Scrum features

Scrum methodology is one of the best agile methodologies created for more complicated project with rapidly changing environmental factors and requirements . This article show the most important features of this methodology which make it so effective and successful .

The teamwork

    The scrum project team involves two elements:
  • The Scrum team working directly on developing process
  • External team which deals with f.ex marketing or sale

In the traditional methodologies those two teams are kept away from each other because of fear of complicating the process. But the Scrum methodology show a different standpoint. The more contact the external teams with the developing process the better release content and timing.

The SCRUM team

The Scrum team consists of:

  • Product owner
  • ScrumMaster
  • Developers

The product owner decide about the features of the product. He establishes the most important , priority functions that need to be implement. He represent many other people involved in the project. Very often it is a person from marketing team or very important customer.

The ScrumMaster supervises the process and the team, ensures that its appropriate to principles and practices of the Scrum methodology .If there is a problem f.ex developers don’t have appropriate softwares or tools he is responsible for solving this problem.

The last part of the Scrum team are developers. They work directly on creating the software. Depending on the project developers may have different tasks to do .But this division , through the ideology of the Scrum methodology , is not strict and any of them may be involved in any steps of creating a software like programming , creating a documentation , projecting.

The scrum project

The Scrum team project is sometimes divided in two elements:

  • Management - it decides about the initial content and timing of the process ,manages the extension of the product , influence the backlog , risk and release content.
  • Development teams - include developers , documenters and quality control staff, consisting of 3-6 people. Each group has its own task to do, decides about changes which have to be made before implement the items from the backlog so for example before implement a new function of the product. Sometimes teams may be divided into those which work at the functionality (functionality derived) or at the system(system derived).

Features of the Scrum process

  • Scrum process is iterative(that means the project is realized during successive cycles called iterations or sprints)and incremental(the functionality of the product increase during each iteration by adding new functions).
  • Scrum process is divided into three general phases : pregame(planning and system architecture) , game(development sprints) and postgame(closure ) . The planning and closure phases consist of processes very well known and defined , in contrast to the sprint phase processes which are unpredictable and nonlinear , uncontrolled , undefined.
  • Scrum process is not isolated from external factors like time , financial or competitive pressure(until the last phase) and it is flexible ( adapts to changing environmental conditions )
  • Scrum process is reviewed as often as necessary.

The structure of the Scrum methodology is very complex and expect many skills and character traits from people who work at it. It assumes that the whole process of developing software is unpredictable and products may change at any time according to the new requirements.
The Scrum team have to keep in touch during the developing process , cooperate , collaborate , exchange of information because it is the key to success.