SCRUM

In recent years, Scrum has gained popularity. Both small and large organisations are using it. But what is Scrum?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗺

Scrum involves using an Agile technique to arrive at the most effective and flexible way of working. Within the organisation, a team is set up that will use this approach, delivering projects step-by-step in a highly productive manner.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺

The Scrum team consists of the Product Owner, Scrum Master and members of the Development Team. Most teams have 3 to 9 members, each with a different disciplinary background. Together, they work towards the completion of the current project, under the guidance of the Scrum Master. This person is tasked with guiding the Development Team so that the work process runs as smoothly as possible. The duties are taken care of by the Product Owner, who acts as an intermediary between the stakeholders and the team.

The Product Owner’s job is to find out the customer’s requirements. These are passed on to the team in the form of user stories via the product backlog. The Product Owner sorts the tasks according to priority, with the prioritised ones appearing at the top of the product backlog. These tasks flow through to the sprint backlog and are picked up first during the current sprint.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵

The Scrum team values efficiency, projects are handled one by one in a time period of 2 to 4 weeks, this is called a sprint. The project is approached in a systematic way, so there is a clear focus within the team on what needs to be done. First, the Development Team starts by dividing up a sprint schedule, the members make their own selection of tasks from the sprint backlog. To complete the project successfully, it is important that all team members communicate well with each other. Therefore, a daily scrum is scheduled, a meeting of no more than 15 minutes to discuss the activities for the next 24 hours.

After a (partial) product or improvement to a product is delivered, the period ends with a sprint review. In this meeting, there is room for feedback from the stakeholders so that the team can respond to any changing customer requirements. Finally, the retrospective follows, in which the team’s cooperation is discussed. After going through all these steps, the team immediately starts the next sprint.