Scrum Overview

In this Scrum overview, we’ll try to cover intro to Scrum in under 10 minutes, so you can easily absorb a gist of scrum. We have already discussed some of the basic concepts of project management. Here we’ll keep our focus on Scrum which is an agile methodology.

[wps_toc style=”default” title=”Table of Contents” heading_levels=”1,2″ show_heirarchy=”no” bullet_spacing=”yes” ordered_list=”no”]

Scrum is an iterative, incremental, and adaptive agile methodology which provides a framework to deliver business value quickly. As this is just a Scrum overview, so we’ll keep this intro to scrum under 10 minutes or even lot less.

Scrum is Agile

To start with, Agile is an approach and a mindset which is iterative and incremental in nature and helps deliver customer value faster. Scrum is one of the agile methodologies used to achieve the goal of quick value delivery in an iterative and incremental way. That’s why we can say Scrum is Agile as it inherits all the attributes of Agile, while implementing its own unique framework.

Scrum is a Methodology

A methodology is a system of methods used in a particular area of work. The same way Scrum is an Agile methodology. The Agile only provides an approach, manifesto, and principles, while Scrum methodology helps realize those principles in the form of a framework. This framework has different parts and methods which when implemented help deliver a product quickly. We’ll not go into much detail here as this is only scrum overview.

Scrum is Iterative

An iteration is a repetition of a process to produce an output or a result. The Scrum also follows the same iterative pattern. It helps repeat same process in each iteration. An iteration in Scrum is known as a Sprint. These Sprints keep repeating until the product is completed and the value is delivered to the client.

Scrum is Incremental

We can call something incremental, when it builds upon its previous state and moves on to the next state or condition. It adds additional value to the existing value of a product or a service. In Scrum, each Sprint (Iteration) produces a product increment. For example, if first Sprint produced version 0.0.1, the second Sprint will add some new feature or add improvements to an existing feature and produce the next increment i.e., 0.0.2 etc.

Scrum is Adaptive

Adaptive means having the ability to change and adapt to different situations. Scrum is based on continuous learning from the feedback and then adjust accordingly. It has the flexibility to adapt to the changing requirements of the customers and the business, instead of being rigid and following a plan. Not only the requirements (user stories) can be re-prioritized based on the situation and feedback, but also the team can adjust and adapt to changing environment based on the retrospective and lessons learned. Once you understand this scrum overview well, you’ll be better able to understand Scrum in more details later.

Scrum is Value-Based

One of the main points which we would like to mention in this scrum overview is value. The value refers to the usefulness of the output or the outcome. In case of Scrum, the value is delivered to the customer. For example, a customer wants you to build a mobile app to manage their budget. If you spend months on creating documentation, producing designs, having meetings, but do not produce something according to the customer requirement then customer does not get any value out of it.

However, if you produce the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) in a couple of sprints with the minimal documentation and design and then get feedback from the customer on that MVP then you have delivered some value. The next iterations will build upon this initial value incrementally.

Scrum Delivers Value Early

As we have seen that Scrum is value-based methodology, the core objective is to deliver the value early and quickly. If the customer must wait for months or years to get some value, then it’s neither Agile not Scrum. Unlike Waterfall method, where it takes a lot of time just to perfect the documentation and design, Scrum helps start with minimal design and documentation and gets going with small increments of the final product to get customer feedback.

Scrum Welcomes Change

In Scrum, the requirements are not final. Instead, all the requirements are put in the Backlog and then prioritized based on the business requirement and perceived value. If the business requirements change and the customer wants to add, remove, or change some features then that is welcomed in Scrum. Based on the new feedback from the customer or the business, the backlog is re-prioritized, and then next sprints backlogs are built from the latest prioritized product backlog. That’s why detailed upfront design and documentation is discouraged in the Scrum. We can’t go into too much details as the topic is just a scrum overview, but we’ll explore it more in future posts.

Scrum is for any types of Projects

The Scrum framework can be applied and used in any kind of project. However, its most adaptability can be seen in the software projects. The reason for that is, the requirements for software projects are not very clear at the start and keep changing along the way. So, the Scrum framework, being adaptable, suits quite well to software projects. Still, it is not just for software projects and can be applied equally well in other industries and even in our personal and professional lives.

In this short and simple Scrum overview, you learnt the basics of scrum and the related concepts. In our upcoming articles and posts, we’ll explore Scrum even more and go into details of each of these concepts.