Introduction
SCRUM is a set of guidelines that control the development process of a product, from its design stages to its completion. It aims to cure some common failures of the typical development process, such as:
confusion due to changing requirements
Unrealistic estimates of time, cost, and quality of the product
Developers are forced to lie about how the project is progressing
SCRUM Values
The SCRUM values are derived from the Agile values of software development.
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools - processes and tools are helpful, but they will do you no good if the team does not communicate and collaborate in a constructive fashion.
Working software over comprehensive documentation - documentation is important, but what's most important is to have working software.
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation - you are not just looking to get a contract and get money that way - you are solving the customer's problem.
Responding to change over following a plan - if the requirements or perceived requirements changed, so should the plans and design.
The SCRUM Process
The scrum process has 3 main phases.
Planning
In this phase, the project is planned and high-level design decisions are made.
Sprint Cycle
The sprint cycle is an iterative cycle of about 3-4 weeks, in which the actual development of the product is done. It starts out with a Sprint Planning Meeting to decide what will be done in the current sprint. Then the development is done. A sprint is closed with a Sprint Review Meeting where the progress made in the last sprint is demonstrated, the sprint is reviewed, and adjustments are made to the project as necessary.
The sprint cycle is repeated until the product's development is complete. The product is complete when the variables of time, quality, competition, and cost are at a balance.
Develop the product further - implement, test, and document.
Wrap up the work - get it ready to be evaluated and integrated.
Review the work done in this sprint.
Adjust for any changes in requirements or plans.
Closure
In this phase, the product's development is brought to a close, and the product is released.
Commonly Used Terms
Sprint
The product is developed in a series of 1-to-4-week iterations, or sprints. Before a sprint is begun, a Sprint Planning Meeting is held to determine what features are to be implemented in that sprint. The sprint has 4 major steps:
Develop the product further - implement, test, and document.
Wrap up the work - get it ready to be evaluated and integrated.
Review the work done in this sprint.
Adjust for any changes in requirements or plans.
Product Backlog
A prioritized list of all the desired changes to the product being developed, put together by the product owner.
Sprint BackLog
A list with items that will be completed in the current sprint, taken from the product backlog
Daily SCRUM Meeting
A 15-minute SCRUM meeting is held every day. The SCRUM Master asks the three questions, and all members of the team and interested parties take part and give feedback. The meeting should be held at the same place every time, so that people know where to go.
Unit Testing
A unit test is an automated test that ensures that the functionality required for a certain area of a project is implemented, and that there are no breaking changes that have not been taken into consideration
Impediment
Impediments are things that get in the way of the progress of the project. The SCRUM Master is responsible to look for and remove these obstacles so that they do not slow down or impair the project.
3 Questions
The Scrum Master asks the developers 3 important questions at every SCRUM meeting:
What have you accomplished since the last meeting?
Are there any obstacles in the way of meeting your goal?
What will you accomplish before the next meeting?
Product Owner
The person who commissions the project, and defines the requirements and priorities for the product.
Sprint Planning Meeting
A meeting at the beginning of a sprint where the sprint is planned. Items from the Product Backlog are selected to be completed in the sprint, based on the priorities set by the Product Owner.
Sprint Review Meeting
A sprint is closed with a Sprint Review Meeting where the progress made in the last sprint is demonstrated, the sprint is reviewed, and adjustments are made to the project as necessary.
