Scrum Product Owner Role And Sprint Planning Meeting Agenda

In many ways, in a Scrum project, the sprint planning meeting agenda plays a very significant part in determining the success of delivering shippable product increments through the sprint iterative cycles. The product owner is very closely involved in the sprint planning agenda, and is responsible for the outcome of the sprint cycle, since he or she is primarily responsible for taking the initiative and “designing” the sprint – the PO decides which user stories should be ideally taken up for development purposes based upon their business values. Moreover, the product backlog needs to be refined on a regular basis. The PO may invite and seek the help of Agile team members to keep the backlog refined so “granular” and developable user stories are available at the time of Scrum planning meeting.

The main issue with Agile Scrum today is that the role of a PO cannot be “standardised” based upon assumptions as to how Scrum ought to be implemented in a project, and what the PO should ideally do to make the project a distinct success. In addition, while considering Scrum sprint planning, the same thoughts might be applicable to it as those associated with the PO’s – it is difficult to create generalised rules regarding how a sprint should be ideally designed. The primary reason is products and requirements change as per fluctuating market conditions, and stakeholders too are liable to change their thoughts as and when end user demand user-specific requirements and development. However, after considering the fact that scaled Scrum versions are likely to “dominate” the Agile scenario over the coming years, it is worthwhile thinking that “some” of the duties of a PO and certain sprint planning “characteristics” are likely to remain common – irrespective of which scaled version is used, and the manner in which Scrum should be, or can be, implemented in a project. In addition, while the sprint planning meeting was traditionally conducted in two parts, the Scrum event has now evolved to be conducted as a whole – as a single event – and include two topics in it, rather than two parts:

• What can be done in this (currently being planned) sprint – the “What” aspect
• How should the chosen “work” be ideally “done” – the “How” aspect

It is interesting to think about how the product owner’s role is likely to modify itself in the future, and what features the sprint planning event is likely to include. The suggestions are open for debate, and the reader is invited to present his or her viewpoints.

Scrum product owner role and responsibilities likely to remain “common”

• Creation of the product backlog based upon the vision as seen by the stakeholders. Defining user stories having high business values so the project “worth” is maintained at all times.
• Monitoring all Scrum related activities in project. Even if the PO’s role may be demanding and “difficult to play”, the PO still has to deal with changing market conditions, stakeholders requests, and negotiate with the development team with regards delivering shippable stories and maintaining team velocity... Read more at Scrum Product Owner Role And Sprint Planning Meeting Agenda

Scrum Product Owner’s Role

Agile professionals have often discussed what the exact role of a product owner should be in Scrum. What virtues should a product owner possess to be considered a “good” PO? The answers are many. And this is not surprising because Scrum is a framework, and its implementation in a project depends upon the requirements specific to the project. When requirements change, the role of the PO also changes. Therefore, it may not be possible to standardise the exact role a PO should play in a Scrum project.

A certain process flow remains common to almost all Scrum projects. The role of a product owner can be thought about in terms of what POs actually do in a typical Scrum project. Here are a few suggestions:

Common role or activities of a Scrum product owner

· Creating the product backlog as per the product vision seen by the stakeholders. Defining user stories having high business values in the backlog so the project “value” is constantly maintained.

· Monitoring and tracking all Scrum activities. The role of a product owner may be difficult to act since a project might be demanding, and the product owner may have to cater to market related issues and still monitor the work carried out by the team. Balancing both the aspects can prove to be trying.

· Make sure that the product backlog is kept refined at all times. Moreover, the product backlog should be accessible by the entire team.

· Each product backlog item “PBI” should be properly stated and defined in the product backlog. The story description, appropriate business value, and the acceptance criteria should be stated precisely in the story card and explained to the entire team so the team members can develop effective stories and develop shippable product features.

· To be available whenever needed, to remain present, and share information, knowledge, as well as expertise with other team members.

· The PO responsibility should also include defining productive sprint goals just before a sprint commences.

· A product owner’s responsibility should also include... Read more at Scrum Product Owner's Role

How Can Agile Scrum Reduce Regression During Software Development?

