Scrum in a simple words

Quite often, non-IT companies are interested in a term such as scrum. In this article we will try to explain the essence of Scrum methodology in the simplest words.

The term Scrum was originally taken from rugby. It is the process of resuming the game after a violation or stop.

In the IT sector, this term refers to project management through time management. The main feature is that all participants are involved in project development and each participant has a specific role to play. This means that not only the team is working on the product, but all those who are interested in the result, including the customer (product owner).

In Scrum methodology used next terms:

Product owner is the person who is most interested in a product, who has an idea of how the product must work in order for it to be of high quality. The product owner is not part of the development team; he is on the customer's side and participates in the process, allocating priorities.

Scrum-master - this participant can be called the project manager and the main Scrum ideological inspirer. His main task is to ensure that all participants in the process (the customer and the development team) follow the principles of the methodology.

Scrum team is a team that has accepted all the rules and principles of Scrum methodology and is ready to work according to these principles.

Sprint - a period of time, recommended 2-4 weeks, which is taken to complete a specific list of tasks. The length of time is determined once before development begins.

Backlog is a detailed list with all the jobs assigned to the team.

Backlog is distinguished by 2 types:

• Product backlog - a list of those works, which we will get the final product by implementing;
• Sprint backlog - a list of activities for the reporting period that were identified by the team together with the owner of the product. These tasks are taken from the product backlog.

Sprint planning is a rally involving the team, the scrum master and the product owner. At this meeting, the product owner determines the priority tasks to be completed by the next sprint. The development team assesses how many of the tasks assigned by the owner can be completed in a given time. At the end of the meeting, a list of tasks that will have to be completed in full by the end of the sprint appears. The list of tasks cannot be changed during the Sprint.

One of the most important tools for successful work with Scrum is the Daily Standup meeting.

The stand-up meeting in Scrum allows you to reduce feedback loops, quickly identify problems and recall tasks. 

The ideal daily stand-up meeting includes the following questions:

• What did you do yesterday to achieve the goal of the Sprint?
• What do you plan to do today to achieve the goal of the Sprint?
• Are there blockers that prevent the task from being carried out?

Daily stands are an effective way to achieve Scrum methodology's goal. Current realities allow for standup-meetings to be held directly in the messenger used by the team. AssistBot will help you switch to Scrum methodology with the least effort.