The agile framework Scrum in the context of lean project management

Scrum is an agile framework, which allows to execute product development or projects in an iterative, incremental way. Today's organizations are placed in a highly competitive and challenging market that continuously changes and require the organizations to adapt and to stay flexible. Scrum as agile method allows organizations to do so and is especially successful in this unique field. This characteristics make Scrum to the most widely used agile framework. Furthermore is Scrum deeply connected with the agile methodology, which is summarized in the "agile manifesto" (2001).

This article describes the Scrum framework in reference to the agile methodology. Additionally it provides an insight how Scrum is used in organizations today and finally puts the Scrum framework in the context of lean project management. To do so the lean principles of projects management will be outlines and reflect on Scrum.

Scrum

Scrum is originally an iterative and incremental agile software development procedure model to manage the product development process. Since the 1990's understanding of the Scrum framework changed to from being understood as a software developement framework to a general project management framework. Nowadays, Scrum is the most widely adopted agile project management methodology and is IT industry independent.

Scrum methodology is based on empirical process control theory. Empiricism, and so Scrum, assumes that knowledge is gained from experience and decision making is made on known knowledge. Therefore, Scrum is an circular and incremental methodology following the goal to optimize planing capability and control risk. Scrum is performed by cross-functional teams, which work in Sprints, cycles of work. Those cross-functional teams have to perform different Scrum Roles, Scrum Events and Scrum Artifacts to follow the Scrum framework.

In connection, Scrum is based on same three pillars as empirical process control:

1) Transparency: Process and Obstacles during the project execution are made visible and get documented

2) Inspection: In regular intervals product-functions are delivered and the product as the process gets evaluated

3) Adaption: Specifications of the product, the plan and the process are not determined, but continuously adapted

Scrum is not reducing the complexity of an project by structure the project in smaller an less complex increments.

Nonaka compared the work processes in high-performing and cross-functional teams with the scrum formation used in Rugby.

Scrum Roles

The cross-functional Scrum Teams working self organized and can choose the way to accomplish the work by it own. The functional setup of the team has to make dependencies to other functions outside the team unnecessary. Only those teams are able to offer the maximal flexibility, creativity and at the end productivity. Even though the Scrum Teams are free in their working approaches, three Scrum Roles are existing and are imperative to perform. In contrast to traditional project management approaches, the role of a project manager is not existing. The more traditional tasks of a project manager are split up and assigned to the three Scrum Roles, where the most management related tasks can be find in the Scrum Roles of the Product Owner and the Development Team.

The Product Owner is last instance and the only decision maker, therefore he or she is responsible in terms of value / return of investment (ROI) maximization of the project. This includes also to maximize the value of the work of the Developement Team. Even though the Product Owner is not working alone, the Product Owner is alone responsible for the value of the project. However the product owner seems to represent the opinions of a committee it is only one person. The main task of the Product owner is to manage the general Backlog. This can be done actively by the product owner or passively as the product owner manages the Development Team to do so. Independent how the Backlog is managed the Product Owner stays responsible. Also is it the Product Owner, who should optimize and pushes the Development teams performance.

The Development Team executes the project that the Product Owner outlines. This Team is self-organized and consists of cross-functional professionals, which offer all needed expertise to deliver the next Sprint Goal. The Development Team is empowered to work autonomous. There is no existing of sub teams in the Development Team as well as no title for the Team members, all members are referred as "Developers" As we talk about cross-functional teams. team members have primary, secondary and even more skills, but will help where work is to do. This creates a multi learning effect in the teams. In the optimal case the Team is small enough to stay flexible and big enough to contain all necessary skills to complete the Sprint goal.

The Scrum Master is a service provider for the different Scrum roles and for parties outside the Scrum Teams. The Scrum Master offers different services to the different parties, one service the Scrum Master never offers is the active or passive project management. The Scrum Master's duty is to achieve a good understanding of Scrum within the Scrum Team and organization. It is the Scrum Masters responsibility that all Scrum events are hold efficiently, even though he or she is not actively moderating ornate even participating.

Scrum Values

Throughout Scrum is a empirical approach where self-organized teams working towards the same goal different values have to be shared within the the Scrum Team to make Scrum working efficient. In the Scrum guide Schwaber and Sutherland outlining the values :

-commitment, personally commitment of the Team member to achieve the goals;

-courage, have the courage to do the right tasks and to work on problems;

-focus, all focus on the Sprint and the goals;

-openness, in reference to work and performance challenges of work;

-respect, Scrum Team members respect each other as capable independent person;

as necessary values to live by the every Scrum Team member. Only if those values are shared it creates a atmosphere within the Scrum Team that activates the three pillars of transparency, inspection and adaption, which are necessary for successful Scrum project management.

Additionally, it is essential that the definition of "done", when a increment is completed is understood and lived by the whole Scrum Team. Only if everybody has the same understanding of "done" the Scrum framework can be executed efficiently and without conflicts.

Scrum Events

Scrum is based on repeating events, those itself circular repeating events create regularity in the work process and agility at the same time. Also is it minimizing the need for extraordinary meetings which are not defined in Scrum. the event "The Sprint" has a superior role of the events, because it is itself a box which contains the other events. So is the sprint the only event that cannot be prolonged or shortened after the start. where all the other events follow the rule that they end if the purpose is achieved and it is ensured enough time had been spent on it, without creating waste in the process.

