview of the Scrum Method

Before we go into detail about the individual elements of Scrum, here is a brief overview of the Scrum method:

Working in Sprints

The core of Scrum is formed by the so-called “sprints”. These are work phases of a maximum of 4 weeks in which work is carried out on a partial goal or a specific product version. At the end of the sprint, the result is presented to the stakeholders (customers, top management) in a review. In addition, there takes place a reflection of the work process (the so-called retrospective).

The Scrum Team

Scrum works in small teams of no more than ten people. The interdisciplinary Scrum team works independently and self-organized. There are three roles within the team:

  • Scrum Master: ensures compliance with the Scrum rules
  • Product Owner: bears the ultimate responsibility for the product
  • Developers: work on the concrete implementation of the product

In order to realize the Scrum model, there is a relatively clear set of rules with predefined elements. The three roles in the Scrum team, the so-called artefacts and the regular events, are particularly important. Now let’s take a closer look at this.

Scrum: Definition, Method & Process

The 3 Roles in the Scrum team

As previously mentioned, members of the Scrum Team assume one of three predefined roles. This is associated with different tasks.

Scrum Master

The Scrum Master is responsible for the implementation of the Scrum principles. He coaches the other team members with regard to the Scrum process, optimizes the general conditions and ensures a productive way of working. In the new implementation of Scrum, his role is particularly important and time-consuming. Well-rehearsed Scrum teams only need their support occasionally.

Product Owner

The Product Owner is responsible for the product to be developed or the project goal. He defines the properties of the product and prioritizes the requirements of the stakeholders. He is in regular contact with them and passes their feedback on to the team. In addition, the product owner keeps the so-called product backlog (see section “Artifacts”), where the current features and functions of the product are recorded.

Developers

As you can guess, the developers take care of the development of the product. This means they are responsible for realizing the requirements that the product owner has specified. However, they decide independently how to implement these requirements technically. There is no hierarchy within the development team, but there are different competencies and departments (e.g. testers, UX specialists, technicians).

Outside of the Scrum Team: the stakeholders

In addition to the Scrum team itself, the stakeholders also play an important role. These include, e.g.;

  • the clients (or “customers”) of the product
  • the users of the finished product
  • the management of the company

The stakeholders are regularly involved, are present at many meetings and provide their feedbacks (see section “Events”).

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The 3 Artifacts in Scrum

The somewhat awkward word “artifacts” describes the work results in a Scrum process. Again, there are three in number.

Product Backlog

In the Product Backlog, the requirements for the product are recorded in order of priority. The product backlog is not fixed from the beginning and does not always remain the same. On the contrary: It is dynamic and is constantly being further developed in the Scrum process. In this way, requirements can be reformulated, new ones can be added or other priorities can be set.

The product backlog is maintained by the Product Owner. It serves the development team as a guideline for planning their specific work steps.

What are User Stories?

The product requirements are often formulated in so-called user stories. These are short sentences that make a benefit clear for the user.

An example where the product is a durable outdoor backpack:

As a 55-year-old mountaineer, I want to sweat as little as possible on my back so that I don’t catch a cold on the ascent.

They always follow the same pattern in structure:

As a USER, I want FUNCTION or PROPERTY, so USE.

Sprint Backlog

The Sprint Backlog is something like a to-do list for an upcoming sprint. To do this, certain requirements are selected from the product backlog that are to be implemented in the next sprint. The development team then breaks these down into specific tasks in Sprint Planning (see the “Events” section) that need to be completed in order to meet the requirements.

Product Increment

The product increment is the intermediate product that is available at the end of a sprint. A Product Increment includes all of the fulfilled requirements from the Product Backlog that have been completed during the current Sprint and all previous Sprints. Each event has a set maximum duration to run efficiently.

