By Rohan Patel in software-dev — Mar 15, 2023

Scrum Explained

Scrum Framework

Scrum is an Agile framework that is used to manage complex projects. It was originally developed for software development, but it can be used in a variety of other fields as well.

At the core of the Scrum framework are three roles: the Product Owner, the Scrum Master, and the Development Team. The Product Owner is responsible for defining and prioritizing the project backlog, which is a list of features or requirements that the team will work on. The Scrum Master is responsible for facilitating the Scrum process, removing obstacles that are blocking the team, and ensuring that everyone follows Scrum principles and practices. The Development Team is responsible for delivering a potentially releasable increment of the product at the end of each Sprint.

Scrum is based on a time-boxed iteration called a Sprint, which is typically two to four weeks long. During each Sprint, the Development Team works on the items from the project backlog that the Product Owner has prioritized. The goal of each Sprint is to deliver a potentially releasable increment of the product, which means that the increment should be complete and usable, even if there are still additional features or improvements that need to be made.

There are several events that happen during each Sprint. The first event is Sprint Planning, during which the Development Team and the Product Owner agree on a Sprint Goal and select the items from the project backlog that they will work on during the Sprint. The second event is the Daily Scrum, which is a short meeting that the Development Team holds every day to discuss their progress and plan their work for the next 24 hours. The third event is the Sprint Review, during which the Development Team demonstrates the increment that they have built during the Sprint and the Product Owner reviews it to determine whether it meets their expectations. The final event is the Sprint Retrospective, during which the Development Team reflects on their performance during the Sprint and identifies opportunities for improvement.

Scrum emphasizes a set of values that are important for effective teamwork, including commitment, focus, openness, respect, and courage. It also emphasizes the importance of inspecting and adapting the Scrum process to continuously improve the team's performance.

Scrum Roles

The Scrum framework defines three main roles that are essential to the success of a Scrum project: the Product Owner, the Scrum Master, and the Development Team. Here's a brief overview of each role:

Product Owner: The Product Owner is responsible for defining and prioritizing the project backlog. They work closely with stakeholders to understand the project's goals and requirements, and they use that information to create a prioritized list of features or user stories that the Development Team will work on. The Product Owner has the final say on what work is included in the project backlog and in what order, and they are responsible for ensuring that the team is always working on the most valuable items first.
Scrum Master: The Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring that the Scrum framework is being followed and that the team is working effectively. They facilitate the Scrum events (such as Sprint Planning, Daily Scrums, and Sprint Reviews), help the team remove any obstacles that are blocking their progress, and coach the team on Scrum practices and principles. The Scrum Master is also responsible for promoting a culture of continuous improvement within the team and helping the team to identify areas where they can improve their performance.
Development Team: The Development Team is responsible for delivering a potentially releasable increment of the product at the end of each Sprint. The team is self-organizing and cross-functional, meaning that they have all the skills and expertise necessary to deliver the product increment, and they work together to determine how best to complete the work that is in the project backlog. The Development Team is also responsible for managing their own work, which includes estimating the effort required for each item in the backlog, breaking down large items into smaller, more manageable ones, and committing to completing the work they have planned for each Sprint.

It's worth noting that each role is essential to the success of the Scrum framework, and the Scrum Master and Product Owner are not hierarchical positions within the team. The Scrum Master serves the team, and the Product Owner serves the customer or business. The Development Team works collaboratively with the Product Owner and Scrum Master to deliver high-quality products.

Scrum Events

Scrum defines four formal events or ceremonies that occur within each Sprint. These events provide opportunities for the Development Team to collaborate, inspect and adapt the product, and reflect on the effectiveness of the Scrum process. Here's a brief overview of each event:

Sprint Planning: The Sprint Planning event is held at the beginning of each Sprint, and it's where the Product Owner and the Development Team discuss the goal of the upcoming Sprint and select the backlog items they will work on. During Sprint Planning, the Product Owner presents the highest priority items in the backlog and the Development Team asks questions and clarifies any uncertainties. The Development Team then decides how they will tackle the work and creates a Sprint Goal, a clear, concise statement of what the team intends to achieve during the Sprint. The outcome of this event is a Sprint Backlog, a list of items that the Development Team commits to completing during the Sprint.
Daily Scrum: The Daily Scrum is a short daily meeting that occurs every day during the Sprint. The purpose of the Daily Scrum is for the Development Team to synchronize their work, inspect their progress toward the Sprint Goal, and plan their work for the next 24 hours. Each Development Team member answers three questions: what they completed since the last Daily Scrum, what they plan to complete by the next one, and what obstacles are in their way. The Scrum Master ensures the meeting stays on track and that the Development Team keeps their focus on the Sprint Goal.
Sprint Review: The Sprint Review is held at the end of each Sprint, and it's an opportunity for the Development Team to demonstrate the work they have completed to the Product Owner and other stakeholders. The Development Team presents a working product increment and gathers feedback, which the Product Owner then incorporates into the product backlog. The outcome of this event is a revised product backlog with new items, modified priorities, and refined requirements.
Sprint Retrospective: The Sprint Retrospective is held at the end of each Sprint, and it's where the Development Team reflects on their performance and identifies opportunities for improvement. During this event, the team members discuss what went well, what could have gone better, and what actions they can take to improve their work in the next Sprint. The outcome of this event is a list of improvements that the team can implement in the next Sprint.

These events help the Development Team to stay aligned with the project's goals, to reflect on their work, and to continuously improve their performance.