For IT development companies, and organisations developing computer and digital-devices  (smartphones, tablets, digital diaries, etc.) software projects, one of the  most important, and also the most troublesome issue is encountering “bugs” or defects in  the code functionality when a particular application, or a system, is deployed and used in  a live environment. Software bugs can be very common. Ever since computers were  designed in the yearly years, bugs have inadvertently, or otherwise, kept on troubling  coders and project managers, and have tested their ingenuity to resolve them to the  fullest extent possible. Ask any seasoned programmer - He or she will tend to initially  confer, and eventually say that the word “Bug” is aptly named – It tends to “bug” you! Etymology of the word “Bug” It is interesting to know how the terminology “bug” was first coined, and used to  describe a state of functioning in which an error, or a flaw in coding can lead to  flawed results, or “outputs” in IT jargon. There are several stories as to how the  terminology came into existence. A theory most subscribed to involves the pioneer  programmer, Grace Hopper, who was a young Naval Reserve officer working on a  Mark II computer at Harvard University. In 1944, she related an incident in which  the computer had malfunctioned – an actual moth had, in fact, “managed” somehow  to get itself embedded between two electrical relays, causing the computer to halt  in its functioning. She explained that the cause of malfunction was a “bug,” which  was later removed by a technician. The famous bug was exhibited by the Navy for  many years, and is now owned by the Smithsonian Institute.  Bugs and software regression In a broad sense, a software bug can be understood as an error, failure, flaw, or  even a fault in the code designed to develop an application or a computer based  system. Bugs typically create unexpected and incorrect results or outputs, which  cause the functionality of the particular application to stop, or function in a manner  other than so desired. Bugs generally arise owing to reasons such as: Mistakes carried out while encoding a program Designing improper code structure or logic Utilising the functionality of the code in a manner other than that recommended Technical errors in the code compilers and/or interpreting resources and agents Of course, the above are not the only causes which give rise to bugs, however, they  constitute the major reasons why bugs tend to occur in majority of the cases. When  the numbers of bugs increase significantly, the overall functionality of the application  may be compromised upon to a considerable level, rendering it useless and  non-productive. This can cause severe financial loses, and even force businesses  to face litigation from troubled end-users and consumers. Broadly, the word “regression” means to return to a former, or a lesser developed  state. So, how can regression be understood in terms of “software regression”  pertaining to software development? In practice, developers write down,  or generate code, to develop a particular functionality as requested by the  end-user or the client. During the coding stage, the developer not only develops  the code, but also checks it and ensures that it is working properly. This is a  standard practice followed by most experienced programmers and developers.  However, at times, the testing process may not be carried out properly, or the  code functionality might work properly in most cases, but fail to work under  certain circumstances and situations. A second scenario is the code may be  developed and properly tested at the time of creation, and the application  deployed in a successful manner. However, a newer version of the deployed  functionality may be subsequently re-developed to include even more features  and functionality, to replace the prior one. The reason could be a need  experienced by end-users to use the functionality for a more specific purpose.  The newer version may cause some of the older functionality to stop working.  This, in a rough sense, can be understood as software regression. For example, you could encode a program to display “Hello World” on the monitor.  It might work perfectly, and display the message each and every time it is executed.  Later on, the same code may be re-developed to accept the user’s name, and display  it in lieu of “World.” The objective of thenew code might be to display  “Hello John” rather than “Hello World.” However, once the newer code is developed  and deployed, it actually ends up displaying the user’s name only - “John” - instead  of the actual greeting “Hello John.” In this case, some of the older functionality associated  with displaying “Hello” in the greeting is curtailed due to some coding reason and  “missed out” by  the newer code. This is software regression.  Knowing a “bit” about what is Agile Scrum framework Agile is a framework. It offers guidelines as to how software based projects can be  effectively developed  through consistent and sustained delivery of software functionality through short bursts  of development activities known as “sprints.” Agile is based upon certain principles which  suggest how the framework ought to be ideally understood and interpreted by people,  and how the framework should function in an ideal working environment. One of the  Agile principles state “Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early  and continuous delivery of valuable software.” To support this principle, Agile  framework supports an iterative (repetitive) product incremental cycle  (a process through which smaller components or parts of the actual product are individually  developed,and later integrated to form the complete product). At the end of one product  increment cycle (sprint),Agile events known as the “Sprint Review” and “Sprint Retrospective”  are held to ascertain the reliability of the code functionality developed during the sprint,  and whether it satisfies the acceptance criteria so it can be considered as “bug free”  and fully functional. Agile promotes “shippable” product increments i.e. small pieces of  code offering a certain functionality that is complete, perfectly functional, and free  of any “manufacturing” defects.It is worth knowing about the actual Agile process, events,  roles, and artefacts which can help to eliminate bugs, and control the factors causing  regression in software code. People new to Agile concepts and principles may find the  framework difficult to understand. This article does not aim to educate the reader in  Agile or Scrum framework. Rather, it aims to explain some of the important Agile  characteristics which make the framework a very good choice for developing software  projects. The objective is to describe how Agile can help to reduce regression levels during  the development process. To understand how Agile can do this, it is important to know a  “bit” about Agile first. The product owner “PO” (Role) He or she is the person who “owns” the project on behalf of the stakeholders or project  owners.  The person represents the interests of the stakeholders in the Agile project, and ensures  that the project delivers a certain business value (importance in terms of market value  and financial implications) at all times while the product is being developed. The individual  is primarily responsible for the success or failure of the project. The product backlog (Artefact) It is a master list mentioning all features and functionalists to be developed in the  software project,and to manufacture the software product in totality. Read more at http://goo.gl/Gy8PXu

