Working with agile methodologies: Do you know Scrum?

The Agile methodology focuses on collaboration and communication between team members, rather than following a detailed and rigorous plan. Agile work teams are organized into sprints, which are short periods of time (usually 1-4 weeks) during which new project features or functionality are developed and delivered.

Some of the key principles of the Agile methodology are:

• Close collaboration between team members and with project stakeholders (customers, users, etc.)
• Continuous delivery of project functionalities, with special attention to the most important elements for the client
• Adapting to changes in project requirements and environment, rather than following a fixed and rigid plan
• Self-organization and empowerment of teams, allowing members to make decisions and assume responsibilities

Some of the most used agile methodologies are: SCRUM, Kanban, Lean Software Development, Design Sprint, Extreme Programming XP, Crystal, Dynamic Systems Development Method, Design Thinking, among others. In this blog, we focus in Scrum and will tell you everything you need to know about this methodology.

What is SCRUM?

Scrum is an agile framework used in software development and project management in general. It was developed to help teams work together more efficiently and effectively to achieve goals in a dynamic and changing environment.

Scrum is based on the concept of short, frequent iterations, called sprints, during which the work team focuses on creating a specific product or set of features. Each sprint has a predefined duration and begins with a planning meeting, in which the team determines what work will be done during that sprint.

During these sprints, the team has daily meetings to review progress and coordinate the work. At the end of the sprint, the completed work is presented and a retrospective is held to reflect on what was done well, what could be improved, and how it can be applied in the next sprint.

Scrum also uses a set of roles to help teams work more efficiently and effectively. These include the SCRUM Master, the Product Owner, and the Development Team.

How should the SCRUM methodology be applied to work with projects?

1. The project is divided into short iterations called sprints, which typically last between 1 and 4 weeks.
2. At the beginning of each sprint, the Scrum Team meets to set up the sprint goals and priorities. This meeting is called Sprint Planning.
3. During the sprint, the team works on the tasks necessary to achieve the sprint goals. The team meets every day for about 15 minutes in a meeting called Daily Scrum to discuss the progress of the work and any issues that may appear.
4. At the end of the sprint, the team meets in a meeting called Sprint Review to revise the results of the sprint and receive feedback from stakeholders.
5. After the review meeting, the team meets in a meeting called Sprint Retrospective to evaluate the sprint and determine how they can improve their work going forward.
6. Once the sprint is complete, the team prepares to start the next sprint, and the process starts all over again.

Scrum is a very effective project management methodology for development teams looking for a more agile and flexible way of working on complex projects. It encourages transparency, collaboration, and the consistent delivery of customer value, which can help improve product quality and increase customer satisfaction.

Workdeck is software that allows you to manage project work and is ideal for working with agile methodologies since each user has access to: a Kanban chart to be clear about their activities and tasks, a Gantt chart for project monitoring, and communication tools to be constantly interacting between teams.

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