Scrum Artifacts

Scrum defines three main artifacts that are used to support the Scrum framework: the Product Backlog, the Sprint Backlog, and the Increment. Here's a brief overview of each artifact:

Product Backlog: The Product Backlog is an ordered list of all the items that the Product Owner and the stakeholders want the Development Team to work on. These items can be new features, enhancements, or bug fixes. The Product Backlog is dynamic and constantly evolving, and it represents the single source of truth for all the work that needs to be done on the project. The Product Owner is responsible for managing the Product Backlog and ensuring that it is up to date and prioritized based on the most current business and customer needs.
Sprint Backlog: The Sprint Backlog is a list of items from the Product Backlog that the Development Team commits to completing during the current Sprint. The Sprint Backlog is created during the Sprint Planning event, and it's owned by the Development Team. The Sprint Backlog is a dynamic document, and the Development Team can add or remove items from it as they work through the Sprint. The Sprint Backlog is used to track progress toward the Sprint Goal and to ensure that the Development Team is on track to deliver a potentially releasable increment of the product by the end of the Sprint.
Increment: The Increment is the sum of all the Product Backlog items completed during a Sprint and the value of the increments delivered in all previous Sprints. The Increment must be in a usable condition, which means that it must meet the Definition of Done (a shared understanding of what it means for an item to be complete). The Increment is owned by the Development Team, and it's the responsibility of the team to ensure that it meets the quality standards of the project.

These artifacts provide transparency, alignment, and focus for the Scrum team. The Product Backlog helps the team to focus on the most valuable work, the Sprint Backlog helps the team to plan and track their work during the Sprint, and the Increment helps the team to ensure that they are making progress toward the goal of delivering a potentially releasable product at the end of each Sprint.

Scrum Values

Scrum is based on a set of five core values that guide the behavior and decision-making of the Scrum team. Here's a brief overview of each value:

Commitment: The Scrum team is committed to achieving the goals of the project and delivering value to the customer. This commitment means that the team members hold themselves and each other accountable for their work and for meeting the team's commitments.
Focus: The Scrum team is focused on the work that needs to be done and on achieving the Sprint Goal. This focus means that the team members are able to prioritize their work and avoid distractions that could prevent them from achieving their goals.
Openness: The Scrum team is open and transparent in their communication and decision-making. This openness means that the team members share information and ideas freely, and they are willing to consider different perspectives and feedback.
Respect: The Scrum team respects each other's opinions, skills, and contributions. This respect means that the team members work collaboratively and support each other in achieving their goals.
Courage: The Scrum team has the courage to take risks, to challenge assumptions, and to speak up when they see problems. This courage means that the team members are willing to face difficult situations and to take action to resolve them.

These values help the Scrum team to work effectively together, to stay aligned with the project goals, and to continuously improve their performance. The values are foundational to the Scrum framework, and they are an important part of creating a healthy, productive team dynamic.

Scrum Principles

Scrum is based on a set of twelve principles that guide the Scrum team in their work. These principles provide a framework for the team to operate within, and they help to ensure that the team is focused on delivering value to the customer. Here's a brief overview of each principle:

Empirical process control: Scrum is based on an empirical process control model, which means that the team uses feedback and inspection to continually adjust and improve their work.
Self-organization: The Scrum team is self-organizing, which means that the team members work together to determine how best to complete their work.
Collaboration: The Scrum team collaborates closely with stakeholders to ensure that the product meets the needs of the customer.
Value-based prioritization: The Product Owner prioritizes work based on the value it delivers to the customer.
Time-boxing: Scrum uses time-boxed iterations (Sprints) to create a sense of urgency and to ensure that the team is regularly delivering value.
Iterative development: Scrum uses iterative development to allow the team to inspect and adapt the product at regular intervals.
Incremental delivery: Scrum emphasizes delivering working increments of the product at the end of each Sprint.
Visibility: Scrum emphasizes the importance of transparency and visibility into the team's work.
Inspection: Scrum teams inspect their work and the progress toward their goals at regular intervals.
Adaptation: Based on the results of their inspection, Scrum teams make adjustments to their work and their process to improve their performance.
Quality: Scrum emphasizes the importance of delivering a quality product that meets the customer's needs.
Continuous improvement: Scrum teams continuously seek to improve their performance through feedback and adaptation.

These principles help the Scrum team to stay focused on delivering value to the customer and to continuously improve their performance. By following these principles, the team is able to work effectively together, manage complexity, and respond to changing requirements and circumstances.

Scrum Tools and Techniques

While Scrum is primarily focused on values, principles, roles, artifacts, and events, there are also a variety of tools and techniques that can be used to support the Scrum framework. Here are some of the most commonly used tools and techniques:

User stories: User stories are a way of describing the features or requirements of the product from the perspective of the user. User stories are used to capture the customer's needs and to ensure that the team is focused on delivering value to the customer.
Agile estimating and planning: Scrum teams use a variety of Agile estimating and planning techniques, such as relative sizing, story points, and velocity tracking, to plan their work and to ensure that they are delivering value to the customer in a timely manner.
Burndown charts: Burndown charts are a visual representation of the progress the team is making during a Sprint. Burndown charts can be used to track progress toward the Sprint Goal and to identify areas where the team may be falling behind.
Retrospective techniques: There are a variety of retrospective techniques that can be used to help the team reflect on their performance and identify areas for improvement. Examples include the Start-Stop-Continue method, the Four Ls (Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed For), and the Glad-Sad-Mad technique.
Definition of Done: The Definition of Done is a shared understanding of what it means for an item to be considered complete. The Definition of Done helps the team to ensure that they are delivering a high-quality product increment at the end of each Sprint.
Information radiators: Information radiators are visual displays of the team's progress, such as a Sprint board or a task board. Information radiators help the team to stay aligned with their goals and to identify areas where they may need to adjust their work.

These tools and techniques can be used to support the Scrum framework and to help the team work more effectively together. It's important to remember, however, that while these tools and techniques can be helpful, they are not the focus of the Scrum framework. The focus is always on delivering value to the customer and continuously improving the team's performance.