Is Agile Scrum suitable For Software Development?

The scope of development in the software/IT field

People and individuals associated with software development and the IT field like to use the term “software development” to describe their particular field of work and professional involvement. The term “development” is very widely used to describe a host of activities catering to the IT field. It can range from developing code for applications and systems, to developing mobile applications for mobile operating systems such as Android, iOS, Symbian, Windows OS, etc. (visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_operating_system), “manufacturing” gaming software using scripting languages like Ruby, AGSScript, Lua, Marathon markup language, Ada, C++, C#, D, Lisp, Mercury, Pascal, Perl, Python, Scheme, JavaScript, Java, VBscript, EDL, etc., (visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_programming_languages) carrying out web development using HTML, CSS, PHP, Joomla, DotNetNuke, Java, etc., and even developing entire operating systems for tablets and PCs  (visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_operating_systems, to know more about operating systems). The fact is as on today, the terminology “software development” is extensively used to mention almost any type or activity associated with the programming and development of “computerizable” code of any type, in any way, or manner. When a particular methodology or framework is used to develop computerizable code and create software projects, it is important to ascertain whether the scope of development includes the specific activity you’re currently involved or associated with. Software development and projectmanagement frameworks such as Agile have the potential to develop successful IT related projects involving the vast majority of development platforms and operating systems.

What is Agileframework?

While explaining Agile in a simple and straightforward manner, it can be best understood as a collection of project development methodologies and frameworks, of which any framework or methodology can be used in a successful manner to dynamically develop projects of almost any type and nature, including software development projects. The framework is based upon iterative and incremental development, in which self-organised and self-managing development teams understand, plan, and develop projects under the supervision of a project leader, and offer productivity in the form of short bursts of development cycles (iterative development) known as sprints. A unique feature of all Agile frameworks is that the development carried out by the team is “shippable” in nature i.e. the code developed during the product development cycle is independent, testable, verifiable,  documentable, and ready for deployment after it is stringently checked for any “manufacturing” defects.

A second, highly important feature of Agile development is that individuals “owning” the project are closely linked with the approval of development carried out by the team. A particular “code” or “piece” of functionality is checked for regression after it is developed, and subsequently presented to the stakeholders and project owners. They ascertain the development carried out, and clear it as “OK” for future integration into the actual product. This leads to a successful development of software projects, since the management is always aware about what functionality is currently being developed by the team, and up to what extent it satisfies the project objectives. If the project owners feel the productivity offered by the team is not up-to-the-mark, or fails to satisfies them in terms of business value (how much important the code or functionality is from the market point of view, and how much it is worth from the financial point of view) offered by the functionality, they can reject the entire functionality and instruct the project manager to redevelop the particular script or code, based upon a new set of inputs and requirements recommended by them. This ensures that the software project always “maintains” its business value at all times, even while the product is being currently developed.     

A third important feature of Agile framework is that all activities in the project are “time boxed”, and therefore, have to be completed within a predetermined time period. In an Agile project, each activity is time bound. All development related activities are “configured” to suit the unique project needs, and a duration “affixed” to them so they can be completed within a stipulated time. This ensures that the project does not “drag-on” and extend indefinitely. The development costs incurred while the project is being developed can be properly and “profitably” controlled, so that the project does not become “too” expensive and difficult to afford financially.

Agile principles and features

Agile framework differs drastically when compared to traditional linear or Waterfall methodology. In Agile, project development is carried out in short bursts of activities rather than in stages that have to be “completed” one after the other.

