Why SCRUM?

Scrum is one of the most popular agile methodologies. It is an adaptive, iterative, fast, flexible, and effective methodology designed to deliver significant value quickly and throughout a project. Scrum ensures transparency in communication and creates an environment of collective accountability and continuous progress. The Scrum framework, as defined in the SBOK™ Guide, is structured in such a way that it supports product and service development in all types of industries and in any type of project, irrespective of its complexity.

A key strength of Scrum lies in its use of cross-functional, self-organized, and empowered teams who divide their work into short, concentrated work cycles called Sprints.

Traditional project management emphasizes on conducting detailed upfront planning for the project with emphasis on fixing the scope, cost and schedule - and managing those parameters. Whereas, Scrum encourages data-based, iterative decision making in which the primary focus is on delivering products that satisfy customer requirements.

To deliver the greatest amount of value in the shortest amount of time, Scrum promotes prioritization and Time-boxing over fixing the scope, cost and schedule of a project. An important feature of Scrum is self-organization, which allows the individuals who are actually doing the work to estimate and take ownership of tasks.

 

Scrum Vs Traditional PM

Traditional project management emphasizes on conducting detailed upfront planning for the project with emphasis on fixing the scope, cost and schedule - and managing those parameters. Whereas, Scrum encourages data-based, iterative decision making in which the primary focus is on delivering products that satisfy customer requirements.

To deliver the greatest amount of value in the shortest amount of time, Scrum promotes prioritization and Time-boxing over fixing the scope, cost and schedule of a project. An important feature of Scrum is self-organization, which allows the individuals who are actually doing the work to estimate and take ownership of tasks.

Following table summarizes many of the differences between Scrum and traditional project management:

Parameters	Scrum	Traditional Project Management
Emphasis is on	People	Processes
Documentation	Minimal - only as required	Comprehensive
Process style	Iterative	Linear
Upfront planning	Low	High
Prioritization of Requirements	Based on business value and regularly updated	Fixed in the Project Plan
Quality assurance	Customer centric	Process centric
Organization	Self-organized	Managed
Management style	Decentralized	Centralized
Change	Updates to Productized Product Backlog	Formal Change Management System
Leadership	Collaborative, Servant Leadership	Command and control
Performance measurement	Business value	Plan conformity
Return on Investment	Early/throughout project life	End of project life
Customer involvement	High throughout the project	Varies depending on the project lifecycle

 

SCRUM increases ROI

One of the key characteristics of any project is the uncertainty of results or outcomes. It is impossible to guarantee project success at completion, irrespective of the size or complexity of a project. Considering this uncertainty of achieving success, it is therefore important to start delivering results as early in the project as possible. This early delivery of results, and thereby value, provides an opportunity for reinvestment and proves the worth of the project to interested stakeholders. It is important to:

• Understand what adds value to customers and users and to prioritize the high value requirements on the top of the Prioritized Product Backlog.
• Decrease uncertainty and constantly address risks that can potentially decrease value if they materialize. Also work closely with project stakeholders showing them product increments at the end of each Sprint, enabling effective management of changes.
• Create Deliverables based on the priorities determined by producing potentially shippable product increments during each Sprint so that customers start realizing value early on in the project.
• Some of the key differences with respect to Value-driven Delivery in Scrum project and Traditional projects are given in the figure below.

 

In Scrum projects, User Stories are ranked in order of priority which is an effective method for determining the desired User Stories for each iteration or release of the product or service. The purpose is to create a simple, single list with the goal of prioritizing features, rather than being distracted by multiple prioritization schemes.

This simple list also provides a basis for incorporating changes and identified risks when necessary. Each change or identified risk can be inserted in the list based on its priority relative to the other User Stories in the list. Typically, new changes will be included at the expense of features that have been assigned a lower priority.

Minimum Marketable Features (MMF) are also defined, so that the first release or iteration happens as early as possible, leading to increased ROI.

 

Improve project delivery and client acceptance with Scrum

A project is a collaborative enterprise to either create new products or services or to deliver results as defined in the Project Vision Statement. Usually, the results generated by projects are expected to create some form of business or service value.

