Scrum

Scrum is an iterative and incremental software development method in which, after each iteration, a production-ready increment of the product is produced. The method is successfully applied in both large and small projects and has been used in organizations such as Google and Microsoft.

When using Scrum, it is relatively easy to monitor the progress of the software project across various dimensions (costs, schedules, quality, scope). With correct information, it is possible to make decisions concerning the entire project, by continuously developing the operations and removing obstacles that slow down the project. It enables controlled, rapid reactions to new requirements and changes in the operational environment.

Disciplined Work

In Scrum, the development work takes place in one-to-four week iterations (or sprints). The software features that are most important from the point of view of the business are implemented first. The teams produce a complete, functioning entity after each sprint to present to the project's interest groups.

The team members compile a list or sprint backlog of the tasks required for implementing various features and share them among each other. The team is jointly responsible for ensuring all the selected features are ready (implemented, integrated, tested and documented) by the end of the sprint.

In daily meetings each team member describes what he or she has done and what he or she is going to do, and evaluates how much time it will take to implement the rest of the required functions. The meetings help in disseminating information and knowledge which lets the team identify and respond to problems immediately.

The team often publishes a graph displaying how the amount of work is decreasing. The graph shows if the project is progressing faster or slower than expected and allows team members to work accordingly.

The project is managed by the product owner who gathers and specifies requirements concerning the delivery of the project, and schedules the implementation of the various functions in co-operation with the teams.

The product owner prioritizes the suggested functionalities while the teams assess the time required to implement them. The estimated volume of work is repeatedly updated as the project proceeds.

The teams and product owner are supported by the ScrumMaster, whose role is to promote the progress of the project as efficiently as possible. The ScrumMaster helps the teams to spot and solve problems and remove obstacles that hinder the work.

Scrum is Motivating

In our older projects the biggest problem from the point of view of project management was the difficulty to perceive factors influencing the progress of the project. When Scrum is being used, everyone knows how the project is proceeding. Scrum is an easy-to-adopt package that forces you to think about and develop modes of operation to meet the situation. It also requires that the team members are competent and committed to their work. We have noticed that working in a Scrum team is highly motivating because the objectives in the sprints are clear and the team can influence its own work and working methods.

Jukka Lindström, Chief Architect, Certified ScrumMaster

Jukka introduced Scrum to Reaktor in 2003 after he grew tired of things not working using traditional methods. Jukka has been a ScrumMaster in large, demanding multi-site projects in multi-supplier environments.