The main Agile features include:

·  Cross-functional development teams consisting of developers, programmers, testers, QA personnel, technical writers, system analysts, etc. all work together as a single composite team through collaborative efforts, offer and share ideas, and help each other during the development process.

·   Working in short, fast-paced development cycles, with focused objectives – Iterative development.

·  Shippable productivity at the end of iterative development cycles – Incremental development. The functionality keeps on “growing” through development cycles until the entire application, system, or product is developed.

·   Human communications and involvement takes precedence over management authority and delegation of work.

·   Total transparency and visibility of the team progress to project owners, stakeholders, and end users.

·    Feedback and suggestions help to self-correct and offer new ways and means to carry out quicker, more efficient, and reliable development.

An important feature of all Agile frameworks is that the frameworks are independent of the nature of project to be developed i.e. the framework is not dependent upon the platform or environment used to develop the particular software project. The architecture or design can vary, and could be anything. The important aspect is that an Agile framework has to be implemented in the project first, and its benefits availed subsequently. Please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agile_software_development.

What is Agile scrum?

Scrum, briefly, is a “light weight” Agile framework, used extensively for developing and delivering “workable” software products, very often, and on a consistent basis. The software products can range from the development of new web processes and systems, gaming solutions, plugins, mobile apps, ecommerce websites, corporate portals, development of WordPress themes, RAD (Rapid Application Development) projects, OOPs (Object Oriented Programming) projects, CAD/CAM drafting solutions, port programming and configuration utilities, web development and platform interfacing solutions, etc. Scrum adheres to all Agile principles and features discussed above since the framework is “inherited” from Agile itself.

Scrum offers a new, and a better way of managing software projects. There are many technical reasons why Scrum is popular and why many Fortune 500 companies prefer to use the framework for their project development purposes. While being introduced to Agile Scrum, a question that inadvertently comes to one’s mind is why is Scrum so popular? Why is there so much “hype” about Scrum? Does Scrum offer a magic formula, which can work wonders for your project and software development? Why should an organisation that has been following a particular development methodology, and feels comfortable doing so, should change over to Scrum? There is a separate article which deals entirely with why you should opt for Scrum. The point is, this article focus upon explaining Scrum to individuals who are new to the topic, and have absolutely no idea what the framework is all about, and what it can “do” for you. Efforts have been made to explain that Agile Scrum is applicable to almost any kind of software development, and possesses certain features which make the framework very popular as well as “powerful”.    

How does Scrum work?

The actual Scrum process can prove to be difficult to understand, at first, for Scrum beginners. Even though Scrum implementation is not difficult, people need to understand and familiarize themselves about what is product increment, and how it actually occurs during the Scrum process. The second aspect is getting to know about Scrum events. The special meetings, known as “events” are important for monitoring the development activity, and analysing the reliability and effectiveness of the functionality developed by the team. They also help to solicit feedback from the team members as well as the project owners so that the business value of the project is not affected, and maintained at all times – even while the product is being developed. It is worthwhile to get an “overview” of the process first.  

1.    Project conception - An idea!

All projects, whether involving software development, or otherwise, start with an “idea”. Projects are developed out of needs. A project is planned to fulfil a particular requirement or achieve a certain objective. Moreover, each project results into “something” within a specific time frame – a project cannot extend indefinitely. It is important here to differentiate between a “project” and a “program”. Programs are generally long termed, and can even last for years, unlike projects which have a relatively short life span and last for a brief period, ranging from a couple of months to even a year.

Typically, a person, or a group of individuals realise it is worthwhile to put in efforts and resources, and develop “something” so that “another thing” can be easily fulfilled or availed. The “something” is the product, and the “another thing” is the solution that the project is supposed to provide. This stage of project development involves a lot of discussion and brain storming sessions, where the product is envisioned and “though over”.

Scrum does not figure during this stage. However, the vision seen by the project owners, can, or may, affect the manner in which Scrum is implemented in theproject, in the future. This is because the nature of product to be developed may require Scrum to be configured in a certain manner to obtain positive results from the project. 

2.    Project release – Getting started with the software project

Once the project is “thought about” the next logical step is to work out the nitty-gritty concerning the project dynamics – the objective of the project, the product definition, how the project should ideally deliver the product, in what manner, what should be the “strength” of the team, how many team members, etc.

