Product and project management: Scrum - planning the unplannable.
Scrum is a process model for project and product management and originates from agile software development. Learning map no. 10 from the Kommunikationslotsen guides you through the Scrum flow and explains the mindset behind agile procedures.
As no one can predict the future and new developments are an exploration of the unknown, Scrum does not plan for months or years in advance, but develops piece by piece. Scrum relies on cross-functionality, i.e. teams made up of representatives from all the disciplines required for development. Based on the product vision, these teams develop fully functional product parts or increments that can be used by the customer in regular iterations - known as sprints.
The most important functionalities are developed first, as this makes it clearer with each sprint what can be left out. The key point is that a Scrum team itself decides what it will implement in the next sprint within the given framework and how it will do so. In return, the team makes a promise - a commitment.
Communication as a driver of productivity
"Scrum originated in software development. However, the principles and values are universally applicable. The success factors are intensive communication and a respectful mindset. The cross-functional composition of the Scrum teams promotes the exchange of knowledge and learning within the organization.If possible, the teams sit in one room to work together on tasks. In short daily meetings - daily scrums - they discuss what is planned for that day. They are guided by the task board, which shows which tasks are currently being worked on, how far the product has progressed, what still needs to be done and where there are problems.
Is development going in the right direction?
After each sprint - usually at intervals of one to three weeks - the team shows the customer or user the new functionalities and the product up to the current status in a review. Trying things out makes it clear: "Is development going in the right direction?" "Do we need anything else?" "Do we not need something at all?" In this way, development adapts to reality and the customer ends up with the product they really need.
Fail successfully
Scrum does not solve problems per se - people always have to take meaningful action. But Scrum shows where changes are necessary. At some point, it becomes clear which working methods, which behaviors and which processes are hindering the success of a project and therefore its success on the market. Teams and customers recognize in the reviews which ideas for a product do not work and what is not needed at all. The earlier you fail with an idea, the fewer resources, time and money are lost!
The organizational principles of Scrum
Scrum is based on simple principles and a clear allocation of roles. You will probably be familiar with some of the principles - especially the pull principle: They originate from lean management and can also be found in the Toyota Production System. The members of a scrum team share their knowledge and support each other. They take responsibility for their actions and organize their tasks themselves with the support of the scrum master.
Working according to the pull principle
The team decides how much functionality of a product it delivers in a sprint. They are not assigned tasks, but control the amount of work they can complete in a sprint themselves. The "pull principle" helps to develop a work rhythm and speed that the team can maintain over the long term.All of the team's actions have a time frame, after which a result is required. Planning and development phases alternate. During a sprint, the ScrumMaster shields the team from external disruptions so that it can work in a focused manner.
At the end of each sprint, the team delivers a product increment that meets the project specifications and can already be used by the customer. This principle must be adhered to!
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