The scrum methodology
The
usage of the word “Scrum” is inspired by a Rugby game technique where
individual team members form a group, and collaborate to fulfill a common
objective – sprinting with the ball in hand, and covering a certain distance to
“achieve” a touchdown. The concept used in scrum methodology is quite similar to the “scrum” used in Rugby. Just as Rugby
players huddle together and make efforts to gain the possession of the ball so
they can undertake the sprint to achieve a touchdown, in scrum, the individual
team members too work in unison, and collaborate to develop a shippable product
in short bursts of developmental activity known as “sprints”. Sprints are
typically short and target oriented in nature, just as they are in Rugby.
Generally, a scrum development team may consist of six to seven members working
together under a common roof, or in certain cases, they may be located in
different geographic locations.
Initially,
the main purpose of the scrum framework was
to develop and manage software-based projects. However, over the years the
pioneers who originally designed the framework put in efforts so the
methodology could evolve to suit non-IT or software based projects. However,
implementing scrum for non-IT based projects, and the fulfillment of project
goals requires specialized training, the same case as in software-based
projects. It is very important to understand that scrum is a concept – a methodology
– and it needs to be enforced or implemented in a well-planned and organized
manner for it to be effective.
The
scrum team is headed by a product owner
who represents the stakeholders and their interests while executing the
project, and is accompanied by a scrum master who oversees that scrum is properly implanted at all times while the
project is underway. The scrum development team carries out the project
development in short bursts of iterations known as “sprints”. The development
team is typically composed of trained professionals, who have specialized in a
variety of IT disciplines. They can be software developers or programmers,
software engineers, Q/A specialists, and individuals who have specialized in
other branches belonging to the IT segment.
Advantages of scrum
Scrum framework
offers many advantages not found in traditional waterfall development
methodologies:
· Responding
to the market changes
Perhaps
one of the major factors which often affect, and which may also result into an
abnormal termination of an ongoing project is the changes occurring in the
market while the project development is underway. Quite often, a project may
start successfully and proceed as per plan, but a subsequent release of more
effective and functional product may render the current object obsolete and
useless. This has happened many a times in the IT market, and many IT companies
have suffered heavy losses, and even closed down prematurely. With scrum, it
becomes easy to incorporate the changes occurring in the market. New changes
can be easily introduced in the project life cycle, and existing development
can be modified or “upgraded” to become more effectual and meaningful. In all,
scrum helps to incorporate the changes occurring in the market related conditions
as and when they occur in an easy and effective manner.
· Increasing
the ROI
Generally, when development is undertaken to
manufacture a particular product, it is usually found that approximately 60% of
the features associated with the product are rarely, or never really used.
However, their development is still carried out simply because they “are there”
and were planned to be developed when the project was intercepted. A lot of time, efforts, and cost are involved in developing the features and functionality linked with a product. If the functionality is not really useful, the efforts
and cost involved in developing the feature is wasted since it may not have a
business value attached to it. Scrum makes it possible to identify such
features, and curtail their development, which makes it very convenient for the
management to save money and human resources. In scrum, the business value
associated with the features is easily identifiable, and their development can
be regulated in a much better way as compared to other development
methodologies. The investment returns are substantially increased if scrum is
used.
· Continuously
improvising upon the project development process
Scrum supports continuous improvement in each project
related aspect while the development activity is carried out. The framework is
specially designed to identify problematic issues and resolve them as and when
they occur. A built in “mechanism” constantly helps to monitor what is
currently going on, and which of the issues are holding the organization back
in delivering the desired outputs. This is an inherent feature of scrum.Read more on http://blog.quickscrum.com/post/2014/03/18/Advantages-Offered-By-Scrum-Methodology-%E2%80%93-Scrum-Benefits-Explained-For-Scrum-Beginners.aspx
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