What is Scrum Method?

Scrum is one of several light-weight agile methods that use an iterative and incremental approach for the development of information systems.  The Scrum method brings a small team together to work on a specified set of features over a period of 30-days (called a sprint).

Both the term Scrum and sprint are borrowed from the sport Rugby.  A scrum is where the two teams are engaged in a huddled to begin play following a period where play has been stopped.  The fast moving period of play from the point of the scrum until play ends again is called a sprint.

The Scrum method starts each 30-day sprint with a kickoff meeting (a period where the entire team comes together).  The kickoff meeting lasts a full day and the features of the system to be developed are discussed.  The outcome of the kickoff meeting is a set of features that will be developed over the 30-day sprint along with estimates of how long the analysis and development of each feature will take.

In order for a feature to be considered completed, it needs to be Analyzed, Designed, Coded, Tested, Refactored, and Documented. If this life-cycle is not fully accomplished during the 30-day sprint, perhaps due to an initial underestimation of the time required, the feature will be pushed to a later sprint.

Following the kickoff meeting, and throughout the duration of the 30-day sprint, each day is started with a short meeting lasting approximately 15 minute called a daily scrum meeting (also called a daily stand-up meeting).  The purpose of this meeting is for the team to discuss what they accomplished the day before, what they will accomplish over the coming day, and to raise any obstacles that they have encountered that may impede progress.

One aspect of Scrum, that is intended to keep the Scrum team and method very agile, is its size.  Most Scrum teams consist of no more than about 7 people with each falling into 1 of 3 roles.

• Product Owner – identifies the features that will be included in the next 30-sprint and set the priority of each.  This is typically a high-level stakeholder in organizations where a true Product Manger/Product Owner role doesn’t exist.
• Scrum Master – acts much like the project manager.  While the Scrum Master does not micro-manage the teams deliverables, this person ensures that the 30-day sprint is on track and enforces the key rules that guide Scrum such as; no new features can be added to the sprint once it is kicked off, and team members cannot be pulled off to work on other side project in the middle of a sprint.
• Team Member – unlike traditional software development methods, in Scrum there is little separation of duties between team members.  Each team member may fill the role of analyst, designer, coder, tester, and documentation writer.