Agile project management - SCRUM

Latest revision as of 22:30, 20 February 2022

[edit] Agile Project Management: SCRUM

Nowadays, the business market is more competitive than ever. Companies need to rebrand themselves to new methodologies that make their projects successful within quality, time, and budget. Agile Project Management is a highly discussed topic that potentially improves organizations. However, the application of Scrum is not always implemented correctly because of a lack of knowledge during the implementation process. The aim of this article is to develop, from the insights of Scrum, the APM set of values and principles that companies should stick to, and therefore they will boost their project's performances.

[edit] Contents

1 Introduction to Agile Project Management
2 Scrum methodology
3 Application
4. Implementation
4.1Successful case
5 References
References 1. Z. -g. Hu, Q. Yuan and X. Zhang, "Research on Agile Project Management with Scrum Method," 2009 IITA International Conference on Services Science, Management and Engineering, 2009, pp. 26-29, doi: 10.1109/SSME.2009.136. 2. J. Sutherland, A. Viktorov, J. Blount and N. Puntikov, "Distributed Scrum: Agile Project Management with Outsourced Development Teams," 2007 40th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS'07), 2007, pp. 274a-274a, doi: 10.1109/HICSS.2007.180.

Agile project management - SCRUM

Agile Project Management: SCRUM Nowadays, the business market is more competitive than ever. Companies need to rebrand themselves to new methodologies that make their projects successful within quality, time, and budget. Agile Project Management is a highly discussed topic that potentially improves organizations. However, the application of Scrum is not always implemented correctly because of a lack of knowledge during the implementation process. The aim of this article is to develop, from the insights of Scrum, the APM set of values and principles that companies should stick to, and therefore they will boost their project's performances.

Contents 1 Introduction to Agile Project Management 2 Scrum 2.1 Scrum Pilars 2.1 Roles 2.2 Events 2.3 Artifacts 3 Implementation of Scrum 5. Traditional method: Waterfall 6. Agile vs Waterfall 7. Lean Project Management 6. Reflections 7. References

1. Introduction to Agile Project Management

The use of agile development methods in software development and project management is popular in a world demanding support for constant change and innovation. Agile development is defined as an excellent fit when circumstances require that the project is ambitious, there is a need for modifying deliverables with frequent input from the customer, and where rapid delivery is necessary.

The essence of agile software development is to break a software project into small increments and then to continuously adapt to changing circumstances. This allows for quick response to new requirements and unexpected problems. The goal is to deliver working software frequently, rather than waiting until the end of the project to deliver a complete and perfect product. There are a number of different agile software development methods, but all of them share some common characteristics: 1. They are iterative, meaning that the project is divided into a series of short cycles, or iterations. In each iteration, the team completes a small amount of work and then evaluates what was done to see if it meets the requirements 2. They are flexible, meaning that the team can adapt to changing circumstances. 3. They are collaborative, meaning that team members work together closely to coordinate their efforts. 4. They are responsive to change, meaning that the team is willing to change its plans in response to new requirements or unexpected problems. There are several agile software development methods, but the most popular one is Scrum

2. Scrum

The Scrum development process is a framework for managing software development projects. It is designed to allow the team to work in a highly collaborative and flexible manner. The Scrum process is based on a number of core principles, including the following: 1. The team is self-organizing and self-managing. 2. The team is responsible for producing a working product. 3. The team is cross-functional and includes all of the necessary skills to complete the project. 4. The team works in short bursts, or sprints, to produce a usable product increment. 5. The team reviews and adjusts its process constantly. The Scrum development process is not a methodology in the traditional sense. It is not a step-by-step guide to software development. Rather, it is a framework that allows the team to adapt and evolve its process as needed. The Scrum process has been used to develop a wide variety of software products, including web applications, mobile applications, and enterprise software. It is also being used to develop software products in a wide variety of industries, including financial services, healthcare, and manufacturing.

