The Scrum Method in IT development projects

What’s the best way to define the Scrum method?

Scrum is a framework for developing software products. The framework focuses on achieving common objectives by delivering functional, effective products regularly and in a way that is productive.

The path of adaptive development

The Scrum method is particularly suited for the development of complex IT applications that require very high levels of quality.

Software development is realized incrementally under the Scrum method. Requests, changes and corrections are integrated and implemented frequently.

Product deliveries can be scheduled weekly, every 15 days, or even up to every four weeks.

In each development sprint, the development team implements new requests and modifications that are requested by the product owner (the customer representative). Updates and feedback implementations are more seamless and welcome in the Scrum method when compared to a V-shaped cycle, as they are easily integrated into the ongoing project.

What is the composition of a Scrum team?

In order for a team operating with the Scrum method to be effective, we recommend implementing a careful role distribution.

The project team should be composed of different well-defined roles:

• The product owner (PO): the PO is responsible for creating, prioritizing and updating the product backlog. He defines priorities and orientate the decisions of the project. We’ve already written an article that further details the various roles of the product owner.

• The developer and testing team: developers should be leveraged as a force for – and source of – technical proposals, and should advise the product owner on technical possibilities and issues. Their task is to transform ideas and requests into real functionalities.

• The agile coach or Scrum Master: this role denotes a dedicated facilitator for the entire project team. Their mission is to coach the team in how to adapt the Scrum method to the project, or any other agile method, in the best way possible. They help the team boost performance by reaching maximum development velocity.

You can read more about the utility of the Scrum Master working in a project using the Scrum method in this previous article we wrote on the subject.

What are Scrum method meetings?

The four types of meetings needed in order to make the Scrum method work are:

• Daily meetings: also called daily scrums or stand up meetings, they involve the whole team getting together for 15 minutes maximum each day to answer the following questions:

What did I do yesterday?

What do I plan to do today?

What obstacles are preventing me from reaching the sprint goal?

• Sprint planning meetings: by the end of this meeting, the project team will have decided which elements will be developed in the next sprint and how they plan to achieve them.

• Sprint review meetings: the sprint review takes place at the end of each development sprint. In this meeting, each developer presents what they have achieved during the sprint. This is a place to present any new features that have been developed to the whole project team.

• Sprint retrospective meetings: the sprint retrospective is held after the finalization of each sprint. This is a chance for the whole team to take stock of what worked well during the sprint, and what didn’t. Each team member is invited to speak, and a vote of confidence is held to collaboratively decide on what improvements to incorporate in the next development sprint.

Take advantage of our methodological expertise and the excellence of our technical teams for the development of your next web or mobile application.