The 4 Events in Scrum

In addition to the roles and the artifacts, there are also four events (or sometimes “events” or “ceremonies”) defined that occur in each sprint:

Sprint Planning

Sprint planning is – how could it be otherwise – at the beginning of each sprint phase. The development team and the Product Owner first determine what is to be achieved in the next sprint, i.e. which requirements are implemented. The developers then plan how this can be achieved in concrete terms and which steps are necessary. These are then recorded in the sprint backlog.

Duration: Maximum two hours for each sprint week, i.e., eight hours for a four-week sprint.

Daily Scrum

During the Sprint, the Scrum Team meets daily for a short meeting, the Daily Scrum. This is just a brief exchange between team members about the upcoming tasks of the day. Everyone on the development team should report briefly…

  • what he worked on the previous day,
  • what his plan is for that day, and
  • what prevents him or the team from reaching the sprint goal.

In order to keep the whole thing as short and concise as possible, the Daily Scrum is often carried out standing up.

Duration: Maximum 15 minutes per day

Sprint Review

At the end of each sprint, a sprint review takes place, in which the result (i.e. the product increment) is presented to the stakeholders. It is discussed which requirements – i.e. user stories – from the product backlog have been fulfilled. The Product Increment may be tested by users. With the help of stakeholder feedback, the product owner defines new requirements or revises the product backlog.

Duration: One hour for each Sprint week, i.e., four hours for a four-week sprint.

Sprint Retrospective

Finally, there takes place the sprint retrospective. Here only the Scrum team meets and reflects on the previous sprint: What worked well? Where is there room for improvement, e.g., in relation to tools, internal communication, certain processes? In this way, collaboration in the Scrum team can be improved from sprint to sprint. Under certain circumstances, it can also be a result of the retrospective that some Scrum events are no longer carried out or carried out differently.

Duration: 45 minutes for each sprint week, i.e., three hours for a four week sprint.

The Scrum Process: Procedure

Now you have already got a good impression of what constitutes Scrum and what working with it looks like. The following is an overview of the Scrum process:

  1. Sprint Planning: The Product Owner and development team set sprint goals and break them down into smaller individual tasks. The sprint backlog is created.
  2. Development phase with Daily Scrum: The Scrum team works on the implementation of the sprint goals and ticks off task by task one after the other. A daily scrum helps keep track of the plan.
  3. Sprint Review: The finished product increment is presented, team members and stakeholders provide feedback. The product backlog is revised.
  4. Sprint Retrospective: The procedure in the sprint is reflected and improved if necessary.

… and repeat: The end of the sprint is the beginning of the sprint, until there is a satisfactory end product. So the whole Scrum process looks like the following.

Sprint 1
1. Sprint Planning
2. Development Phase
3. Sprint Review
4. Sprint Retrospective

Sprint 2
1. Sprint Planning
2. Development Phase
3. Sprint Review
4. Sprint Retrospective

Sprint X
1. Sprint Planning
2. Development Phase
3. Sprint Review
4. Sprint Retrospective

Limits of the Scrum Method

A certain amount of hype has developed around Scrum, so that sometimes it is overlooked that every project management method also has its disadvantages. Agile methods such as Scrum in particular are not suitable for every environment and every project. Their use should therefore be carefully considered.

Scrum brings the following disadvantages:

  • No Guarantee of Success: What the end product will ultimately look like is not specified at the beginning.
  • Low Predictability: time and costs for the end product are difficult to estimate at the beginning.
  • High Communication Effort: numerous meetings and internal coordination are necessary.
  • Extensive Training Period: A newly formed team without Scrum experience needs some time to learn this working style.
  • Cultural Change may be necessary: In hierarchical, traditional organizations, a comprehensive cultural change is required to implement Scrum.
  • Role Conflicts: in Scrum teams, many responsibilities are not clearly defined, but have to be negotiated individually, which can lead to conflicts.

 

Overall, the organization as well as the team members and the project must fit Scrum. Scrum is not recommended, for example, in the following cases:

  • Hierarchical structures and traditional management styles (without willingness to relearn)
  • Little experience of the organization with agility
  • Projects with clear requirements (the what and how is already clear at the beginning)
  • The employees need a lot of guidance and do not work independently.