One popular way to enable this flexibility and responsiveness is through the usage of agile frameworks such as scrum. Agile frameworks help organizations by providing a structure and guidelines that can be used to manage projects or product development in an iterative and incremental way. Scrum framework is one of the most popular agile frameworks that helps organizations to be flexible and responsive to the ever-changing market. The scrum framework is a methodology that helps organizations to manage product development or projects in an iterative and incremental way. The scrum framework consist of three key roles, which are the product owner, scrum master, and the team, and three key artifacts, which are the product backlog, sprint backlog, and the product increment. The product owner is responsible for the overall product and the vision for the product. The scrum master is responsible for ensuring that the scrum process is followed and that the team is productive. The team is responsible for developing the product and delivering the product increment. The product backlog is a prioritized list of product features or user stories that the team works on during a sprint. The sprint backlog is a list of tasks that need to be completed in order to deliver the product increment. The product increment is a piece of the product that is delivered at the end of the sprint. The scrum framework is popular because it is simple to understand and it can be used to manage projects or product development in an iterative and incremental way. The scrum framework helps organizations to be flexible and responsive to the ever-changing market.

2,1 Scrum pillars

1. Commitment: Team members should be committed to the success of the project and the Scrum process. 2. Courage: Team members should have the courage to speak their minds and challenge others when necessary. 3. Openness: Team members should be open to new ideas and be willing to experiment. 4. Respect: Team members should respect one another and be willing to work together for the common goal. 5. Focus: Team members should be focused on their work and avoid distractions. The Scrum Guide defines "done" as: "Done" means that the product increment is ready for use, as defined by the Product Owner. This definition is important as it means that the Product Owner can define what "done" means for their product. This allows the Product Owner to control the quality of the product increment and ensure that it is ready for use.

Roles The Product Owner is responsible for the product, the Scrum development team is responsible for the development of the product and the Scrum Master is responsible for the process, is the one who helps the team to follow the Scrum Framework and to remove any possible impediments.

1. The PO is also responsible of managing the communication with the stakeholders, and maintaining the transparency of the project by communicating with the team and stakeholders the progress and changes in the product. The PO should also be able to answer any question related to the product. The PO can be assisted by a Scrum Master if needed. The product owner is the sole person responsible for the return on investment (ROI) of the product. They manage the product backlog, gathering all the necessary requirements to achieve the goals and mission of the product. The product owner then creates user stories, either alone or in collaboration with the development team. These stories are prioritized by using different techniques, for example planning poker or T-shirt sizes, and are then added to the initial backlog. The product owner is responsible for managing communication with stakeholders and maintaining transparency of the project by communicating with the team and stakeholders the progress and changes in the product. They should also be able to answer any questions related to the product. The product owner can be assisted by a scrum master if needed.

2. The Development Team is a cross-functional group of people that are self organized. The Development Team job is to create the product that the PO has planned, and provide the PO with ideas how to make a product great. The Development Team does the analysis, development, testing, interface design documentation among other things. By every sprint they try to make a functional increment that is potentially shippable, only the ones that are part of the Development Team create the increment. The team is built up of people that in total have all the necessary requirements to be able to create the increment. They are self-organizing managing that they have the sole responsibility to how they turn the product backlog into increments.

3. Srum Master: they need to have the skillset to be able to teach and help the Development Team. The SM should always be available to the Development Team and the PO, and be able to work together with them to help them be successful. The SM should: Be the servant of the Development Team and the PO Help the Development Team and the PO be successful Be available to the Development Team and the PO Work together with the Development Team and the PO Have the skillset to be able to teach and help the Development Team

2.2 EVENTS: Sprint

The Development Team decides how many items they can complete in a Sprint, but it is common that the Development Team completes all the tasks they planned to do, and they even have time left over. The Development Team decides what they will work on during the Sprint, but it is common that the Development Team works on the tasks that are most important to the Sprint Goal. The Development Team should always be working on something from the Product Backlog, and they should never be working on something from the product backlog that is not a part of the Sprint Goal [8]. The Development Team is always working towards the Sprint Goal, but they are not always working on the tasks that will get them there. The Development Team is always working on the most important tasks, but the tasks may not be the ones that will get them to the Sprint Goal. The Development Team should always be working on something from the Product Backlog, but they are not always working on the tasks that are most important to the Sprint Goal.