Scrum development process does not come into the picture even during this stage. The documentation pertaining to the project is created and “everything” concerning the product to be developed is finalised – in black and white. Scrum does not advocate extensive documentation. You do not have to prepare detailed system flow diagrams and extensive design structures to get started with Scrum development. A basic idea will suffice, and you should only spend that much time and efforts which can get you “started” with the actual development activity. Just enough information and specifications to develop some of the most important product features.     

The project release is attended by the “Product Owner” – the person who functions as a project manager in the Scrum project, the Scrum Master who overseas that Scrum is properly implemented and followed by the team while the project is being developed, and the stakeholders or project owners who actually sponsor the project. 

3.    Creating the product backlog (Product Features List) – Defining the product features and functionality

The Scrum development process starts with the creation of a master list containing all features and functionality required to create the product in totality. In simple terms, the entire product, currently existing on paper as “imagined” by the stakeholders and project owners, is “broken down” into its constituent parts, consisting of individual features and functionality. The product is thoughtfully, and systematically, broken down such that each individual component can be individually developed, tested, and eventually integrated with other software components or functionality developed by the team over the days. Individually developed features and functionality can eventually “give birth” to a working product when integrated or assembled later on.

Each individual feature or list item is known as a “Product Backlog Item” or a “user story” in simple language. Therefore, the product backlog or the master list is fundamentally composed of product backlog items or user stories. The user story represents a product feature, and is individually developed by the team members during the development process – the daily sprints. Each story can be minutely defined. The description, acceptance criteria (Points which need to be “fulfilled” or satisfied before which the story can be considered as successfully developed), its importance in the project, and the manner in which it is supposed to be integrated into the final product, etc. are mentioned for each user story.

Once the feature list is created, it is arranged depending upon the importance of each user story in the product backlog. Important user stories are arranged in the “top” portion of the list, lesser important stories in the middle, and the least important features and functionality in the bottom portion.    

4.    Sprint planning meeting – Planning how to develop the product features

The product backlog functions as the main “backbone” of all development related activities in Scrum. Once it is “developed” by the product owner and the stakeholders, the actual development activity can start. A special meeting known as a “Sprint Planning” meeting is held to initiate the development activity. The meeting is attended by the entire development team, in addition to the product owner “PO” and the scrum master “SM”.

The meeting is held in two parts. In the first part, the product owner selects some of the most important user stories or product features from the top of the product backlog, and transfers them to a temporary list known as a “Sprint Backlog” for development purpose. During the meeting, the product owner takes the opportunity to explain each user story in details to the team members – how user stories should be ideally developed, and what activities the team should carry out so that each story can be marked as successfully completed.

During the second half of the meeting, the development team analyses the sprint backlog and distributes each story to individual team members. In practise, the team members unanimously decide as to who should take up which story depending upon their development skills and experience levels. Simple and easily developable items are given to less experienced or “fresher” while difficult, or more complex stories are taken up for development by more experienced and senior programmers or developers.         

5.    The daily sprints – Developing the product features

This is the main area of activity in Scrum. The entire product is developed in “bits” and “pieces” through the daily sprint cycles. A sprint cycle is nothing but a collection of working or “development” days during which the team members actually sit in front of a PC and develop the functionality or product features. The sprint cycle is time boxed and should not extend its deadline.

Each item included in the sprint backlog during the sprint planning meeting should be developed while the sprint is currently underway. A brief meeting known as a “Daily Scrum Meeting” is held for a maximum of 15 minutes each day before the team members start with their work. The purpose of the meeting is to get an idea regarding how much work has been completed by each member the day before, and what each member proposes to do “today”. If a team member is facing any issues or problems, it can be mentioned during the meeting, and the scrum master will ensure that the issue is quickly resolved.   

In Scrum, the daily sprints can typically last from 2 weeks up to a maximum of one month. The duration of the sprint is decided during the second stage - the project release - and it should not be extended under any circumstances - even if any of the user stories in the sprint backlog have not been developed, or whose development is incomplete.  

6.    Sprint review – Checking and verifying productivity (Is the development OK?)

Scrum emphasises upon the development of “shippable” functionality at the end of daily sprint cycle. Each user story developed during the daily sprint is checked by the product owner and verified for its reliability, acceptance levels, and whether it is “bug free”. In Scrum, it is very important to deliver error free features – each user story should be properly tested for any regression, and whether it satisfies the acceptance criteria linked with its development. 

