Scrum (Software Development Method)
The Scrum Technique
Scrum is a framework for an agile management of software development. It works as multidisciplinary teams that work in short sprints (iterations) delivering working software. Cooperation, communication and team spirit are the key words for this technique. The term Scrum is derived from rugby, where the players are in large groups and they all try to push the ball across the field, not worrying if the previous phases have been completed, but still working towards the goal.
Contents:
History
Agile Scrum Process
Objectives
Method
Benefits
Scrum History
Scrum was introduced early in 1986 during a study by Ikujiro Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi in which was published in the Harvard Business Review. This study states that projects with small (cross functional) teams have in the past given best results. Following this research in 1993, Jeff Sutherland developed the Scrum process, while Ken Schwaber applied a different approach with his company. Together, they developed this technique further and formalized it in the year 1995 and named it the Ken Schwaber Scrum software development method.
Scrum Method Objectives
Increasing the effectiveness of a team
Monitoring the progress of the team
Clearing jams
Monitoring the progress of the project
Identifying and minimizing risks
Scrum Method
In the waterfall method, each phase has experts who perform their duties and then carry the results to the experts for the next phase. At scrum, experts from various stages come together and pool in the results to reach a goal and therefore function as a team. The team is led by the “scrum master” who daily begins the day with what is referred to as the “scrum-meeting” (aka a “stand-up meeting”). This meeting lasts for approximately 15 minutes, where each team member is supposed to answer three questions:
What have they done so far?
What are they doing currently?
What are their problems (individual concerns)?
Once the meeting is over & all concerns have been shared, the experts go back to work with his/her own team and make efforts to complete the mission. The separate teams often work together and tackle project stress simultaneously.
Scrum Method Benefits
Effective communication & contact between members in a team provides a high team spirit. When that happens, the project is seen as a whole, instead of the separate teams considering their responsibilities alone.
The project duration is cut short as teams work together in coordination. Even though there is a lot happening all at once, the teams share responsibilities and complete work faster.
During the scrum meeting, teams share concerns and when problems are shared, solutions spill out in larger numbers and problems are solved quickly.