The Sprint as mentioned before is the core event of Scrum. A Sprint is maximum 4 weeks long period, where an increment of the project is created. Scrums are ending on the set date, they cannot be extended, even though the increment, often also referred as "Done " is not achieved. Sprints are taking place in an iterative, cyclic way, where one Sprint is following directly on the finished one. During the Sprint following Scrum Events are performed: Sprint Palnning, Daily Scrums, Development Work, Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective. Sprints can be considered as independent projects with a maximum duration of for weeks, where as in any project something has to be created. Therefore, before each Sprint it need to be defined what should be achieved during the Sprint. The stated goal cannot be changed during the Sprint.

Only the Product Owner can cancel a Sprint before it is over. A Sprint should only be cancelled under the circumstance that the Sprint goal gets outdated, this can happen if the organization changes its strategy, unexpected market or technology changes occur. even though the Sprint is canceled the temporary achieve means gets review and all incomplete content of the Backlog gets re-estimated.

The Scrum Event Sprint Planning deals with the definition what work is to achieve during the Sprint. The to outlines plan is created under influence of the whole Scrum Team. The Sprint planning is a time frame that can vary, but is capped to maximum eight hours for a 4 weeks Sprint. Normally for shorter Sprints, also the Sprint Planning phase is shorter. It is the Scrum Masters responsibility that the event takes place and that everybody of the Scrum Team attends and understood its propose. During the Sprint planning two major concerns has to be answered: 1) What should and can be done in the Sprint? 2) How can it be achieved?

To estimate what can be done during the Sprint the Development team forecasts function, milestones and creations it will be achieve during the Sprint. This forecast has to be reflected and evaluated in concerns of the Backlog and the Product Owner, that the whole project stays on track. The major input for the sprint planning is therefore the Backlog and latest achievements, increments as well as the latest performance of the Development Team. At the end the Sprint Plan is defining the Backlog content that should be achieved in the Sprint, this is done by the Development Team. Last step is to design a Sprint Goal of the selected Backlog content. This objective will guide the work during the Sprint if the Development Team.

Is the Sprint Goal defined the Development Team has to decide the increment will be achieved. This has to be documented in the Sprint Backlog, which contains the chosen content for the Sprint of the general Backlog plus the outlined process to achieve the increment. If the Development team is finding that the chosen content of the Backlog requires to much or to less work it can renegotiate the selected content of the backlog with the Product Owner. Also can get the team input from outside the Scrum team in order to structure its work. Before the Sprint starts the Development Team have to reasonable explain the Product Owner and Scrum Master how it will achieve self organized the Sprint Goal.

Is the Sprint started the Event of Daily Scrum takes place. as it the names implies is the Daily scrum an iterative Event that takes place every day. the daily scrum is design to give the Development Team the chance to synchronizes activities and outline a plan for the next 24 hours. The plan is created by reviewing the work done since the last Daily Scrum and by forecasting until the next daily scrum. The daily scrum is 15 minutes long and is set at the same time and place each place. It is a inspection progress towards the Sprint Goal, to complete the Sprint Backlog. The Daily Scrum rises the probability that the Development team stays on track and will meet the Sprint Goals. It is the Scrum Masters responsibility that the Daily Scrum takes place, but the Daily scrum is not conducted by the Scrum Master. The Scrum Master has to teach the Development Team beforehand how to conduct a efficient Daily Scrum within 15 minutes. Efficiently conducted Daily scrum make other meetings reluctant, identifies obstacles, contribute to quick decision making and rises the Development teams knowledge level. the daily Scrum is the key meeting during the Sprint for inspection and adaption.

At the end of a Sprint the Sprint Review, a informal meeting takes place. The Sprint Review is maximum 4 hours long for a 4 week Sprint and is attended by the Scrum Team and stakeholders. The event is to inspect the increment of the Sprint and discuss the achievements of the Sprint with all relevant persons. The outcome of the Sprint review is a revised Backlog and if needed even a adjusted overall Backlog to reach for new opportunities.

After the Sprint Review and before the next Sprint Planning event, the event of the Sprint Retrospective takes place. The Sprint Retrospective is limited to maximum 3 hours and is for the Scrum team to inspect itself and improve its working procedures during the Sprints. Even tough improvements may be made during the Sprint it is the formal event to focus on inspection and improvement of the working processes.

Scrum Artifacts

Scrum Artifacts are documents or achieved increments, that represent work or value. Scrum Artifacts are design to maximum transparency of information to make them understandable for everybody. Also provides transparency the best base to see opportunities an do inspections and adaptions.

The general Backlog is the main document for the project and is normally ordered list of everything that may be necessary to execute the project. Also is it the only source for make changes to set of requirements for the project. the Backlog is a dynamic document, which is never complete to identify constant changes to execute the project appropriate and useful. at the start the Backlog outlines the initially known and registered requirements of the project. the Backlog growth as the project and environment evolves. The Backlog monitors the progress to the overall goal and shows the remaining work at anytime. The remaining tasks leads to when the project should be conducted, different forecast methods have been proven as useful, e.g. cumulative flows.

The Sprint Backlog contains selected content of the general Backlog that is to achieve during the Sprint. Additionally it contains a plan how the achieve the Increment and the Sprint Goal. the Sprint Backlog is a real-time document of the work status in the Sprint and belongs to the Development Team. It is the bases for the Daily scrum events. As the general Backlog the sprint Backlog changes and emerges during the Sprint. It is monitoring the Sprint progress towards the Sprint Goal.

The Increment is the sum of all achieved requirements, items and content that had been achieved from the general Backlog in the previous Sprints.