Scrum is a project management framework involving a collaborative effort to create complex products, services, or results.  The Scrum methodology focuses on delivering high-value increments to the customer or other stakeholders quickly.  In comparison to traditional waterfall project management methods, Scrum is lightweight and simple to understand.  Yet, implementing Scrum requires a paradigm shift for both management and project team members.

Principles of Scrum

Scrum is based on six key principles that form the foundation of the project management methodology.  These are:

1. Empirical process control,
2. Self-organization,
3. Collaboration,
4. Value-based prioritization,
5. Time-boxing, and
6. Iterative development.

Empirical Process Control

“Empirical” means “derived from or guided by experience” (dictionary.com).  Scrum processes are guided by the practical experience of the Scrum Master and the project team members as well as the product owner.  The Scrum Master is a facilitator working to ensure that the Scrum Team can complete the work in an efficient and productive manner.  The Scrum Team is essentially a working project team.

Unlike a traditional project manager who issues work orders and controls the team’s scope, schedule, and budget, a Scrum Master interfaces with external influencers to ensure that the Scrum Team works on the highest value priorities first.  A Scrum Master also removes roadblocks that could impeded the team’s accomplishments.  This may include limiting project deliverables during a given phase of work or adding necessary resources to accomplish required goals and objectives.

The Product Owner is another unique role in Scrum.  A Product Owner represents the voice of the customer by meeting with the client to fully understand their needs.  Moreover, the Product Owner provides the Scrum Master and the Scrum Team a prioritized list of features, deliverables, and requirements.  In this way, the project is able to deliver value at the earliest possible increment after the project has begun.

In addition to the experience of the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Scrum Team, empirical process control focuses on three concepts:  transparency, inspection, and adaptation.

Transparency

Scrum processes in project management are viewable by all.  This ensures transparency.  Transparency includes a common understanding of the project work requirements by clients, stakeholders, Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Scrum Team.  Often the Scrum tools used to advance project work share additional commonalities so that anyone involved in any project using similar resources can quickly assess the project status.

The concept of transparency extends to the flow of information throughout the organization.  An open work environment is also a hallmark of Scrum.  Scrum Team members practice transparency in a Daily Stand-Up Meeting in which they share work progress, work plans, and any challenges they face in completing agreed-upon work items.

Inspection

The second concept of empirical process control is the idea of inspection.  Inspection means that project deliverables are continually monitored to ensure appropriate value is delivered to the customer or client.  Inspection involves frequent monitoring of project progress as well as demonstration of completed work items.

Scrum projects are executed in short sprints, typically lasting from one to six weeks.  Scrum Team members work on a few, specific, prioritized features or deliverables during each sprint.  Scrum project documentation and artifacts, like the Scrumboard, illustrate the progress of the team toward completion of tasks in the current sprint.  Final inspection validates the goals of the sprint for customer acceptance.

Adaptation

A pivotal difference between traditional project management and Scrum is flexibility and continuous learning.  Whereas a conventional waterfall process lays out the definition of all goals, objectives, and deliverables when a project starts, Scrum projects utilize teams and inspection to quickly experiment and adapt to changing project requirements.  It is often challenging for a client or customer to define specific product features or attributes prior to project initiation.  Adaptation also means that the Product Owner is responsible for continuous verification of business value throughout the life cycle of the project.  In traditional, waterfall product development processes, features are locked in and often a company finds itself committed to a losing prospect after incurring significant resource and development expenses.  Scrum, on the other hand, forces flexibility and continued risk assessment through the short, iterative design cycles.

Empirical Process Control in Scrum

Scrum focuses on three concepts to take advantage of project team member experience.  These are transparency, inspection, and adaptation.  In contrast to traditional project management, Scrum uses short, iterative development cycles in which the Product Owner, representing the voice of the customer, continually evaluates the value delivery of the project.  Scrum Teams are facilitated by a Scrum Master who removes roadblocks and obstacles so the Scrum Team can accomplish its work.  Project work is highly visible (transparency), checked against goals frequently (inspection), and continually assessed for risk and value (adaptation).

To learn more about Scrum, please join us in a free webinar.  Or contact me at [email protected] to join a Scrum Fundamentals or Scrum Master course.

 

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