Since value is a primary reason for any organization to move forward with a project, Scrum focuses on Value-driven Delivery. Scrum facilitates delivery of value very early on in the project and continues to do so throughout the project lifecycle. Delivering value is ingrained in the SBOK™ framework.

The concept of Value-driven Delivery in Scrum makes SBOK™ framework very attractive for business stakeholders and senior management. This concept is very different when compared with traditional project management models where:

1. Requirements are not prioritized by business value.
2. Changing requirements after project initiation is difficult and can only be done through a time consuming change management process.
3. Value is realized only at the end of the project when the final product or service is delivered.

 

Scrum Principles

Empirical Process Control

In Scrum, decisions are made based on observation and experimentation rather than on detailed upfront planning. Empirical process control relies on the three main ideas of transparency, inspection, and adaptation.

Roles Guide and Empirical Process Control

1. Transparency

Transparency allows all facets of any Scrum process to be observed by anyone. This promotes an easy and transparent flow of information throughout the organization and creates an open work culture. In Scrum, transparency is depicted through:

Artifacts

• Project Vision Statement
• Prioritized Product Backlog
• Release Planning Schedule

Meetings

• Sprint Review Meetings
• Daily Standup Meetings

Information Radiators

• Burndown Chart
• Scrumboard

2. Inspection

Inspection in Scrum is depicted through:

• Use of a common Scrumboard and other information radiators
• Collection of feedback from the customer and other stakeholders during the Develop Epic(s), Create Prioritized Product Backlog , and Conduct Release Planning processes.
• Inspection and approval of the Deliverables by the Product Owner and the customer in the Demonstrate and Validate Sprint process.

3. Adaptation

Adaptation happens as the Scrum Core Team and Stakeholders learn through transparency and inspection and then adapt by making improvements in the work they are doing. Adaptation in Scrum is depicted through:

• Daily Standup Meetings
• Constant Risk Identification
• Change Requests
• Scrum Guidance Body
• Retrospect Sprint Meeting
• Retrospect Project Meeting

 

Self-organization

Scrum believes that employees are self-motivated and seek to accept greater responsibility. So, they deliver much greater value when self-organized.

The preferred leadership style in Scrum is "servant leadership", which emphasizes achieving results by focusing on the needs of the Scrum Team.

Some of the benefits of Self-organization are:

• Team buy-in and shared ownership
• Motivation, which leads to an enhanced performance level of the team
• Innovative and creative environment conducive to growth

Collaboration

Collaboration in Scrum refers to the Scrum Core Team working together and interfacing with the stakeholders to create and validate the deliverables of the project to meet the goals outlined in the Project Vision. It is important to note the difference between cooperation and collaboration here. Cooperation occurs when the work product consists of the sum of the work efforts of various people on a team. Collaboration occurs when a team works together to play off each other's inputs to produce something greater.

The core dimensions of collaborative work are as follows:

• Awareness — Individuals working together need to be aware of each other's work.
• Articulation — Collaborating individuals must partition work into units, divide the units among team members, and then after the work is done, reintegrate it.
• Appropriation — Adapting technology to one's own situation; the technology may be used in a manner completely different than expected by the designers.

Some of the benefits of Collaboration are:

• Minimization of change requests
• Risk Mitigation
• Increase in efficiency
• Continuous improvement

Value-based Prioritization

Prioritizing can be defined as determining the order and separating what must be done now, from what needs to be done later.

Scrum uses Value-based Prioritization as one of the core principles that drives the structure and functionality of the entire Scrum framework. It benefits projects through adaptability and iterative development of the product or service. More significantly, Scrum aims at delivering a valuable product or service to the customer on an early and continuous basis.

While prioritizing, following three factors are considered:

1. Value
2. Risk or uncertainty
3. Dependencies

Thus, prioritization results in deliverables that satisfies the requirements of the customer with the objective of delivering the maximum business value in the least amount of time.

Time-boxing

Scrum treats time as one of the most important constraints in managing a project. To address the constraint of time, Scrum introduces a concept called 'Time-boxing' which proposes fixing a certain amount of time for each process and activity in a Scrum project. This ensures that Scrum Team members do not take up too much or too little work for a particular period of time and do not expend their time and energy on work for which they have little clarity.

