Scrum: The best method for agile project management

Scrum is a framework for agile project management that helps teams to work efficiently and flexibly. It divides projects into short sprints to enable continuous improvement. In this article, you will learn what Scrum is, what principles and roles it comprises and how the most important processes work.

The most important facts at a glance

• Scrum is an agile framework that relies on iterative development and continuous improvement to help teams tackle complex problems and enable regular communication with stakeholders.
• The scrum team consists of three clearly defined roles: the product owner, who manages the product backlog, the scrum master, who supports the team and removes obstacles, and the development team, which carries out the actual work during the sprints.
• The Scrum method comprises a series of regular events and specific artifacts such as Sprint Planning, the Daily Standup, the Sprint Review and the Sprint Retrospective, which create transparency and promote continuous improvement and collaboration within the team.

What is Scrum?

Scrum is an agile framework that helps teams collaborate and focuses on iterative development and continuous improvement. It was developed to help teams solve complex problems and get important work done. The goal of the Scrum method is to respond to changing requirements and problems and to enable regular communication with stakeholders.

Scrum is not just a framework, but also a mindset. It comprises defined values, roles and guidelines that promote iteration and continuous improvement. The Scrum process involves a recurring sequence of sprints and fixed Scrum meetings. This structure enables teams to react quickly and efficiently to changes and achieve continuous improvement.

Origin and history

The roots of Scrum go back to 1986, when Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka coined the term in an article in the Harvard Business Review. Inspired by the dynamics of the game of rugby, they described a new type of product development based on flexibility and collaboration.

Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland codified the Scrum method in 1995 and published the Scrum Guide, which serves as a guide for implementation. This guide, which is only 14 pages long, is a must for anyone working in software development or collaborating with software developers: https://scrumguides.org/docs/scrumguide/v2020/2020-Scrum-Guide-US.pdf#zoom=100.

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"We call the approach the SCRUM methodology (see Takeuchi and Nonaka, 1986), after the SCRUM in rugby - a tight formation of forwards who bind together in specific positions when a scrumdown is called." Source: Schwaber, (1997), "The SCRUM Development Process"

Schwaber and Sutherland developed Scrum further and turned it into the globally used framework that it is today.

Scrum principles

Scrum is based on fundamental agile principles and values that form the foundation of this method. Key principles include transparency, review and adaptation, which allow teams to control the empirical process. These principles encourage open and honest communication within the team and with stakeholders.

Another central principle of Scrum is timeboxing, in which activities such as sprints and meetings are limited in time. All Scrum events have a fixed time window that must be adhered to. These fixed time frames ensure that the team works in a focused manner and makes continuous progress.

Structure of the Scrum framework

The Scrum framework provides the basic structure for meetings, artifacts and responsibilities. It defines clear roles in the team and a series of important events that take place regularly and are aimed at promoting collaboration and reviewing progress. This structure helps the teams to work efficiently and in an organized manner.

The Scrum framework also specifies which artifacts must be created and maintained in order to ensure transparency and structure in the process. These artifacts provide an overview of all tasks, requirements and finished products and are visible to every team member. This ensures that everyone involved is always informed about the current status of the project.

The roles in the Scrum team

A central element of the Scrum method is the clearly defined roles in the team. The scrum team consists of the product owner, the scrum master and the development team. Each of these roles has specific areas of responsibility that contribute to the success of the project.

The roles are designed to promote self-organization and close collaboration within the team.

• The Product Owner is responsible for the final result of the project.
• The Scrum Master supports the team and removes obstacles.
• The development team carries out the actual work during the sprints.

Product Owner

The Product Owner plays a crucial role in the Scrum team by managing the Product Backlog and ensuring that the development team creates the greatest possible added value. The product backlog is a list of all the work that needs to be done and is maintained and prioritized by the product owner.

The Product Owner has the following tasks:

• Prioritization of work based on customer and business requirements
• Adding new requirements to the backlog
• Invite the entire Scrum team and stakeholders to the Sprint Review.

Scrum Master

The Scrum Master supports the team in the implementation of Scrum and promotes values such as:

• Courage
• Focus
• Commitment
• Respect
• Openness

By supporting and promoting these values, the Scrum Master ensures that the Scrum process is adhered to.

The Scrum Master takes on the following tasks:

• Moderator role
• Link between the development team and the product owner
• Monitoring the Scrum process
• Removal of obstacles
• Protection of the team from unwanted influence.

Development team

The software development team is self-organized and includes members with various project management skills such as:

• Design
• Development
• UX
• Tests

It is responsible for carrying out the tasks during the sprint.

During planning, the team decides which of the prioritized tasks can be completed during the sprint. This decision is made in close consultation with the product owner. This self-organization and interdisciplinarity enable the team to have all the necessary expertise in the team and to work efficiently.

Scrum process and events

The Scrum process is characterized by a series of regular events that ensure that the iterative character of Scrum is maintained. These events include:

• the Sprint Planning
• the Daily Scrum
• the Sprint Review
• the Sprint Retrospective.

