{"id":5130,"date":"2023-07-07T15:10:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-07T19:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/?p=5130"},"modified":"2025-01-22T15:41:48","modified_gmt":"2025-01-22T20:41:48","slug":"what-is-scrum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/what-is-scrum\/","title":{"rendered":"What is scrum and how can your team use it effectively?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ever felt like you’re running a relay race, but your team isn’t in sync? That’s how managing projects can feel without the right methodology. Enter Scrum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scrum \u2013 not just for rugby anymore! This Agile framework was first introduced in 1995<\/a>. Since then it\u2019s been revolutionizing project and product management across industries. But what makes it so special?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might’ve heard of it or maybe even dabbled in its practices. But to truly grasp its power, we need to dive deep into this dynamic world of sprints, stand-ups, and story points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This post is more than an introduction to Scrum. It’s a comprehensive Scrum guide to help you understand its core principles, roles within a Scrum team, and key artifacts. You’ll also explore the process flow from planning to review. Let’s learn about Scrum!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Understanding Scrum: an overview<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Scrum is a popular framework for agile project management<\/a>. It’s designed to bring more focus, flexibility, and efficiency into product development. It originated in the software industry and has since spread across various sectors due to its proven success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The term “Scrum\u201d comes from rugby and represents a team working together to achieve a common goal. In a business context, this involves cross-functional teams collaborating intensively to deliver high-quality results quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This methodology revolves around iterative work cycles (sprints<\/a>). They typically last 2-4 weeks. Each Scrum sprint starts with planning<\/a> where the team decides what they can accomplish during that period. An intense phase of work execution follows. Daily stand-up meetings help keep everyone on track during this stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why would you turn to Scrum? Here’s a bit about that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scrum vs. Waterfall<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most project managers fall into two main buckets: Waterfall fans and Agile fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Waterfall methodology<\/a> is a more traditional project management approach. A project is divided into distinct stages. Progress is “flowing” steadily downwards through these stages like a waterfall. Each stage depends on the deliverables of the previous one and corresponds to a task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Waterfall
Source<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Typical Waterfall stages include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Requirements gathering<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Design<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Implementation\/coding<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Testing<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Deployment<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Maintenance & support<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Waterfall might be a better approach for projects with very well-defined requirements from the start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Traditional waterfall methods sometimes fall short because they lack adaptability. With Scrum, feedback is continuously incorporated. This allows products or solutions to evolve according to user needs or market trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But beyond agility lies another crucial benefit \u2013 visibility. Stakeholders get regular updates through sprint reviews. This makes them feel more involved in the process while also helping identify potential issues early on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Scrum vs. Agile<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    So what exactly is Scrum, and what is Agile? Here’s an analogy to help: think of Agile as a recipe for making a dish, while Scrum is like one specific method used in that recipe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Agile<\/strong> framework is born from the Agile Manifesto<\/a>. It’s an umbrella term covering various frameworks. They’re all focused on iterative development and value delivery. Agile encourages flexibility, customer collaboration, and responding to change swiftly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Scrum<\/strong>, on the other hand, is just one approach within Agile. Think of it as using:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Precise ingredients (roles)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Measurements (events)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Steps (artifacts)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      \n

      \u201cScrum<\/a> is a way to get work done as a team in small pieces. It involves continuous experimentation and feedback loops to learn and improve along the way.\u201d<\/p>\nScrum.org<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n