Just after the daily sprint cycle ends, a meeting is immediately held to review the development carried out by the team. It is important to differentiate between the daily sprints and the sprint cycle. The daily sprint is the development activity carried out by the entire team on one particular working day. Many such “daily sprints” combine to form the “Daily Sprint Cycle”, also known as the “product incremental cycle” in Agile. The meeting is held at the end of the product incremental cycle – the daily sprint cycle. It is primarily attended by the product owner, the scrum master, and the team members. It is not mandatory for the stakeholders to attend this meeting. They can chose to attend it if they so desire.

The main objective of this event, or rather the meeting, is to check whether the features have been developed by the team as per the production plan, and if the functionality has any “manufacturing” defects. Each feature should be fully tested for any flaws by the team before presenting it in this meeting. The product owner verifies if the feature is error free and checks if it satisfies the acceptance criteria linked with it. It is a kind of “final” check carried out before presenting the development to the stakeholders and the project owners in the subsequent sprint retrospective meeting. During the meeting, the product owner instructs the team how it can improve its working and offer even better productivity by employing more efficient programming practices and standards.

7.    Sprint retrospective – Finalising product functionality and contemplating about further improvement

Agile Scrum advocates client participation. The client is a very important entity in Scrum, and has the final say as far as the development of product features is concerned. The Agile manifesto primarily stresses upon client participation and delivery of time bound product increments because these two aspects are very important for developing successful projects. A “satisfied” client often “comes back” to develop more projects since successful projects help the client to earn higher profit margins.

The retrospective provides an opportunity for the entire team to demonstrate its productivity in front of the stakeholders and clients. In addition to the product owner, scrum master, the development team, the meeting may also be attended by end users, technical staff personnel, vendors, distributors, and even other employees since the main purpose of the meeting is to avail feedback from individuals and entities closely linked with the market, and who have sound knowledge regarding what product features are likely to “score” in the market once the product is launched, and what can aid the product in “selling”.

The retrospective also offers a chance for the entire team as well as the client to reflect upon the development process, and discover what more could be done to make the product better. Discussions are carried out to ascertain the rate at which user stories are currently being developed by the team, and what new processes or methods need to be introduced to quicken the process.

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What to Consider Before Writing User Stories in Scrum So They Can Be More Effective and Meaningful

User stories in scrum

A user story is the main functional unit in scrum methodology. When any project is taken up for development using scrum, the specific requirements for that particular project is stated by creating a set or development requirements, which are termed as user stories in scrum. Usually the product owner creates the product backlog – the list of requirements needed to develop the project. The product backlog items are referred to as user stories by scrum professionals. Once the product requirement list is created, a small set of the requirements (user stories) are transferred to the sprint backlog during the sprint planning meeting for development purposes. The stories are explained to the team members in the first half of the sprint planning meeting. During the second half, team members distribute the stories after breaking them down into development tasks. A sprint backlog is prepared in this way. Subsequently, the team starts developing the functionalities of the user stories during the daily sprint. In scrum, the entire project is governed on the basis of the user stories.

The official scrum guide does not attempt to provide a specific definition that can describe the “structure” of a particular user story. The guide actually explains what a user story is, and what part it is supposed to play in the project. It fails to provide a standard format which can explain as to how a user story should really look like. Maybe, the reason why the guide fails to provide a structural definition is because development requirements can vary from one particular project to another.  So, it becomes difficult to standardize a specific format compatible to all types of projects.  The guide, however, states that the user story should ideally be composed of three constituent parts, or include there main aspects:

1.     A written description or a graphical representation of the entity which forms a part of the project

2.     A detailed conversation, or an explanation which additionally describes the functionality in greater details

3.     The acceptance criteria or “Done” meaning which specifies what the entity should include, how it should function, and the particular manner how it should migrate or integrate into the project

What should be considered while writing or creating user stories

While writing the user stories, certain points are important, and should be adhered to for the user stories to be effective and developmental:

·       Stakeholders should create or write the user stories

The investors and the stakeholders are funding the project for financial gains. Each project has a financial value attached to it in terms of how much the project will be worth in the market. The stakeholders know which user stories are important, and which functionalities will increase the value of the project. Therefore, they are the ideal individuals to define and create the list of requirements or the user stories. The product owner carries out the work on their behalf, and represents their interests while the project is being implemented.

