SCRUM - A Project Management Framework

Revision as of 17:43, 18 February 2021

By Louise Landschoff

Abstract

In an ever-changing world that is getting more and more complex, the art of project management is becoming harder to control due to uncertainty and the speed in which requirements and demand change. Standard ways of planning a project, such as the Waterfall model, may not be applicable today. To accommodate this issue, the adaptive project management framework, Scrum, can be used because it embraces agility and a fast pace. Scrum relates to the project and development life cycles in the PMI standard^[1]. Even though Scrum is applicable for both project, program and portfolio management, this article will focus solely on Scrum as a project management framework and the implementation of Scrum.

The Scrum framework was developed in the early 1990's by Ken Schwaber & Jeff Sutherland and is a framework based on empiricism and lean thinking and has its roots in software development^[2]. Today, Scrum is one of the most popular ways of becoming agile and is widely used for various projects. Benefits of utilizing the Scrum Framework to structure the development life cycles are continuous improvements, transparency, early adoption, and embracing change, which is a great advantage compared to the classic Waterfall model.^[3]. The process of Scrum is to first create the product backlog and then define the sprint by creating the sprint backlog and then performing development resulting in an increment. By working incrementally, the team can learn from previous sprints to optimize the next and the product may be ready for release earlier than first anticipated^[4]. The Scrum Framework creates value in an adaptive and agile way through the Scrum values, the Scrum team, events and artifacts. The values focus on Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, and Courage. The team consists of the Product Owner (PO), the Scrum master (SM) and lastly, the self-organizing Development Team (DT). Furthermore, the framework consists of events such as Sprints, Sprint Planning and Sprint Retrospective, and artifacts which are the product backlog, sprint backlog and burndown chart^[2]. Scrum has limitations by being non-applicable to 'business-as-usual' projects, potential scope creep due to an indefinite end-date, implementation in large teams is challenging etc.

Main idea

As the world emerges, new trends arise. Being agile and flexible has become a precondition to survive and succeed in today's buisness environment^[5]. It is crucial for all kinds of businesses to be able to respond and adapt to unforeseen activities and events on the market because if not, someone else will fulfill the customers' demand. Scrum has become the most popluar way of becoming agile(deep dive) because is a simple framework that can be adapted and fulfilled by own needs and goals(guide). Agility is acknowledged in the PMI standard^[1] for being one of the ways of determining the project life cycle. It is described as

Adaptive life cycles are agile, iterative, or incremental. The detailed scope is defined and approved before the start of an iteration.
Adaptive life cycles are also referred to as agile or change-driven life cycle (The PMI standard, p19)

Within the project management knowledge areas, especially within project integration, scope, schedule and risk management, agility and Scrum are strong drivers of simplicity in a complex environment.

Scrum theory^[2] explains how Scrum is based on empiricism which states that knowledge comes experience and decision making should be based on what is observable, and lean thinking which seeks to eliminate waste and focus on what is value-adding. Furthermore, the empirical pillars of Scrum are transparency, inspection and adaptation^[2]. Scrum improves predictability and the act of controlling risk, which is driven by transparency in the project management process. Having high transparency also implies a need for inspection to ensure progress and identify problems during the process. The inspection process is handled during the Scrum events. Lastly, having inspections without adaptation and learning is pointless which is why the Scrum team must work empirically. Scrum is highly relevant in today's vibrating business environment because it creates a framework able to handle unpredictability and complexity in a project and makes teams able to create higher value more frequently, ultimatly resulting in higher customer satisfaction^[4].

Agile Manifesto ^[6]

Application

Scrum is applied as a framework for managing the project life cycle development from idea to finished product. Figure 1 is the writer's understanding of how the role and responsibilities are distributed in the Scrum framework based on the given litterature. Litterature on Scrum implementation in software projects incorporates further roles in the framework^[7][3] than illustrated in Figure 1, though the figure explains how the Scrum framework can be implemented in any project regardless of type. The figure is based on the Scrum Framework Poster from Home of Scrum^[4]. Based on this figure, the framework will be described in the following section, focusing on how to implement Scrum in a real life situation.

Figure 1: The writer's illustration of the The Scrum Framework based on The Scrum Framework Poster from The Home of Scrum. Retrieved from https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-scrum

The Scrum Framework

The Scrum framework consists of the SCRUM values, the SCRUM team, events and artifacts. The Scrum roles, events and artifacts are illustrated in figure 1 according to where in the process they adhere. The success of Scrum depends on how well the framework is followed and adapted to the individual project.

The Scrum values The five Scrum values are: Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, and Courage^[2]. The Scrum team is committing to the goals of the project and as they work and learn from the Scrum framework, the values are incorporated in their way of collaboration with each other. The values define important aspects needed for the team to perform well sprint after sprint, which is based on mutual respect and the pillars of Scrum (transparency, inspection and adaption). In this way, the mindset is in place for the team to start working.

The Scrum Team The full Scrum team consists of the Product Owner (PO), the Scrum master (SM) and the self-organizing Development Team (DT). As a general rule, the team consists of up to 10^[2][3] highly skilled, professional and self-managing people working in a cross-functional environment. The team will deliver value each sprint and work together towards the product goal (the future state^[2]). According to the goal and nature of the project, the composition of the team will be settled with people with the required competences.

