What is Scrum?

Certain principles and values characterize Scrum methodology: 

Teams work in an environment where everyone is aware of the challenges that others might be experiencing. Regular face-to-face conversations between cross-functional team members and project owners prevent miscommunication and information bottlenecks.

Frequent reflection points are built into the framework to allow team members to review their progress. Project managers use insights from these review meetings for estimation and future planning. As a result, projects can run more efficiently, within budget, and on schedule.

Team members can reprioritize tasks based on changing customer requirements. They decide which tasks to complete first and which to revisit in the future.

Scrum Teams follow five core values.

Scrum Team members are committed to time-based tasks and goals and are dedicated to continuous improvement to find the best solution.

Scrum Teams show courage by asking open, challenging questions. They have honest and transparent discussions to arrive at the best solution.

During any given period, team members will work from a Product Backlog of tasks. They will focus on the selected tasks to provide deliverables within a limited time frame.

Scrum Team members are open to new ideas and opportunities that support individual learning and overall project quality.

Team members respect the project managers, each other, and the Scrum process. This culture of respect creates a spirit of mutual collaboration and cooperation within the team.

Scrum Teams use tools called Scrum artifacts to solve problems and manage projects. Scrum artifacts provide critical planning and task information to team members and stakeholders. There are three primary artifacts:

The Product Backlog is a dynamic list of features, requirements, enhancements, and fixes that must be completed for project success. It is essentially the team’s to-do list, which is constantly revisited and reprioritized to adapt to market changes. The product owner maintains and updates the list, removing irrelevant items or adding new requests from customers.

The Sprint Backlog is the list of items to be completed by the development team in the current Sprint cycle. Before each Sprint, the team chooses which items it will work on from the Product Backlog. A Sprint Backlog is flexible and can evolve during a Sprint.

The Increment is a step towards a goal or vision. It is the usable end product from a Sprint. Teams can adopt different methods to define and demonstrate their Sprint Goals. Despite the flexibility, the fundamental Sprint Goal—what the team wants to achieve from the current Sprint—can’t be compromised.

For example, some teams choose to release something to their customers at the end of the Sprint, so their Sprint Goal would be completed once the software change is released. Other teams might work on completing a set of features that will be released together. In this case, the Sprint Goal would be completed when a feature is tested successfully. 

Scrum events or Scrum ceremonies are a set of sequential meetings that Scrum Teams perform regularly. Some Scrum events include the following:

In this event, the team estimates the work to be completed in the next Sprint. Members define Sprint Goals that are specific, measurable, and attainable. At the end of the planning meeting, every Scrum member knows how each Increment can be delivered in the Sprint.

A Sprint is the actual time period when the Scrum Team works together to finish an Increment. Two weeks is the typical length for a Sprint but can vary depending on the needs of the project and the team. The more complex the work and the more unknowns, the shorter the Sprint should be.

A Daily Scrum is a short meeting in which team members check in and plan for the day. They report on work completed and voice any challenges in meeting Sprint Goals. It is called a stand-up because it aims to keep the meeting as short as practical—like when everybody is standing.

At the end of the Sprint, the team gets together for an informal session to review the work completed and showcase it to stakeholders. The Product Owner might also rework the Product Backlog based on the current Sprint.

The team comes together to document and discuss what worked and what didn’t work during the Sprint. Ideas generated are used to improve future Sprints.