Some of the benefits of Time-boxing are:

• Efficient development process
• Less overheads
• High velocity for teams

 

Iterative Development

The Scrum framework is driven by the goal of delivering maximum business value in the least time. To achieve this practically, Scrum believes in Iterative Development of Deliverables.

In most complex projects, where the customer may not be able to define very concrete requirements or is not confident of what the end product may look like, the iterative model is more flexible in ensuring that any change requested by the customer can be included as part of the project. User Stories may have to be written constantly throughout the duration of the project. In the initial stages of writing, most User Stories are high-level functionalities. These User Stories are known as Epic(s). Epic(s) are usually too large for teams to complete in a single Sprint. Therefore, they are broken down into smaller User Stories.

Some of the benefits of Iterative Development are:

• It allows for course correction as all the people involved get better understanding of what needs to be delivered as part of the project and incorporate these learning in an iterative manner.
• The time and effort required to reach the final end point is greatly reduced and the team produces deliverables that are better suited to the final business environment.

 

 

Scrum Aspects

Organization

Understanding defined roles and responsibilities in a Scrum project is very important for ensuring successful implementation of Scrum.

Scrum roles fall into two broad categories

Core Roles - Core roles are those roles which are mandatorily required for producing the project's product or service. Individuals who are assigned core roles are fully committed to the project and are ultimately responsible for the success of each project iteration and of the project as a whole. 

These roles include:

• The Product Owner is the person responsible for achieving maximum business value for the project. He or she is also responsible for articulating customer requirements and maintaining business justification for the project. The Product Owner represents the Voice of the Customer.
• The Scrum Master is a facilitator who ensures that the Scrum Team is provided with an environment conducive to completing the project successfully. The Scrum Master guides, facilitates, and teaches Scrum practices to everyone involved in the project; clears impediments for the team; and, ensures that Scrum processes are being followed.
• The Scrum Team is the group or team of people who are responsible for understanding the requirements specified by the Product Owner and creating the Deliverables of the project.

Non-core Roles - Non-core roles are those roles which are not mandatorily required for the Scrum project and may include team members who are interested in the project. They have no formal role in the project team and may interface with the team, but may not be responsible for the success of the project. The non-core roles should be taken into account in any Scrum project. 

Non-core roles include the following:

• Stakeholder(s), which is a collective term that includes customers, users, and sponsors, frequently interface with the Scrum Core Team, and influence the project throughout the project's development. Most importantly, it is for the stakeholders that the project produces the collaborative benefits.
• Scrum Guidance Body (SGB) is an optional role, which generally consists of a set of documents and/or a group of experts who are typically involved with defining objectives related to quality, government regulations, security, and other key organizational parameters. This SGB guides the work carried out by the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Scrum Team.
• Vendors, including external individuals or organizations provide products and/or services that are not within the core competencies of the project organization.
• Chief Product Owner is a role in bigger projects with multiple Scrum Teams. This role is responsible for facilitating the work of multiple Product Owners, and maintaining business justification for the larger project.
• Chief Scrum Master is responsible to coordinate Scrum-related activities in large projects which may require multiple Scrum Teams to work in parallel.

 

The organization aspect of Scrum also addresses the team structure requirements to implement Scrum in programs and portfolios.

To Download Free online SCRUMstudy SBOK™ (340 pages)  - 

 

Business Justification

It is important for an organization to perform a proper business assessment prior to starting any project. This helps key decision makers understand the business need for a change or for a new product or service, the justification for moving forward with a project, and its viability.

Business justification in Scrum is based on the concept of Value-driven Delivery. One of the key characteristics of any project is the uncertainty of results or outcomes. It is impossible to guarantee project success at completion, irrespective of the size or complexity of a project. Considering this uncertainty of achieving success, Scrum attempts to start delivering results as early in the project as possible. This early delivery of results, and thereby value, provides an opportunity for reinvestment and proves the worth of the project to interested stakeholders.

Introduction to Business Justification

 Scrum's adaptability allows the project's objectives and processes to change if its business justification changes. It is important to note that although the Product Owner is primarily responsible for business justification, other team members contribute significantly.

