Society and technology are changing rapidly. Markets, customers and end users want to see tangible results faster and faster. With Agile working according to the Scrum method, you will also achieve the highest value in the shortest possible time. Agile is the vision, Scrum is a way to apply that vision in projects and organizations.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS
In an organization that works with Scrum, project teams are multidisciplinary. The members of these teams have different, partly overlapping areas of expertise, can act quickly and independently and want to keep getting better. There are three roles in each team:
Product Owner
- defines and monitors the project vision from the customer’s perspective
- sets priorities and conditions
- determines what the Scrum team should deliver
- may make decisions on behalf of the client
Scrum team
- self-organizing
- multidisciplinary
- feel joint responsibility for the result
- determine how they realize the products & services
Scrum Master
- ensures that the entire team works as well as possible to bring the project to an optimal result
- problem solver
- leads the meetings (‘ceremonies’, see below)
- teacher and guardian of Agile working according to Scrum
THE HIGHEST VALUE FIRST
Before the Scrum team gets to work, the Product Owner determines with his client which (sub) products the team will develop, and in what order. In doing so, he or she puts the (partial) product that adds the most value at the top, then the one that adds the most value after that, and so on. When there is a change in strategy, a new insight or a new technology that changes the prioritization, the Product Owner adjusts this order, or adds a new aspect.
SHORT SPRINTS WITH TANGIBLE RESULTS
A Scrum project organization works in cycles of 1-6 weeks, a kind of mini-projects. Within Scrum, these cycles are called ‘sprints’. At the start of each sprint, the Product Owner helps as the ‘voice of the customer’ to give direction. And at the end of each sprint, the Scrum team delivers a working (sub) product, on which the Product Owner provides feedback. In this way, Agile teams achieve concrete results in short successive periods, learn about the product and the process, and determine whether they want to approach the next sprint differently.
CLEAR COMMUNICATION ABOUT PROGRESS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
In Agile organizations, the Scrum Team and the Scrum Master (and sometimes the Product Owner) have regular meetings. At the start of a sprint, for example, they discuss who will do what and when. There are also daily stand-ups, short daily discussions in which the Scrum team discusses what they have made that day, what they will make tomorrow and what obstacles they have encountered. At the end of a sprint, the Scrum team delivers the results to the Product Owner, who accepts or rejects them. And via clear lists, which are visible to everyone (including employees who have nothing to do with the project), everyone is kept informed of the progress. This way, the client is never faced with surprises.
GUARANTEED OPTIMUM RESULTS
In short, with Scrum you achieve optimal results by:
- the self-organized Scrum team of enthusiastic employees who feel responsible
- the close involvement of the customer through the Product Owner
develop first that which adds the most value - the division into short sprints, so that you can make adjustments in the meantime
- transparent communication about progress
In this way Scrum guarantees that the end product is exactly what the client wants.
Make a success of every project, together with the experienced project managers of iPeople. In addition, you learn to work Agile according to Scrum with the Scrum Master Certified training and the Product Owner Certified training.
Want to read more about the theory?
You can find the entire Scrum theory in the Scrum Body of Knowledge
iPeople supports, trains and coaches you and the people you work with to work Agile according to Scrum.
