Scrum

What exactly is Scrum?

The term Scrum refers to an agile project management method. It is intended to ensure that the set goals are also achieved in the appropriate time. In addition, Scrum serves to promote the self-organization of employees. The sometimes cumbersome and inflexible project planning should be replaced by this.

What are the roles in the Scrum team?

In a Scrum team, there are a total of 3 roles:

• the Scrum Master
• the product owner
• the member of the project team

The Scrum Master

The Scrum Master is responsible for the process. He supports the project team and is the moderator in the meetings. If issues arise during project work, he takes care of clarifying them. The Master is also the contact person for outsiders.

The Product Owner

The users, or all persons who have an interest in the success of the project, are represented by the product owner. If, for example, a new software solution is developed by the Scrum team, the Product Owner takes care of the smooth introduction in the company. Every user should be able to work with the new software after the successful implementation of the project goal.

The project team

A Scrum team usually consists of five to ten members with different competencies and strengths. There are no hierarchies in a project team. To achieve the project goal, the team members organize themselves independently.

How does a Scrum run?

A Scrum starts with the product vision. Here, a product owner sets the requirements for a new product or software. All framework conditions that must be fulfilled in order to achieve the project goal are then collected in the so-called product backlog. Once the summary of the product characteristics is complete, the team moves on to sprint planning. A sprint represents a time frame in which the tasks are to be implemented. There are very short sprints of only one day for small results and for more elaborate goals sprints of 2-4 weeks can be defined. As soon as a sprint goal has been achieved, it is presented to the product owner by the Scrum master. The latter tests the existing functions and gives feedback. This process is called “Review“. Afterwards, the entire Scrum team can agree on the feedback given and plan new sprints. This process is repeated until the project goal has been fully achieved.

How should the Daily Scrum Meeting take place?

A Daily Scrum Meeting takes place every working day, preferably at the same time. The meeting serves the exchange within the team and is kept very concise. The meeting serves to discuss within the team which goals from the previous day were achieved and which were not. If major issues arise, the Master can react promptly. Through the Daily Scrum Meeting, all project participants always stay up to date and can coordinate agilely with the distribution of tasks.

Why is Scrum agile?

Very simple and few rules apply to a Scrum project. These only serve to support the project team to achieve the project goal. The essential process is that the team should organize itself. In a joint meeting with the Master, the project goals are defined, then the team is allowed to act independently. There is no predetermined plan, according to which the tasks to be completed are to be processed. A team should be staffed with different competencies, so that all arising activities can be covered. In this way, all members of the project can work through their area of responsibility independently, autonomously and competently.