Understandi

ng Scrumin 30 Minutes

by Altaf Al-Amin

Understanding Scrum In 30 Minutes v1.0 is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Scrum (n): A framework within which people can address complex adaptive problems, while productively and creatively delivering products of the highest possible value. Scrum is:•Lightweight•Simple to understand•Extremely difficult to master

What is Scrum?

Understanding Scrum in House-Keeping Way

Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka, “The New New Product Development Game”, Harvard Business Review, January 1986.

“The… ‘relay race’ approach to product development…may conflict with the goals of maximum speed and flexibility. Instead a holistic or ‘rugby’ approach—where a team tries to go the distance as a unit, passing the ball back and forth—may better serve today’s competitive requirements.”

The Scrum Team

The Product OwnerResponsible for the product backlogand maximizing the product ROI.• Sole Person Not Committee • Represents the users (Business Owner)• Clearly expresses backlog items• Prioritize features according to market value • Ensures visibility• Defines features of the product• Decide on release date and content• Accept or reject work results• Authority on “What”

The Development TeamResponsible for delivering a potentially shippable

increment of working software.• Self-organized• X functional• Not Titles Except Developer• Defines practices• 4 to 9 persons• Full Time Engagement• Authority on “How” to do “What”• No Sub Teams

The Scrum MasterResponsible for the scrum process• “Manager” but Servent-Leader• Enacting Scrum values• Services to Product Owner, Dev Team & Org

• Team is functional• Removes impediments• Facilitates scrum events• Facilitates communication• Shield the team from external interferences

Walking around with Obstacles

Classroom Exercise

Scrum Artifacts

The Product BacklogSingle source of requirements for any changes to bemade to the product.• Living list that is never complete• Ordered: value, risk, priority & necessity• Estimated by the team• Product Backlog lists all features, functions,

requirements, enhancements, and fixes

The Sprint BacklogA subset of Product Backlog Items, which define the work for a SprintIs created ONLY by Development TeamEach Item has it’s own statusShould be updated every dayNo more than 300 tasks in the listIf a task requires more than 16 hours, it should be broken downTeam can add or subtract items from the list. Product Owner is not allowed to do itChanges

Team adds new tasks whenever they need to in order to meet the Sprint GoalTeam can remove unnecessary tasksBut: Sprint Backlog can only be updated by the team

Estimates are updated whenever there’s new information

The Définition of DoneUsed to assess when work is complete on the

product increment.

• Defined by the product owner• Unique for the whole team• Must allow immediate release• Quality increases with maturity

Scrum Events / Cérémonies /

Rituals

The Sprint PlanningTwo part time boxed meeting: 8hrs/1 Month sprint.1. Defines what will be delivered in the increment

• Team selects items from the product backlog and defines a sprint goal

2. Defines how the increment will be achieved – Sprint Backlog• Items are converted into tasks & estimated

1st Part:Creating Product Backlog Determining the Sprint Goal. Participants: Product Owner, Scrum Master, Scrum Team

2nd Part:Participants: Scrum Master, Scrum TeamCreating Sprint Backlog

Busting Myth of Multi Tasking

Classroom Exercise

Heart of Scrum•Time Boxed (2 to 4 weeks)•During the Sprint:• No changes are made that would affect the Sprint Goal• Development Team composition remains constant• Quality goals do not decrease;

•Scope may be clarified and renegotiated between the Product Owner and Development Team as more is learned.•Each Sprint is Mini-Project•Limit the Risk to One Month of Cost•Only PO can cancel sprint before time

The Sprint

The Daily Scrum15 minute time-boxed event for the Development Teamto synchronize activities.

• Development Team is responsible for conducting Meeting

• Everyone Answers:• What has been accomplished since last meeting?• What will be done before the next meeting?• What obstacles are in the way?

• Same Place, Same Time• Not Status Update but Commitment

Classroom ExerciseStanding Survey

The Sprint Review4 hour time-boxed meeting / Month Sprint• Product owner identifies done / undone• Team discusses what went well, what problems it ran into & those that were solved• Team demonstrates what it has done in a demo• Product owner discusses the backlog as it stands• Entire group collaborates on what to do next• Result: Revised Product Backlog

The Sprint RetrospectiveImproves the process.

• Sprint Review < Sprint Retrospective < Next Sprint Planning Meeting• Inspect how the last Sprint went PRPT (People, Relationship, Process, Tools)• 3 Hour / 1 Month Sprint• Identify and order the major items that went well & potential improvements• Create a plan for implementing improvements• Whole Team gathers and discusses – What they would like to

• Start• Stop• Continue

Further ReadingAgile and Iterative Development: A Manager’s Guide by Craig Larman

Agile Estimating and Planning by Mike Cohn

Agile Project Management with Scrum by Ken Schwaber

Agile Retrospectives by Esther Derby and Diana Larsen

Agile Software Development Ecosystems by Jim Highsmith

Agile Software Development with Scrum by Ken Schwaber and Mike Beedle

Scrum and The Enterprise by Ken Schwaber