Daily scrum meeting The scrum master is responsible for ensuring that the meeting is held, that all members of the team attend, and that the meeting is kept to a maximum of 15 minutes. The scrum master is also responsible for ensuring that the meeting is productive. The goal of the meeting is to ensure that everyone is aware of what has been done, what will be done, and any potential roadblocks. This allows the team to work together to ensure that the Sprint Goal is met.

Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective

The Retrospective is where the team discusses what went well and what could be improved in the next Sprint. The team should also identify any potential improvements to their process [8]. The Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective are held together as a joint meeting. The Scrum Master should ensure that the meeting is productive and that everyone understands the outcomes.

2.3 Artifacts

The Product Backlog is a prioritized list of everything that needs to be done to create a product. The Product Owner is responsible for the Product Backlog and is the only one who can change its content. The Product Owner is also responsible for making sure the Product Backlog is clear and concise. The Product Owner is responsible for the Product Backlog and must ensure that it is always up-to-date. The Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring that the Product Owner is doing their job and that the team is using the Product Backlog to maximum effect.

The Sprint Backlog is a list of tasks that need to be completed during a Sprint. The Sprint Backlog is created during the Sprint Planning Meeting. The tasks in the Sprint Backlog are prioritized by the Product Owner. The tasks in the Sprint Backlog are typically tasks that can be completed in the Sprint.

The Burndown Chart is a graphical representation of the amount of work that remains in the Sprint Backlog. The Burndown Chart is updated during the Sprint. The Burndown Chart helps the Scrum Team track their progress during the Sprint. . The team then decides which tasks to do in the Sprint. The tasks that are selected should be achievable within the Sprint duration, and should not require too much effort to complete. The tasks are then added to the Sprint Backlog.

3. Implementation of SCRUM The Scrum Team is composed of the Scrum Master, who leads and facilitates the team; the Product Owner, who represents the business and what it wants to achieve; and the developers, who design, build, and test the product. The Scrum Master must be able to effectively lead and manage the team, as well as be able to remove any impediments that may prevent the team from achieving their goal. The Scrum Master should also be able to shield the team from distractions and ensure that they are able to focus on the task at hand. The Product Owner is responsible for understanding the needs of the business and translating them into tangible product goals. They must also be able to prioritize the goals and be able to make tough decisions about what features should and should not be included in the product. The developers must be able to work together to design and build a product that meets the needs of the business. They must also be able to test the product and fix any defects that may arise. Once the Scrum Team is assembled, the Scrum Master and the Product Owner must work together to create a product backlog. The product backlog is a prioritized list of features that the team must implement in order to meet the goals of the project. The next step is to create a sprint backlog. The sprint backlog is a list of tasks that the team will complete during the next sprint. The tasks in the sprint backlog must be achievable within the sprint duration and must be related to the product goals. The team then begins working on the tasks in the sprint backlog and meets daily to track their progress. At the end of the sprint, the team demos the product to the stakeholders and reviews what was accomplished. If the product is not ready for release, the team then begins working on the next sprint.

There are many situations where scrum should not be used, the main reason being that scrum needs the company to be fully committed to following the guidelines in order for it to be successful. Some project conditions which are not suitable for scrum are: -Projects with unchanging requirements -projects that are not time-sensitive -projects where all requirements are known upfront -projects with a low level of complexity There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as Scrum can be used for a variety of different types of projects. However, it is important to remember that Scrum was specifically developed for software development, so it may be better suited for projects within that domain.

4. Traditional methodology: Waterfall

Waterfall methodology is a sequential software development process model in which software development phases are sequentially executed and their outputs are used as input for the next phase.

The Waterfall model was created when software development was done by small teams of people who were co-located in the same room. The sequential model worked well in these situations because changes were easy to communicate and everyone was aware of the project's status. As software development evolved and became more complex, it became more difficult to follow a sequential model. The Waterfall model also has the disadvantage of not being able to test the software until it is completed, which can lead to problems in the final product.