These events promote collaboration within the team and help to continuously review and improve progress. Holding these Scrum meetings on a regular basis creates transparency and ensures that all team members are always on the same page.

Sprint Planning

The sprint planning meeting takes place at the beginning of each sprint and lasts a maximum of eight hours for a four-week sprint. The scrum master ensures that the sprint planning remains within the scheduled time frame and that everyone understands what the goal of the event is.

The sprint backlog is a result of sprint planning, in which the product owner and the project team jointly decide which backlog items will be worked on in the upcoming sprint. No items should be added to the sprint backlog at the beginning or during the sprint in order to maintain focus.

Daily Standup

The Daily Standup is a short daily meeting that is limited to a maximum of 15 minutes. It takes place at the same time and in the same place every day to minimize the organizational effort.

The Scrum Master has the following tasks:

• Moderation of the Daily Standup
• Help with the removal of blockages
• Ensuring a high level of transparency through daily Scrum daily meetings at which the team discusses progress, upcoming tasks and any obstacles.

Sprint Review

The sprint review takes place at the end of the sprint and lasts a maximum of four hours in a four-week sprint. During the sprint review, the team presents the work results achieved and receives feedback from stakeholders.

This feedback helps the team to plan the next steps and make adjustments.

Sprint retrospective

The sprint retrospective is used to reflect on the collaboration and make binding agreements for future sprints based on the insights gained. The aim of the sprint retrospective is to improve the organizational and structural aspects of the development process.

The sprint retrospective takes place after the sprint review and before the next sprint planning and lasts a maximum of three hours for a four-week sprint. Regular retrospectives are important to enable continuous improvements in the Scrum process.

Scrum artifacts

Together with the roles and activities, the Scrum artifacts form the third central building block of the Scrum framework. They serve to ensure the necessary transparency and information in the development process. The three artifacts in Scrum are the product backlog, the sprint backlog and the increment. These artifacts ensure transparency and optimal working conditions in the Scrum team. They provide an overview of all tasks, requirements and completed products and should be visible to every team member. This ensures that everyone involved is always informed about the current status of the project.

Product backlog

The product backlog contains all the requirements for the product and is maintained by the product owner. It is a dynamic artifact that can be changed by the product owner at any time.

A product backlog helps to clearly present all work in the project. It contains all pending tasks and ideas that are considered valuable and is maintained and prioritized by the product owner.

Sprint backlog

The sprint backlog contains all the product requirements that the development team wants to work on in the current sprint. It is created during sprint planning and should not be changed during the sprint in order to allow the team an undisturbed workflow.

The sprint backlog provides a clear overview of the tasks to be completed in the current sprint. This clear structure helps the team to work in a focused and efficient manner.

Product increment

The product increment is the 'potentially deliverable' product that is created at the end of each sprint. Increments build on each other and expand the product from iteration to iteration.

The product increment can take various forms, for example:

• a new product
• New functionalities
• an improvement
• troubleshooting

It describes the work results achieved during a sprint and ensures that the team continuously delivers valuable results.

Advantages and challenges of the Scrum method

The Scrum method offers numerous advantages, but can also pose challenges. One of the biggest advantages of Scrum is the rapid identification of problems through the development of potentially releasable product versions after each sprint. Scrum teams also benefit from better adaptability to changes during the course of the project.

On the other hand, Scrum can also bring challenges, such as scope creep, where the project scope grows uncontrollably. A high coordination effort and resistance within the team can also pose problems.

Advantages

Scrum promotes a high level of customer satisfaction through the early and regular provision of functioning product increments. The iterative way of working means that stakeholder requirements can be implemented relatively quickly. This flexibility enables teams to react quickly to changes and always deliver up-to-date and relevant products to customers. Agile project management, such as Scrum, is therefore an effective method for product development.

Another major advantage of Scrum is the high degree of personal responsibility and creative freedom that it gives teams. Teams can increase their productivity and project success through personal responsibility and self-organization. The clear objectives and prioritization through the regular review and adjustment of backlogs also contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of the teams.

Challenges

A common problem when using Scrum is scope creep, where the project scope grows uncontrollably. This can lead to the team being overwhelmed and the originally planned goals not being achieved. To counteract this problem, clear definitions of the project goals and regular reviews are necessary.

Another disadvantage of Scrum is the high level of coordination required, which is particularly difficult to implement in larger teams. Scrum can also encounter resistance within the team, as not all team members accept changes and the required transparency. Possible solutions include training to improve acceptance and efficiency as well as promoting open communication.

Scrum vs. other agile methods

Scrum and Kanban are probably the best-known agile methods for supporting teams working together on complex projects.

• Scrum uses sprints to divide projects into short sections.
• Kanban visually displays tasks on a board.
• Scrum has clearly defined roles such as the Scrum Master and the Product Owner.
• Kanban does not prescribe fixed roles.

Kanban focuses on the visualization of tasks and allows changes at any time, in contrast to Scrum, which is based on sprints. Scrumban combines the processes of Scrum with the visualization tools of Kanban to leverage the advantages of both methods.

