Scrum

Agile Software Development in Under 10 Minutes

Scrum is an Agile software development model based on multiple small teams working in an intensive and interdependent manner. Although Scrum was intended for management of software development projects, it can be used to run software maintenance teams, or as a general project and programme management approach.

Scrum as applied to product development was first referred to in "New New Product Development Game" (Harvard Business Review 86116:137–146, 1986) and later elaborated in "The Knowledge Creating Company" both by Ikujiro Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi (Oxford University Press, 1995).

Introduction to Scrum

Scrum is one of the simplest "Agile" methodologies and is also proven to be highly effective for both software development and more general product development. Scrum is often used in financial product development. Scrum works very well in its own right and is also an excellent first step if you want to introduce Agile concepts into your organisation since it is simple and focuses on high-level project management.

Scrum in Under 10 Minutes

Learn the Scrum software development methodology in less than 10 minutes. By the end of this fast-paced video, you'll know about burndown charts, team roles, product backlogs, sprints, daily scrums and more.

Software is the most malleable product. Companies need to use this characteristics to their competitive advantage, and sticking to traditional waterfall development negates this advantage. Agile Project Management, Jim Highsmith.

Project Management the Agile Way

Agile project management has a lot to offer legal case management. Imagine you could continually wring out the inefficiencies in your law practice. Picture having the luxury to step back from the trees and see the forest. It may sound crazy, and, in the case of removing every single efficiency, perhaps pie in the sky. But you can get close, and it takes a lot less effort and time than you think if you embrace something we software folks call a "Sprint."

Three Things That Cause Scrum Backlash (and How to Fix Them)

Most people hear the word "Scrum" and think of something that's stuck to the bottom of their shoe. Au contraire. Scrum is an agile software development methodology designed to foster iterative and incremental development. Scrum projects are broken down into 24 hour development cycles contained within 30 day sprints. Team members agree upon which work items for the product (the product backlog) they will tackle in the next 30 days; this becomes the sprint backlog. The goal at the end of 30 days is to have a working application with a certain number of features completed.

A Heavyweight Fight: Scrum vs. Waterfall

I think people like a good fight. Certainly the media seems to, as is evident in the world of politics, sports, and entertainment to name a few. In the world of business analysis the current fight seems to pit Agile methods against the Waterfall approach. For the next several blogs we'll have a Scrum vs. Waterfall match. In corner #1, representing the Agile methods, we have the Scrum framework. In corner #2, representing Waterfall, we have the "traditionalists."

Scrum vs. Waterfall Round 2: The Fight Continues

We began our "fight" by exploring two estimating techniques that are often used on both Scrum and Waterfall projects. The first was relative sizing (one kind of analogous estimating) and the second Delphi (called Planning Poker in Scrum). Scrum won both rounds (barely) because, although both techniques can be used on both types of projects, their usage in Scrum seems easier to understand, learn, and apply. I don't know about you, but when I hear the terms Analogous and Delphi I think academics and hard work. When I hear about tee-shirt sizes and planning poker, I think fun.

Traditional Project Management vs Scrum: Adapting Square Pegs to Round Holes

With the Agile methodology proving to be a major force when it comes to software application development, the role of a ScrumMaster is becoming more and more valuable. Traditional project managers can succeed by adapting their way of doing things and helping the transition take place.

Read the Scrum Guide, which represents the official Scrum Body Of Knowledge, written by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, co-creators of Scrum.