·       Using simple tools to represent user stories

In the manual system, stories are written down on index or story cards specially designed for scrum. The scrum index cards are very convenient to work with, and are generally pinned on the scrum board while the sprint is underway. It is important to use a tool that is small in size, so it can be easily stored and pinned on the scrum board. It should be easily readable, simple to understand, and effective. The more simple and effective the tool is, the easier it would be for the team to understand and use it.

·       Time to be allotted to the user story

Scrum advocates time bound activities. Each activity in scrum has a certain duration associated with it, and is “time boxed”. It is important not to exceed the time limit to get the most out of scrum. Each user story is allotted a certain duration within which its development should be completed. It is essential that each user story is completed in the time allotted to it since it has a certain importance value (story points) attached to it. The project turns out to be cost effective only when the right duration of time is allotted to each user story, and each story is completed in the time allotted to it. If the time limit is not allotted, the project becomes expensive and its ROI decreases.

·       Describing and stating important non-functional aspects

Certain user stories need to be explained in further details so the team members can properly understand them. The user stories may be very important in terms of how they provide a solution for a particular end-user related requirement. They may or may not be technically complex, but it may be important for the team members to know what part the user stories are likely to play, and how much important they are as far as the overall project development is concerned. Such non-technical aspects of user stories should be explained properly so a better overview and understanding of the project related requirements is availed.  

·       Fixing the story priority

Each user story has a certain level of importance attached to it development. It is important to prioritize the user stories, so the correct time can be fixed for its development. Important user stories, or those which have more importance attached to their development, should be assigned a higher priority, and sufficient time should be allotted for completing them. On the other hand, less important stories ought to be assigned less time and priority because they do not carry much financial value with regards the functionality they offer. .

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Agile Values in Scrum: The Important Principles and Values of Scrum Explained

Scrum is perhaps the best known Agile method of implementing successful projects. Scrum projects complete on time, and result into higher ROI for the stakeholders. This makes Scrum an ideal, and the most preferred choice while implementing projects, in which the product definition is liable to change with the changing market conditions. The Agile values and principles apply to scrum.   

Individuals and interactions more important than processes

Scrum, just like other Agile frameworks, relies much upon putting trust in teams and individuals connected with the project. The manner in which the team interacts is important. The team should take a proactive interest in determining what is to be done, and figure out how to achieve the aims and objectives associated with the project. Self correction and self learning is an integral part of scrum methodology, and the team should put in efforts to identify potential issues and problems which can act as impediments and hamper the project. The individuals should also take the responsibility to resolve the issues – they can take the help of the scrum master or the product owner as and when required, since these individuals are usually senior members, and have the required knowledge, as we as the expertise to find a way out and solve the problematic issues. For issues concerning the stakeholders and the investors, the product owner should take a proactive approach in availing the clarifications regarding the acceptance criteria, and guide the team in proceeding with the user stories. In scrum, it is essential that the team feels responsible, and undertake the responsibilities in a proactive manner.

Working and shippable software takes precedence over documentation and marketing concerns

The main purpose and objective of scrum is to produce shippable products through iterations know as sprints. The entire development of the product occurs in sprints. At the end of each sprint, the product owner verifies the quality of the development carried out by the team, and adjudges the completed user stories, whether they comply with the acceptance criteria. It is imperative that sprints deliver shippable products which fulfill the stakeholder’s vision of a successful marketable product. The documentation required to “manufacture” the product, such as the project analysis report, project design, testing and documentation of the results, creating user manuals and technical specifications etc. are important too, but the actual development through the sprints, and churning out shippable products at the end of sprints is more important and precedes the documentation associated with the development.

Collaborating with the customers more important than contracts and legal documentations

The product owner is the main entity which functions as the main point of contact between the team and the stakeholders, as well as the end users of the product. The product owner collaborates with the team, and determines what needs to be done next to make the project a distinct success. A primary responsibility is to ensure that the product maintains the highest possible market value at all times, even while it is being developed. This is the most critical aspect of scrum.

