, they give you a summary of what happened in previous ones? Well, we\u2019re going to do something like that now with Agile methodologies.<\/p>\n\n
To get a really good understanding of what they are, we recommend that you take a look at the post on what agile methodologies are<\/a>. But if you don\u2019t have time and would appreciate a summary, here it goes.<\/p>\n\n Agile methodologies<\/strong> are those that improve productivity and streamline workflows. And what else can they do for you, young Padawan? Well, something as valuable as helping you react better to unforeseen events in the project, while building up trust among the members of the different teams involved in the different phases of the project. And something very important: they allow for client or stakeholder<\/em> participation throughout.<\/p>\n\n Scrum is one of those Agile methodologies.<\/strong> And now that we have reminded<\/em> you of it, let\u2019s get to the point.<\/p>\n\n This project management methodology was born in the world of software<\/em>. In this field, as in engineering, it started out with product design and the characteristics that the client wanted as the end result were agreed and closed with the client before actually getting down to work. The method had so many advantages that it was quickly extrapolated to other professional fields.<\/p>\n\n Scrum is arguably at the top of the Hall of Fame<\/em> of Agile methodologies. If you thought Olympic gymnasts were flexible, this baby manages to eliminate the rigidity of other working methods and allows changes to be made throughout the project without making a mess of the organisation. And, hey, if it also means you can react to unforeseen events and market movements that were not originally contemplated in the design, how could you not want it?<\/p>\n\n These aren\u2019t the only advantages. Scrum also makes<\/strong> it possible to transfer some responsibilities that traditionally fell to middle management onto the technical staff.<\/strong> So their knowledge and experience are put to good use.<\/p>\n\n If your team has to manage product development or maintenance projects, Scrum will be your crush<\/em>. Especially if it\u2019s a complex product, thanks to its incremental development characteristics, the flexibility it allows and the possibility of involving stakeholders<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n To understand how to use the Scrum methodology, the first thing you need is to understand the different phases of this way of working. Having an overview of the different roles it defines is a good help.<\/p>\n\n Scrum groups all your roles into teams. Football? No, don\u2019t get distracted. We\u2019re talking about a small group of people who take on all the roles defined by the method and who have all the skills needed to add value to the product being developed or maintained in each sprint<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n In each what? A sprint<\/em>, or in other words, a short period of time, usually just a few weeks, in which a team works together to complete a series of previously defined tasks. Each sprint<\/em> usually ends with a series of deliverables that can be reviewed and iterated at the end of the sprint period.<\/p>\n\n As time is short, as follows:<\/p>\n\n Developers: If the origin of the Scrum method was in software<\/em>, it\u2019s quite logical that it has inherited a certain terminology, as in fact is the case. And what do developers do in any other field outside the original one? Well, they are in charge of carrying out the work defined for each sprint<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n Product Owner: The person in charge of defending the interests of the product that is being developed or maintained, and who ensures that the value of the product that is the object of the methodology is maximised. A kind of ombudsman, but applied to a work system.<\/p>\n\n Scrum master: The person in charge of ensuring that the methodology is applied correctly and that the different groups involved work as planned, in a coordinated manner and maximising the value of their work and contributions. The f… boss, in two words.<\/p>\n\n Isn\u2019t this all about making work more agile? OK, without beating round the bush, here\u2019s the idea:<\/p>\n\n 1. Creating the product backlog<\/strong><\/em>. Before you ask what went wrong with our mouths, let us explain what a product backlog<\/em> is: a list of all the requirements, at a high level, that a product has to meet. It is the product owner<\/em>, with the help of the Scrum master<\/em>, who is in charge of creating this list from the requirements obtained from the stakeholders<\/em>. It is very important that the list of tasks is properly prioritised, so that the development team knows which are most relevant or should be completed first.<\/p>\n\n But be careful \u2013 this is a team effort. Although the product owner<\/em> is the one who creates the list of tasks, he\/she is not in charge of assigning them to the developers. In the Scrum method, they are the ones who take on jobs as they finish others. And how do they get organised? With the help of a panel, whiteboard or board where sticky notes are placed and moved as tasks are completed. And if you say sticky notes, you might just as well say LetsGoNotes<\/a><\/strong>, which is a more appropriate way of getting things done (and yes, we have come here to talk about our book).<\/p>\n\nWhat is Scrum and where does it come from?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
OK, so what is this Scrum methodology used for?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
What are these roles you\u2019re talking about?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
So it\u2019s on to the phases<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n