4,1 When to use waterfall or agile

The Waterfall model has been replaced by the Agile model, which allows for more flexibility and allows for changes to be made as the project progresses. Waterfall is often used for projects where requirements are clear and do not change, such as in the manufacturing or construction industries, the customer interaction is often less frequent and less direct, and the ability to change requirements is more limited. This approach can be seen as more restrictive as it does not allow for changes or feedback once a phase has been completed.

Waterfall methodology is better suited for projects with low uncertainty and high customer agreement. Agile methodology is better suited for projects with high uncertainty and low customer agreement.

4,2 Advantages and Disadvantages of Waterfall Advantages:

- A waterfall project is very predictable. - It is a very controlled methodology. - There is a lot of documentation, so newcomers to the project can quickly get up to speed. Disadvantages: - It can be inflexible, and doesn't allow for changes in requirements. - The end result may not reflect the customer's true requirements, as they may not have been able to articulate them fully at the beginning of the project. - It can be more expensive, as more planning is required. - It can be less efficient, as the whole project must be completed before the product can be released to the customer. 

4,3 Advantages and disadvantages of Agile

The core advantages of Agile over other methodologies as Waterfall are the following: Customer Satisfaction, Risk Management, Communication, Team Satisfaction, Incremental Work and Adaptability. [5]

Agile is effective from an interpersonal relationship perspective (customer satisfaction, communication, and team satisfaction) and it is effective from a project perspective (risk management, incremental work, and adaptivity).

A key aspect for choosing agile over other methodologies is customer collaboration Agile allows more opportunity for contact with the customers enabling them to meet the needs of the customer throughout the project, thus increasing satisfaction. With agile software development, customers are involved throughout the project life cycle and interaction is much more frequent than in traditional methodologies [12, 32].

Collaboration: customers share in the work and recognize the importance of their contribution to the success of the project. Customers also have the opportunity to influence the features and implementation through their feedback. This naturally leads to higher satisfaction on their part

Agile allows the project to focus on things of value to the customer leading to a product that satisfies their needs. Rather than focusing on intermediate milestones, approvals and non-software artifacts, agile focuses on delivering a product that brings benefit to the customer.

Risk management since software projects are high risk because of the number of variables that affect outcomes, Agile teams tend to be extremely predictable in the amount of scope that they can deliver in a period of time, much more so than anything you get out of a waterfall approach.

Agile integrates effective communication within teams . It enables diverse project teams to move through the cycle of ‘thought-action-reflection’ , which improves the process and enables learning and adaptation. Communication emerges from the data as a category. Communication has the power to improve transparency, understanding and interactions. The daily scrum or standup meeting appears as a key mediator of effective communication.

Agile methods not only increase customer satisfaction, but also increase the satisfaction of the development team. Team members’ satisfaction increases due to the ability to influence decisions, working on satisfying projects, and having relationships with the team and the users. Both individual and team morale increase with agile Incremental work is another advantage, it means more flexibility, the ability and freedom to adapt to change. It also includes the notion of short delivery cycles that provide features faster to customers, which enables faster feedback from them. Incremental work also captures the idea of time-boxed iterations, which managers viewed as providing a better planning approach and producing higher degrees of schedule predictability

The adaptive category emerges with two facets from the data. One facet covers the ability to adapt the agile process to best fit the situation, such as corporate culture, stakeholder needs or team dynamics. The second facet deals with the ability of an agile project to adapt to the changing functional requirements of the product.

Disadvantages: - It can be more difficult to plan for a project using the Agile methodology. - The customer must be available for feedback throughout the project. - It can be more expensive, as more iterations may be required.

7. Lean Project Management The Lean Project Management approach is all about maximizing the efficiency of a project by minimizing waste. This is done by identifying and eliminating any steps in the process that do not add value. Lean project management is based on the principles of Lean Manufacturing, which were developed by Toyota in the early 1950s.