 

Quality

In Scrum, quality is defined as the ability of the completed product or deliverables to meet the Acceptance Criteria and achieve the business value expected by the customer.

To ensure a project meets quality requirements, Scrum adopts an approach of continuous improvement whereby the team learns from experience and stakeholder engagement to constantly keep the Prioritized Product Backlog updated with any changes in requirements. The Prioritized Product Backlog is simply never complete until the closure or termination of the project. Any changes to the requirements reflect changes in the internal and external business environment and allow the team to continually work and adapt to achieve those requirements.

Since Scrum requires work to be completed in increments during Sprints, this means that errors or defects get noticed earlier through repetitive quality testing, rather than when the final product or service is near completion. Moreover, important quality-related tasks (e.g., development, testing, and documentation) are completed as part of the same Sprint by the same team-this ensures that quality is inherent in any deliverable created as part of a Sprint. Such deliverables from Scrum projects, which are potentially shippable, are referred to as 'Done.'

Thus, continuous improvement with repetitive testing optimizes the probability of achieving the expected quality levels in a Scrum project. Constant discussions between the Scrum Core Team and stakeholders (including customers and users) with actual increments of the product being delivered at the end of every Sprint, ensures that the gap between customer expectations from the project and actual deliverables produced is constantly reduced.

The Scrum Guidance Body may also provide guidelines about quality which may be relevant to all Scrum projects in the organization.

Change Management

Every project, regardless of its method or framework used, is exposed to change. It is imperative that project team members understand that the Scrum development processes are designed to embrace change. Organizations should try to maximize the benefits that arise from change and minimize any negative impacts through diligent change management processes in accordance with the principles of Scrum.

A primary principle of Scrum is its acknowledgement that a) stakeholders (e.g., customers, users, and sponsors) change their minds about what they want and need throughout a project (sometimes referred to as 'requirements churn') and b) that it is very difficult, if not impossible, for stakeholders to define all requirements during project initiation.

Introduction to Change

Scrum projects welcome change by using short, iterative Sprints that incorporate customer feedback on each Sprint's deliverables. This enables the customer to regularly interact with the Scrum Team members, view deliverables as they are ready, and change requirements if needed earlier in the Sprint.

Also, the portfolio or program management teams can respond to Change Requests pertaining to Scrum projects applicable at their level.

 

Risk Management

Risk is defined as an uncertain event or set of events that can affect the objectives of a project and may contribute to its success or failure. Risks that are likely to have a positive impact on the project are referred to as opportunities, whereas threats are risks that could affect the project in a negative manner. Managing risk must be done proactively, and it is an iterative process that should begin at project initiation and continue throughout the project's lifecycle. The process of managing risks should follow some standardized steps to ensure that risks are identified, evaluated, and a proper course of action is determined and acted upon accordingly.

What is Risk

Risks should be identified, assessed, and responded to based on two factors: the probability of each risk's occurrence and the possible impact in the event of such occurrence. Risks with a high probability and impact value (determined by multiplying both factors), should be addressed before those with a relatively lower value. In general, once a risk is identified, it is important to understand the risk with regard to the probable causes and the potential effects if the risk occurs.

 

SCRUM Videos

 

How to use SBOK Guide - 

The SBOK™ Guide was developed as a means to create a necessary guide for organizations and project management practitioners who want to implement Scrum, as well as those already doing so who want to make needed improvements to their processes. It is based on experience drawn from thousands of projects across a variety of organizations and industries. The contributions of many Scrum experts and project management practitioners have been considered in its development.

Why get certified in SCRUM - 

Scrum is one of the most popular Agile methodologies. It is an adaptive, iterative, fast, flexible, and effective methodology designed to deliver significant value quickly and throughout a project. Scrum ensures transparency in communication and creates an environment of collective accountability and continuous progress. A key strength of Scrum lies in its use of cross-functional, self-organized, and empowered teams who divide their work into short, concentrated work cycles called Sprints.

Scrum Principles  - 

Scrum principles are the core guidelines for applying the Scrum framework and should mandatorily be used in all Scrum projects. They are non-negotiable and must be applied as specified in the SBOK™. Keeping the principles intact and using them appropriately instils confidence in the Scrum framework with regard to attaining the objectives of the project.

