What is SCRUM? The 5-letter Framework Explained!

In the world of information technology, time is everything. Most of the fields in science have centuries to develop their theories and concepts. IT, on the other hand, is relatively new, as the internet was just introduced to the internet late into the previous century. There have been some echoes in the minds of the greatest scientists, but it is only in the 21st century that maximized the internet’s potential. Now, the interest in this particular field may have reached its peak, but people are still learning more from it.

One of the most lucrative parts of information technology is software development. There are so many avenues that this can take you. Mobile applications are also considered as software ones, and this is the focus of most industries these days. Smartphone use has increased dramatically over the past years, but other devices are keeping up. All of them need some sort of software to function. Whether it is the operating system to the application themselves, it is a top priority when it comes to any device.

This is why most software companies would want to release their products as fast as they can. The world of the internet and its consumers is a fickle one. Trends come and go, and that can be applied to the software being used. People want better devices and companies then would want faster roll-outs as well. However, developing an application can take months or even years to prepare. Once it does reach completion, the general public may have moved on already. You also need to know the difference between a trend and fad as this article says.

Developers are now trying to use all the ways and means to make production faster. One of which is following a procedure or guide that has been used for the last 20 years. This is known as SCRUM, a set of principles and values that has been taken from the Agile work methodology. In general, scrum gives the idea that customer’s needs are volatile; they can change faster than one might think. As a developer, you need to keep track of these changes and follow them to appease these kinds of demands.

SCRUM in Detail

If you are into rugby, then you might be familiar with this term. It can be thought of as a reset mode for all the players. If they want to have the ball, all of the players will have to huddle together. Even if you are in different teams, you need to be together because you have one goal: to get the ball. In development teams, you are not working against each other to get the “ball” though. Instead, you would be working together to achieve something bigger. How does SCRUM make a difference?

Before, most software developers would follow a format. It follows a long process from planning to production and maintenance. This is also known as the waterfall method, since it goes “lower” the more advanced the process becomes. It has been quite effective since it has been used for a long time even in industries not concerned with information technology. However, as we moved to the modern era, it has been found to be not enough anymore.

One of the main problems of the waterfall method is the time consumption. Most of the projects done before can take months of planning before anyone can even begin working to it. Thus, once the project is already finished, the people who want it have already moved on. As mentioned before, trends can be born and die without notice or flair. If you get behind, then it would be over for you and your company.

With SCRUM, you may have a higher workload but it will be finished in a shorter time. This method divides the tasks amongst its members, with each task having its own process from planning to execution. Each of these processes is called a sprint, in which its products can be considered as your milestone for your ultimate goal. With each sprint, there should be a workable or potential product. This way, the team would not be trapped in a cycle of planning and there is visible progress.

There are three key members though: the product owner, scrum master and the team. It is the product owner’s responsibility to relay what they want. They can be the company owner or even the customers. The scrum master is the glue that would bind the team together. It is their duty to work with the team and make sure that they do not stray from the goal. Then, the team does all the work like testing and reviewing the product. As there is a distinction between them, the process becomes more streamlined and you do not have to waste a lot of time.

Applying the Process

If you want to apply this method to your team, you can find a lot of resources online like this one. However, if you want to have an in-depth knowledge, you can try hiring an expert like the ones in agile.coach website. They can certainly help you with organizing your SCRUMs, sprints and even forming the teams. Also, they can be the guide to help you use this method effectively. You can even apply this to other industries so make sure to learn about it in advance.

SCRUM is not the only methodology that you can apply to your company. However, there have been a lot of companies who had seen success with this model. It might take some time, but it is so much faster compared to its contemporaries.