The key concepts of Lean Manufacturing are:

1. Value: All steps in the process must add value for the customer.

2. Waste: Any step that does not add value is considered waste.

3. Flow: The process must be designed to flow smoothly, without interruption.

4. Perfection: The process must be constantly improved to eliminate waste and improve efficiency.

The Lean Project Management approach follows these same principles. The goal is to identify and eliminate any steps in the process that do not add value for the customer. This can be done by streamlining the process, and by making sure that all steps are necessary and add value.

The Lean Project Management approach is also based on the concept of continuous improvement. The process must be constantly improved to eliminate waste and improve efficiency. This can be done by tracking the progress of the project and identifying any areas where improvements can be made. It can also be done by using Lean tools and techniques to eliminate waste and improve efficiency.

The Lean Project Management approach is a popular approach for managing projects. It is based on sound principles and it can be used to improve the efficiency of any project.

There are many tools and techniques that can help achieve this goal. One popular tool is the "5S" approach, which stands for Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. Another popular technique is called "Value Stream Mapping". This approach involves creating a diagram that shows the entire flow of materials and information from the beginning of the process to the end. This can help identify areas where waste is occurring, and help to find ways to eliminate it.

7,1 Scrum in Lean Project Management

Scrum is a framework that can be used in the context of Lean project management. Lean project management is a methodology that focuses on creating value for the customer while minimizing waste. Lean project management is based on the principles of Lean manufacturing, which are: Eliminate waste Do not overproduce Standardize processes Create value for the customer The main goal of Lean project management is to create a smooth and efficient flow of work from start to finish. This is done by eliminating waste, reducing variability, and creating a system where the customer is involved in the process. Scrum is a framework that can be used in the context of Lean project management. Scrum is a framework for managing projects that is based on the principles of Agile software development. Agile software development is a methodology that focuses on delivering software in short cycles, with the goal of quickly adapting to changes in customer requirements. Scrum is a good fit for Lean project management because it is based on the principles of Agile software development, which are: Deliver software in short cycles Adapt to changes in customer requirements Focus on customer value The main goal of Lean project management is to create a smooth and efficient flow of work from start to finish. This is done by eliminating waste, reducing variability, and creating a system where the customer is involved in the process. Agile software development is a methodology that focuses on delivering software in short cycles, with the goal of quickly adapting to changes in customer requirements. This is a good fit for Lean project management because it helps to speed up the process of adapting to changes in customer requirements. Scrum is a good fit for Lean project management because it is based on the principles of the Agile Manifesto, which are: Individuals and interactions over processes and tools Working software over comprehensive documentation Customer collaboration over contract negotiation Responding to change over following a plan The main goal of Lean project management is to create a smooth and efficient flow of work from start to finish. This is done by eliminating waste, reducing variability, and creating a system where the customer is involved in the process. Agile software development is a methodology that focuses on delivering software in short cycles, with the goal of quickly adapting to changes in customer requirements. This is a good fit for Lean project management because it helps to speed up the process of adapting to changes in customer requirements. Agile software development is also based on the principle of responding to change, which is a key principle of Lean project management.