Transparency and taking proper decisions at the right time and the right manner

Scrum stresses heavily upon transparency and sharing information. The entire scrum process is designed to facilitate the flow of information and increase the transparency. Each team member should have access to the required information. They should have access to proper data and important information, so they can make informed decisions and fulfill their responsibilities in a proper and effective manner. Each aspect associated with the scrum process – including the product backlog and user stories – should be made available at all times so that the product increment through sprints is availed as per production plan and schedule.
Source:- http://computersight.com/programming/agile-values-in-scrum-the-important-principles-and-values-of-scrum-explained/

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Why Certain Businesses Fail To Benefit From Scrum – Part 1

Scrum may be difficult to understand and follow

Despite the fact that scrum framework helps to provide solutions for the drawbacks prevailing in traditional project management methodologies, in many cases, the company implementing scrum for the first time may face certain issues associated with scrum itself. Scrum methodology is highly adaptable and powerful. It can cater to changing market conditions, and successfully incorporate the changes within the product development cycle, even while the product is currently being developed. There are several advantages, which makes Agile scrum a much desired development methodology. However, implementing scrum in a successful manner can prove to be very challenging for first timers. The impediments faced are generally related to the transition process, as the company starts migrating from its current development methodology to scrum. For majority of people new to scrum, the environment may appear to be complex, rigid, and difficult to understand and follow. This is a misconception since scrum can be almost everything but not rigid in the truest sense. In the initial stage, the team may find it difficult to understand how scrum works, and what kind of roles the product owner and scrum master play while implementing scrum. In addition, there are certain artifacts or objects such as the product backlog and the sprint backlog which figure prominently in scrum. Moreover, scrum events such as the daily sprint meeting, sprint planning meeting, sprint retrospective meeting, and the sprint review meeting may confuse novices why they exist, or are needed in the first place. Scrum can be quite different when compared to traditional waterfall project development methods, and people often start developing a negative attitude towards it simply because they fail to understand it.   

Not getting the desired results out of scrum implementation

A company or a business may decide to implement scrum to reduce the project turnaround time or increase the productivity and the ROI. There is always a reason why an ongoing process flow may be required to be replaced by a new one by the business owners. The management and stakeholders may have “heard” about the obvious benefits of using scrum, and how their business can possibly benefit from them. The management personnel may have high expectations, and might even plan their marketing goals and objective keeping in mind the benefits availed by implementing scrum in their ongoing projects. However, in many cases, due to various reasons scrum implementation may fail to produce the desired results for the particular business, and the entire project may go askew with no clear indication as to in which direction it is heading for. The reasons may be many and varied. It is important to know what they are if scrum is to be implemented successfully.  

·       Improper communication channels and feedback

Broken feedback channels and improper communication processes primarily lead to a void in the learning process which is so very important while implementing scrum. A major issue is the lack of feedback availed during the scrum meetings and important information not being transmitted to the team members in the correct manner, or at the correct time. In scrum, the entire project is developed in short bursts of development activity called sprints. Sprints are to be conducted on a daily basis. The daily stand up or the daily scrum meeting precedes the sprint activity. Three important questions are to be answered during the meeting. The product increment during the daily sprint can be affected by the answers availed during the stand up. After the entire sprint is over, a sprint review meeting is held to evaluate the development carried out by the team. The product owner and the scrum master evaluate the entire sprint during the review, and efforts are made to generate new findings based upon prior experiences. The findings need to be conveyed to the team.

Result

When the communication channel fails due to some reason and proper feedback is not transmitted to the team members, they may start with a new sprint and repeat the same mistakes they made in the prior sprint. Scrum supports self-learning and self-correction activities which are possible only when a proper communication channel is set in place, and feedback is made available to the entire team. If the team members do not receive any feedback or communications from the concerned personnel, they may proceed with future activities without any definite aim or objective.  This can be disastrous for scrum because everything is planned, and each activity is carefully regulated in scrum. The team members fail to perform in the correct manner and the entire project suffers as a consequence.     

·       Organization lacks sufficient scrum knowledge and experience

Project managers are more used to traditional waterfall methods and are familiar with their process flow. Scrum is very different, and the framework should be understood in depth before it can be used or implemented in any particular way or manner. It is essential that the entire team be educated in scrum and knows how it works. The team members should be well apprised about the importance of the scrum artifacts and the purpose of the meetings. They should be made aware about the importance of sharing information in scrum and collaborating with other team members. At times, the team may not be clear about how a scrum meeting should be ideally conducted, and what information ought to be availed from it. A lack of clear purpose may render the entire meeting as useless. The team members may fail to deliver productivity in a scheduled or effective manner. The entire scrum process could be hampered.Read more on http://blog.quickscrum.com/post/2014/03/31/Why-Certain-Businesses-Fail-To-Benefit-From-Scrum-%E2%80%93-Part-1.aspx

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