 

Guide to Scrum Body of Knowledge

Overview

The SBOK™ Guide was developed as a means to create a necessary guide for organizations and project management practitioners who want to implement Scrum, as well as those already doing so who want to make needed improvements to their processes. It is based on experience drawn from thousands of projects across a variety of organizations and industries. The contributions of many Scrum experts and project management practitioners have been considered in its development.

A Guide to the Scrum Body of Knowledge (SBOK™ Guide) provides guidelines for the successful implementation of Scrum—the most popular Agile product development and project delivery methodology. Scrum, as defined in the SBOK™ Guide, is applicable to the following:

• Portfolios, programs, and/or projects in any industry
• Products, services, or any other results to be delivered to stakeholders
• Projects of any size or complexity

The SBOK™ Guide can be used as a reference and knowledge guide by both experienced Scrum and other product and service development practitioners, as well as by individuals with no prior experience or knowledge of Scrum or other project delivery methodology. The first chapter of the SBOK™ Guide describes the purpose and framework of the SBOK™ Guide and provides an introduction to the key concepts of Scrum. It contains a summary of Scrum principles, Scrum aspects and Scrum processes. Chapter 2 expands on the six Scrum principles which are the foundation on which the Scrum framework is based. Chapters 3 through 7 elaborate on the five Scrum aspects that must be addressed throughout any project: organization, business justification, quality, change, and risk. Chapters 8 through 12 cover the 19 Scrum processes involved in carrying out a Scrum project. These processes are part of the 5 Scrum phases: Initiate; Plan and Estimate; Implement; Review and Retrospect; and Release. These phases describe in detail the associated inputs and outputs of each process, as well as the various tools that may be used in each.

Usage

The SBOK™ Guide is especially valuable:

• To Scrum Core Team members including:
  • Product Owners who want to fully understand the Scrum framework and particularly the customer/stakeholder-related concerns involving business justification, quality, change, and risk aspects associated with Scrum projects
  • Scrum Masters who want to learn their specific role in overseeing the application of Scrum framework to Scrum projects
  • Scrum Team members who want to better understand Scrum processes and the associated tools that may be used to create the project’s product or service
• As a comprehensive guide for all Scrum practitioners working on Scrum projects in any organization or industry
• As a reference source for anyone interacting with the Scrum Core Team, including but not limited to the Portfolio Product Owner, Portfolio Scrum Master, Program Product Owner, Program Scrum Master, Scrum Guidance Body, and Stakeholders (i.e., sponsor, customer, and users)
• As a knowledge source for any person who has no prior experience or knowledge of Scrum framework but wants to learn in details about the subject
• The contents of the SBOK™ Guide are also helpful for individuals preparing to write the following SCRUMstudy™ certification exams:
  • Scrum Developer Certified (SDC™)
  • Scrum Master Certified (SMC™)
  • Agile Expert Certified (AEC™)
  • Scrum Product Owner Certified (SPOC™)
  • Expert Scrum Master (ESM ™)

 

SBOK™ Guide First Chapter

A Guide to the Scrum Body of Knowledge (SBOK™) provides guidelines for the successful implementation of Scrum—the most popular Agile project management and product development methodology. It provides a comprehensive framework that includes the principles, aspects, and processes of Scrum.

Scrum, as defined in the SBOK™, is applicable to the following:

• Portfolios, programs, and/or projects in any industry
• Products, services, or any other results to be delivered to stakeholders
• Projects of any size or complexity

The term 'product' in this Body of Knowledge may refer to a product, service, or other deliverable. Scrum can be applied effectively to any project in any industry—from small projects or teams with as few as six team members to large, complex projects with up to several hundred team members. This first chapter describes the purpose and framework of the SBOK™ Guide and provides an introduction to the key concepts of Scrum. It contains a summary of Scrum principles, Scrum aspects, and Scrum processes.

The following sections are covered in this chapter.

• Overview of Scrum
• Why Use Scrum?
• Purpose of the SBOK™ Guide
• Framework of the SBOK™ Guide
• Scrum vs. Traditional Project Management

To download the first chapter -