The aim is to identify similarities and differences between the two approaches and thereby to provide an answer to the question if Scrum can be seen as an agile implementation of lean project management. Firstly, it is important to define the two concepts. Lean project management is a project management methodology that is based on the lean manufacturing principles, which are aimed at waste reduction. Lean project management is characterized by the following key principles: Eliminate waste: Identify and remove any activity in the project that does not add value to the customer. Create value for the customer: All activities in the project should be aimed at meeting the needs of the customer. Flow: The project should be organised in such a way that work progresses smoothly and without interruption. Build quality in: Quality should be built into the project from the beginning, rather than inspected and fixed at the end. Respect people: The people involved in the project should be treated with respect and their contributions should be recognised and valued. Scrum is an agile framework for managing software development projects. It is based on the idea that projects should be organised as self-organising teams, which are able to respond quickly to changes in requirements (Scrum Inc., n.d.). The key principles of Scrum are: The product is the highest priority: The product should be the focus of the team, and the team should be organised to work on the highest priority items first. The team is self-organising: The team should be able to organise itself to work on the most important tasks. The team is cross-functional: The team should have all the skills it needs to complete the project. The team is self-sufficient: The team should be able to work without input from outside the team. The team is transparent: The team should communicate openly with all stakeholders. The following table provides a summary of the key principles of lean project management and Scrum: Lean Project Management Principle Scrum Principle Eliminate waste The product is the highest priority Create value for the customer The team is self-organising Flow The team is cross-functional Build quality in The team is self-sufficient Respect people The team is transparent It is clear that the key principles of lean project management and Scrum are very similar. Both approaches emphasise the importance of the product, of the team being self-organising and of eliminating waste. There are also some similarities in the way that quality is built into the project and in the way that people are respected. However, there are also some key differences between the two approaches. Scrum places a strong emphasis on transparency, whereas lean project management does not mention transparency as one of its key principles. Additionally, Scrum emphasises the importance of the team being cross-functional, whereas lean project management does not mention cross-functionality. Overall, it can be said that there is a strong convergence between lean project management and Scrum. They share many of the same key principles and both approaches are aimed at reducing waste and creating value for the customer. However, there are also some key differences, which mean that they are not completely interchangeable. The agile framework Scrum in the context of lean project management

Scrum as tool for lean project management. Can Scrum be used together with other project management approaches to implement a lean project management? There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best way to implement lean project management may vary depending on the specific project and organization. However, Scrum can be used together with other project management approaches to create a more lean project management approach.

Scrum and lean project management - synergy effects or contra productive? It is possible for scrum and lean project management to be synergistic or counterproductive, depending on the implementation. If scrum is used to manage the delivery of value to the customer, and lean is used to eliminate waste, the two can be synergistic. If scrum is used to manage the work and lean is used to manage the flow of work, the two can be counterproductive.

Can Scrum replace traditional project management for planned ahead projects to slim the processes? It is possible for Scrum to replace traditional project management for planned ahead projects to slim the processes; however, this would depend on the organization's specific needs and preferences. Scrum offers a more streamlined, flexible, and adaptive process that can be tailored to meet the needs of various organizations. It can be used to manage projects that are planned ahead, as well as those that are more agile and require more flexibility.

5. REFLECTIONS

The Scrum framework has worked well for us and we have seen the benefits it brings when used correctly. One such benefit is that it helps to manage expectations as the team is able to give accurate estimates of the work that needs to be done and when it can be completed. This helps to keep everyone on track and avoid any surprises. Additionally, it enables us to be more flexible as changes can be accommodated more easily.

6. References

1. Z. -g. Hu, Q. Yuan and X. Zhang, "Research on Agile Project Management with Scrum Method," 2009 IITA International Conference on Services Science, Management and Engineering, 2009, pp. 26-29, doi: 10.1109/SSME.2009.136.

2. J. Sutherland, A. Viktorov, J. Blount and N. Puntikov, "Distributed Scrum: Agile Project Management with Outsourced Development Teams," 2007 40th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS'07), 2007, pp. 274a-274a, doi: 10.1109/HICSS.2007.180. 

3. (PDF) Antecedents of Preference for Agile Methods: A Project Manager Perspective. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323378670_Antecedents_of_Preference_for_Agile_Methods_A_Project_Manager_Perspective [accessed Feb 17 2022].

[4] K. N. Rao, G. K. Naidu, and P. Chakka, "A study of the Agile software development methods, applicability and implications in industry," International Journal of Software Engineering and its applications, vol. 5, pp. 35-45, 2011. (PDF) Antecedents of Preference for Agile Methods: A Project Manager Perspective. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323378670_Antecedents_of_Preference_for_Agile_Methods_A_Project_Manager_Perspective [accessed Feb 17 2022].

[5] Bishop, David & Rowland, Pam & Noteboom, Cherie. (2018). Antecedents of Preference for Agile Methods: A Project Manager Perspective. 10.24251/HICSS.2018.678.