 

Even if employees are employed with labor contracts, working with Scrum is difficult – since no fixed end products are defined.

Software and Tools for Scrum

There are now numerous software solutions that are intended to make working with Scrum easier. The most popular include:

  • Jira: A very versatile tool with numerous functions. For smaller or inexperienced teams, however, it can become a bit too complex.
  • VivifyScrum: This software scores with clarity and user-friendliness, but has fewer functions, e.g. B. There is no support for the retrospective.
  • Targetprocess: The implementation here is very simple – and the tool is also suitable for larger Scrum networks or scaled Scrum processes.
  • nTask: An inexpensive alternative that is even free for teams of up to five people. Upgrades are available for larger companies that want more features.
  • Axosoft: This tool is significantly more expensive than other solutions, but includes several unique features. Suitable for complex software projects where testing and user feedback play a major role.

FAQs on project management with Scrum

What is Scrum?

Scrum is a model of agile project management. In this process, product versions are created in self-contained phases that are continuously developed further. These phases, also called “sprints”, are repeated until a satisfactory product is available.

What is a Scrum Master?

A Scrum master is one of the 3 roles in the Scrum team. The task of this role is to ensure compliance with the Scrum rules. The Scrum master is also responsible for ensuring that the Scrum principles are implemented and that the method as a framework is successful.

What does a Scrum Master do?

As a Scrum Master, the role of the person is to coach the other team members and optimise the framework conditions so that a productive way of working can be ensured. His role is particularly important during the new implementation, which requires a high level of time intensity for the Scrum Master.

When does Scrum make sense?

Scrum is particularly useful for complex projects. In such projects, the specific requirements are usually uncertain at the beginning. The agility of the Scrum method enables the project team to react flexibly to new challenges.

What is the Scrum Method?

The Scrum method is the execution of so-called sprints (phases) for the development of a product. These sprints last a maximum of 4 weeks and are executed by a designated Scrum team. This team consists of a maximum of 10 people and is divided into Scrum Master, Product Owner and Developer.

Where can Scrum be Used?

Scrum is used very often in software development, but is basically suitable for various industries. It is particularly useful for developing complex products where the requirements are not clear from the start.

What is a Scrum Team?

The Scrum team works together on a product or project and consists of a maximum of 10 people. There are three different roles within the team: the Scrum Master, the Product Owner and the Developers.

What is a Sprint?

A Sprint is a completed phase of work within the Scrum process that lasts up to four weeks. At the beginning of the Sprint, the sprint goals are set; at the end of the sprint, the further developed product is presented and tested.

What are Scrum artifacts?

The Scrum artifacts are the work products of the Scrum process. These include the further developed product (product increment), the product backlog (the constantly updated requirements for the product) and the sprint backlog (the concrete work plan for a sprint).

What does a Product Owner Do?

The Product Owner is responsible for the quality of the end product. He revises and updates the requirements for the product, communicates with stakeholders and sets the goals for each Sprint together with the developers.

For which Environments is Scrum Suitable?

Scrum is particularly suitable for industries that are characterized by disruptions and in which customer requirements can change quickly. In addition, Scrum is particularly suitable for agile organizations in which there is personal responsibility, customer orientation, transparency and flexibility.

What Speaks against Scrum?

If the environment is rather rigidly organized and there are fixed hierarchies, then a Scrum team cannot work effectively. In this case, traditional project management methods make more sense. The same applies to clearly defined projects whose goals are already set in advance. Here, too, Scrum is not the ideal tool of choice.

Conclusion: Product Development in a Dynamic Environment with Scrum

Are you developing complex products where the ideal final version is not clear from the start? Then Scrum could be a framework to make your company even more successful: With the iterative approach, exactly those features that users really want can gradually be integrated. However, the prerequisite is that agile working is not a foreign word in your company, Bbecause Scrum thrives on motivated, responsible employees with a willingness to learn.