The Product Owner (PO) The Product Owner has the overall responsibily for communicating the product goals, defining and managing the product backlog. The PO decides which items should be in the Product Backlog and how they should be prioritized according to business benefit and value. The Product Backlog needs to be transparent and visual for the rest of the team to understand the progress^[2]. It is important for the PO to justify why a Backlog item is important for the team members to buy in and understand the purpose. In this way, the team invests more in the sprint. It is the teams' responsibility to find out how to reach the PO's goals for the product. Furthermore, the PO has the responsibility of communicating with internal and external stakeholders and translate their requirements into project goals if relevant^[7]. During the project, as seen in figure 1, the PO is involved in almost the whole project. Firstly, defining, prioritizing and managing the Product Backlog, secondly, communicating to the Scrum team which items that provide highest business value for the coming sprint, thirdly, review the sprint increment and discuss the outcome with stakeholders, and last, adapt the Product Backlog according to the Sprint Retrospective.

The Scrum Master (SM) The Scrum Master is responsible for the SCRUM rules are complied with and therefore also the effectiveness of the team. They make sure that the Development team has understood the Scrum theory and practice^[2]. The SM is a vital role in the Scrum team, because she helps out whenever there is an obstacle or an impediment in the way of effective working. She is the servant-leader to the Development team^[2][3] and her job is to keep their day free from disruptive tasks and blockings in order for them to be successful. The SM is also a facilitor of the Scrum events to make sure that the events are value-adding, not wasting valuable time and within the timeframe^[7]. When life gets tough, the SM will be the motivator and join with encouraging language to get the morale up. All in all, the SM's most important job is to help out both the PO, the Development Team and the organization by e.g. helping the PO with the management of the Product Backlog, coaching the organization in Scrum adoption^[2], ensuring an empirical approach and removing impediments to enable them to be successful. In figure 1, the SM is ubiquitous (all over the place) because she has an important role. Even though, she cannot be everywhere all the time, she is the person to go to, whenever a problem or a success is encountered.

The Development Team (DT) The Development Team are the ones who develop the product. The DT consists of skilled profesionals assigned according to the task and their competences. They are self-managing as a team, commit to the Sprint and take responsibility for the deliverables. Often there will be roles as quality engineer, technical writer and an architect especially for software development^[3]. The DT will create a plan for each Sprint (Sprint Backlog) with the most important and valuable tasks to be completede, then they will define the Definition of Done (see further below), devide the work according to skill and capacity, work on the deliverables while constantly adapting their work towards the Sprint Goal and deliver a increment at the end of the Sprint. During the Sprint Retrospective, the DT will learn by the previous Sprint experiences to improve for the next one. They will hold each other accountable for their work^[2].

Team rules and responsibility. Scrum works if everyone takes responsibility towards their own time, skill and capacity.

Scrum Events The Scrum Events are the core of what makes Scrum an excellent agile framework, because it creates a collective and understood rhythm for the team. The framework is based on working in iterations (called Sprints). After the PO has defined the scope of the project, the first sprint can begin. All other events work as a part of the Sprint, this will be described in further detail. Having figure 1 in mind during this section will be beneficial.

Sprints The Sprint is a 2-4 weeks^[2][7] period where ideas turn in to value.

Sprint Goal

Definition of Done

Sprint Planning

Daily Scrum

Sprint Review

Sprint Retrospective

Other events (backlog grooming deep dive),

Scrum Artifacts artifacts which are the

Product backlog

/epic/user stories(the product goal),

Sprint backlog

Burndown chart

boards/software to plan,

Limitations

SCRUM is extending the current practice of project management but cannot always be applicable. Explain where not to use SCRUM.

Annotated Bibliography

1. Project Management Institute, Inc.. (2017). Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (6th Edition). Project Management Institute, Inc. (PMI). Retrieved from https://app.knovel.com/hotlink/toc/id:kpGPMBKP02/guide-project-management/guide-project-management This standard describes the official PMI standard of project management, and is extensively acknowledged in the circles of project management.

2. The Scrum Guide (2020) The Definitive Guide to Scrum: The Rules of the Game. Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland. Retrieved from https://www.scrumguides.org/ This is the official Scrum guide, written by the two founders of Scrum, Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland. The guide is continously updated as new research becomes relevant and the latest edition from November 2020 is used.

References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Project Management Institute, Inc.. (2017). Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (6th Edition). Project Management Institute, Inc. (PMI). Retrieved from https://app.knovel.com/hotlink/toc/id:kpGPMBKP02/guide-project-management/guide-project-management
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12} The Scrum Guide (2020) The Definitive Guide to Scrum: The Rules of the Game. Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland. Retrieved from https://www.scrumguides.org/
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4} Bibik I. (2018) Agile Scrum Deep Dive. In: How to Kill the Scrum Monster. Apress, Berkeley, CA. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-3691-8_3
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} The Home of Scrum. Retrieved from https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-scrum
5. ↑ Business Agility and Information Technology Diffusion IFIP TC8 WG 8.6 International Working Conference May 8–11, 2005, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. Richard L. Baskerville, Lars Mathiassen, Jan Pries-Heje, Janice I. DeGross
6. ↑ Hazzan O., Dubinsky Y. (2014) The Agile Manifesto. In: Agile Anywhere. SpringerBriefs in Computer Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi-org.proxy.findit.dtu.dk/10.1007/978-3-319-10157-6_3
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3} The Art of Scrum (2016) How Scrum Masters Bind Dev Teams and Unleash Agility. Dave McKenna, Apress, Berkeley, CA. Retrieved from https://doi-org.proxy.findit.dtu.dk/10.1007/978-1-4842-2277-5

Further references

, A. (2017). Managing successful projects with prince2 2017 edition. ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.proxy.findit.dtu.dk