SCRUM BASICS: Scrum Framework

Scrum is a development framework in which the cross-functional teams develop products or projects in an iterative, incremental manner. It structures development in cycles of work called Sprints. These iterations are one to four weeks each and take place one after the other without break. The Sprints are time boxed – they end on a specific date whether the work has been completed or not, and are never extended. Usually Scrum Teams choose one Sprint length and use it for all their Sprints until they improve and can use a shorter cycle. At the beginning of each Sprint, a cross-functional Team selects items (customer requirements) from a prioritized list. The Team agrees on a collective target of what they believe they can deliver by the end of the Sprint, something that is tangible and will be truly “done”. During the Sprint, no new items are added; Scrum embraces change for the next Sprint, but the current short Sprint is meant to focus on a small, clear, relatively stable goal. Every day the Team gathers briefly to inspect its progress, and adjusts the next steps needed to complete the work remaining. At the end of the Sprint, the Team reviews the Sprint with stakeholders, and demonstrates what it has built. The Team obtains a feedback that can be incorporated in the next Sprint. Scrum emphasizes working product at the end of the Sprint that is really “done”; in the case of software, this means a system that is integrated, fully tested, end-user documented, and potentially shippable.

Scrum roles, artifacts, and events are summarized in a diagram below:

The core of Scrum is “inspect and adapt”. As the development involves learning, innovation, and surprises, Scrum emphasizes taking a short step of development, inspecting both the resulting product and the effectiveness of current practices, and then adapting it for the next development efforts.

Scrum is a Framework. As in traditional building structure, the framework does not define the interiors; Scrum left the detailing of this framework to the Development Team.