Scrum is recommended for complex projects that require frequent changes, while Kanban is more suitable for smaller projects or continuous tasks.

Practical tips for getting started with Scrum

Getting started with Scrum requires some preparation and training of the team to ensure that all members have the same understanding of Scrum. It is important not to wait too long to start joint Scrum or Agile training.

Once the first successes have been achieved, the Scrum methodology can be extended to more teams.

Training and certifications

A practical overview of all Scrum certifications for Product Owner or Scrum Master offers a good introduction to the topic. The Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) and Professional Scrum Product Owner I(PSPO I) certifications from scrum.org are particularly recommended for a more in-depth role in the Scrum environment.

A prerequisite for many Scrum training courses is reading through the official Scrum Guide in order to be optimally prepared. These training courses help to deepen the understanding of Scrum and to apply the methodology successfully.

Tools and software

Use a Kanban board to make the work in the project transparent. Jira is a widely used tool used by many Scrum teams to manage backlogs and sprints. Trello is a user-friendly Kanban board tool that many Scrum teams use to visualize their tasks.

The use of specialized tools and software can significantly support Scrum teams in organizing their work efficiently and promoting collaboration. These tools provide a clear overview of progress and help to better coordinate tasks.

Best Practices

Transparency and open communication within the team are crucial to the success of Scrum projects. Share concrete results of each iteration or sprint with stakeholders to encourage engagement and continuous improvement.

It is important to regularly obtain feedback and make adjustments based on this. These best practices help to implement the Scrum methodology effectively and increase the success of the project.

Points of criticism of Scrum

Despite the many advantages, there are also points of criticism of Scrum. One frequent point of criticism is that Scrum is a very software delivery-focused framework and does not describe all the activities of the product management roles. The sentence "The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product" includes many activities such as product discovery, strategy, stakeholder management, ... are included, but not described.

In a conversation with Pavel Here are my 7 ideas on how to improve Scrum:

1. Product vision is missing and should be added‍

You can't lead people without a vision. Clear visions are aspirational and communicate concisely where the product is going in the long term and what it should achieve. The product vision gives the team a purpose and serves as a decision-making aid for features and roadmap creation.‍

2. Product strategy is missing and should be added‍

You need a product strategy that is in line with the product vision. A product strategy defines

• Customer segments and their needs/tasks
• Value proposition
• Differentiating features
• Compromises
• Competitors
• Market
• How it will create value for the company

It helps to decide what to do next (deliverables) and in what order. It also gives empowered teams the strategic context to make better decisions. The Scum Guide does not provide guidance on how this should be created.

3. Add Product Discovery

According to Marty Cagan (Inspired), at least half of our ideas will not work. Therefore, immediate implementation to "see" if a feature works is a huge waste. It makes much more sense to use product discovery to find out which features and functions actually add value for the customer. This topic was called Dual-Track Scrum by Jeff Patton and is now more commonly referred to as Continuous Discovery. The basic idea is to have two parallel streams:

Product Discovery answers the question "what should be built" and results in a validated product backlog

Product Delivery focuses on how it should be built and that it is actually built.

4. Close the learning loop: Add after building, measuring and learning

Sprint reviews are not enough. After the release of a feature, things get really interesting: can we really create added value for the customer with our release? There is currently a lack of measurement here in order to subsequently draw conclusions.

5. Mention experiments explicitly in the product backlog

There are 5 risk categories for each product: Customer benefit, usability, feasibility and viability.

Experiments are a special type of work that does not result in increments of value. Their goal is to test assumptions and reduce risks. We often work with the Experiment Tracker in the Product Masterclass.

These are some points that are not dealt with at all in Scrum but are very important in product management.

Summary

In summary, Scrum is a powerful framework for agile project management that helps teams to work efficiently and flexibly. The clearly defined roles, events and artifacts promote collaboration and transparency within the team. Scrum enables teams to react quickly to changes and continuously deliver valuable results.

The Scrum method is an absolute basic knowledge for every PO. However, in our opinion, it is only the basis for good product management. Scrum does not include many activities that bring real added value. It is therefore important to quickly build up skills and knowledge beyond Scrum.

Frequently asked questions

What is Scrum?

Scrum is an agile framework that supports teams in working together and focuses on iterative development and continuous improvement. It promotes flexibility and collaboration in teams.

What roles are there in the Scrum team?

There are three central roles in the Scrum team: the Product Owner, the Scrum Master and the development team. Each role has clear responsibilities.

What are the most important Scrum events?

The most important Scrum events are the Sprint Planning, the Daily Scrum, the Sprint Review and the Sprint Retrospective. These events ensure an effective workflow and continuous improvement in the Scrum process.

What artifacts are there in Scrum?

There are three central artifacts in Scrum: the product backlog, the sprint backlog and the product increment. All are essential for the process and the results of Scrum.

What advantages does the Scrum method offer?

The Scrum method offers advantages such as high customer satisfaction, rapid implementation of requirements and increased productivity and project success through self-organization and personal responsibility. All in all, Scrum offers numerous advantages for companies and projects.

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