Get to know what SCRUM is all about

Have you heard about SCRUM and want to implement it in your business? In this article we will help guide you through the main benefits and how to get started with implementing Scrum in your organisation.

Scrum is a framework for project management that emphasises teamwork, accountability and iterative progress toward a well-defined goal. 

The framework begins with a simple premise: Start with what can be seen or known. After that, track the progress and tweak, as necessary.

Scrum is a methodological approach to software development that emphasises flexibility and cross-functionality. The approach promotes cross-functional collaboration between members of the same team. However, it can be confusing for newcomers. 

The five Scrum values are commitment, focus, openness, respect, and courage. In Scrum methodology, these values serve as a guide for individual and team behaviour, intending to boost collaboration and increase the odds of project success.

Here are some things you should know before trying to implement Scrum in your own project.

Scrum is a methodological approach for better software development

Scrum is a project management framework that is applicable to any project with aggressive deadlines, complex requirements and a degree of uniqueness. The Scrum method is an agile development methodology that allows developers to produce better quality software. Development teams can be more productive and effective at delivering deadlines. The Scrum framework requires that developers produce a functional version of a software product after each iteration. As a result, it allows developers to predict the time it will take to complete a project and identify potential risks ahead of time. The Scrum framework also encourages self-organisation and autonomy among team members. The three pillars of empiricism at the base of the Scrum framework are: transparency, inspection, adaptation.

Scrum also makes it easier to coordinate teams and work collaboratively on complex projects. It defines three roles for a development team: the product owner, the ScrumMaster, and the team. The Scrum Master is the coach of the team. Each member has a specific role to perform.

It emphasises cross-functionality within a development team

 

SCRUM emphasises the value of cross-functionality in product development, and it can be helpful for teams to include individuals with different domain and technical expertise. These teams can work collaboratively to achieve their common goal, and they are more likely to achieve higher productivity and flexibility. Although cross-functional teams are beneficial, they are not mandatory.

The idea behind Scrum came from a Harvard Business Review article by Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka, who were comparing two different approaches to product development. In the former approach, teams work together in an organised, straight line, passing the project back and forth. In the latter approach, teams are empowered and self-managed, and they are expected to make adjustments and improvements to their processes when necessary.

It is non-hierarchical and great for all the team members

SCRUM is a collaborative process for software development teams. This method places emphasis on horizontal collaboration and iteration, rather than rigid processes and hierarchies. This method is becoming popular in tech companies, with most of them adopting distributed adaptive methods of working. Here are some of the most important aspects of Scrum.

In SCRUM, teams are composed of people from various departments. Each member of the team is treated equally. Because SCRUM is non-hierarchical, teams are cross-functional, self-organising, and empowered to work independently. This means that team members can collaborate freely and effectively, without having to wait for approval from management.

Scrum uses five principles and values to guide its work. A team’s success with scrum depends on five values: commitment, courage, focus, openness, and respect. These principles are essential to Scrum and should be adhered to consistently throughout every project. The values are also reflected by the individuals on a team.

It is flexible and good for business

One of the most important benefits of SCRUM is its flexibility. Teams can begin with a small set of improvements and add new ones as necessary, based on user feedback, market trends, or new technology. In this way, the team can be more productive, since it doesn’t have to follow a strict schedule. The workflow can be adapted quickly.