Scalability of Scrum

Scalability of a process, network, or unit is its ability to adjust or adapt to any expansion. For example a central server is said to be scalable if it performs similarly when attending on either five clients or fifty clients. In Scrum, it means that the scaling mechanisms applicable for a single Scrum Team can also be used for larger projects with multiple teams.

Is Scrum scalable? Initially, Agile authors believed that Agile methodologies including Scrum was predominantly for small scale projects. This opinion was based on the fact that Scrum had not yet been applied on large scale projects. The Guide to the Scrum Body of Knowledge (SBOK™ Guide) gives comprehensive directions through which Agile methodologies including Scrum, can be scaled and applied on larger projects

When to scale? In small Scrum projects there is adequate scope for the self-organizing Scrum Team members to collaborate among themselves. The problem starts when team size expands and when there is coordination required between multiple teams. Scalability in Scrum can occur at three levels – Projects, Programs and Portfolios

How to scale? Scalability in Scrum is achieved primarily through the Scrum of Scrum (SoS) Meetings. Scrum recommends small teams; however if teams are larger it is recommended that they are divided into smaller teams who can meet occasionally to discuss their status.

What makes Scrum scalable? It is recommended that Scrum Teams should ideally have six to ten members. This does not mean that Scrum can be used only in small projects – it can be scaled to be used effectively in larger projects. If the size of the Scrum Team exceeds ten members, then multiple teams can be formed to work on the project simultaneously.

Scrum of Scrums facilitates synchronization between multiple Scrum Teams in larger projects. Team representatives update each other about team’s progress, challenges faced and coordination activities. Frequency of Scrum of Scrums (SoS) Meetings is determined by inter-team dependency, size of the project, recommendations by Scrum Guidance Body (SGB) and complexity level.

Scaling in Distributed Teams:

Scrum recommends collocated teams and face-to-face communication between team members. This is often not possible, as companies have distributed teams working in parallel across geographies and time zones. For the purpose of scaling, in larger projects employing distributed teams, the Scrum of Scrum Meeting can be held using video conferencing, chats, social media etc.

The ‘Convene Scrum of Scrums’ Process is facilitated by the Chief Scrum Master (or another Scrum Master). Representatives of various teams, usually the Scrum Master of individual teams or any other designated team member. For larger projects, involving a significant number of teams, multiple levels of these meetings may be convened. In larger projects, as it is difficult to have all participants together at one time, all important matters should be discussed

The Scrum of Scrums meeting is usually held at predetermined intervals or when required, to collaborate and track progress, address impediments and dependencies across projects. An agenda for the meeting can be announced in advance by the Chief Scrum Master, allowing individual teams to consider the items for discussion. Impediments faced by individual teams, likely to affect other teams should also be indicated. Issues, risks and changes likely to affect multiple teams should also be communicated during this meeting.

Achieving Scalability:

Each team representative is expected to update other teams, usually in the form of four questions. (i) What has my team been working on since the last meeting?, (ii) What will my team do until the next meeting?, (iii) What were other teams counting on our team to finish that remains undone?, (iv) What is our team planning on doing that might affect other teams?

Result of Scrum of Scrums Meetings include Better Team Coordination facilitated coordination of work across multiple Scrum Teams, especially when there are tasks involving inter-team dependencies (as future tasks of one team may depend on the timely delivery of a task by another team). Discrepancies between work and deliverables are quickly exposed. The Scrum of Scrums is a forum where team members can transparently discuss issues and resolve them.

Scrum of Scrum of Scrums: In organizations that have several Scrum projects happening simultaneously, the Scrum of Scrums Meeting can be scaled up another level to a Scrum of Scrum of Scrums meeting. In this situation, a separate Scrum of Scrums Meeting is held to coordinate each group of projects that are directly related to each other.

To know more, please visit: www.SCRUMstudy.com

Risk Management in Scrum

Risk is defined as an uncertain event that can affect the objectives of a project and may contribute to its success or failure. Risks with a potential for positive impact on the project are called opportunities, whereas threats are risks that could negatively impact a project. Managing risk must be done proactively, and it is an iterative process that should begin at project inception and continue throughout the life of the project. The process of managing risk should follow some standardized steps to ensure that risks are identified, evaluated, and a proper course of action is determined and acted upon accordingly.

Risk Management consists of five steps:

• Risk identification: Using various techniques to identify all potential risks.
• Risk assessment: Evaluating and estimating the identified risks.
• Risk prioritization: Prioritizing risk to be included in the Prioritized Product Backlog.
• Risk mitigation: Developing an appropriate strategy to deal with the risk.
• Risk communication: Communicating the findings from the first four steps to the appropriate stakeholders and determining their perception regarding the uncertain events.

Risk identification involves the Scrum Team members who attempt to identify all risks that could potentially impact the project. Only by looking at the project from different perspectives, using a variety of techniques, can they do this job thoroughly.

Risk assessment helps in understanding the potential impact of a risk, how likely it is to occur, and when the risk could materialize. The overall effect on business value should be estimated; if that impact is significant enough to outweigh the business justification, a decision must be made whether to continue the project. The assessment of risks is done with regard to probability, proximity, and impact. Probability of risks refers to the likelihood of the risks occurring, whereas proximity refers to when the risk might occur. Impact refers to the probable effect of the risks on the project or the organization. To estimate the probability of a risks, various techniques may be used, including Probability Trees, Pareto Analysis, and a Probability and Impact Matrix.  In addition to probability, risk assessment also evaluates the potential net effect of risks on the project or organization. These effects can be estimated using techniques such as Risk Models and Expected Monetary Value.

Under the risk prioritization step, Identified Risks are captured in a Prioritized Product Backlog—so a Prioritized Product Backlog could also be referred to as a Risk Adjusted Prioritized Product Backlog. The prioritized User Stories from the existing Prioritized Product Backlog and the prioritized list of risks are then combined to create an updated Prioritized Product Backlog which includes the Identified Risks.

Risk mitigation can beproactive or reactive. In the case of a risk, a plan B may be formulated, which can be used as a fall-back in case the risk materializes—such a plan B is a reactive response. Sometimes risks are accepted and are an example of a risk response which is neither proactive nor reactive. Risks are accepted because of various reasons, as in a situation where the probability or impact of the risk is too low for a response. Acceptance can also be the case in a situation where the apprehension of secondary risks may deter the product owner from taking any action. The effort made by the Product Owner to reduce the probability or impact—or both—of the risk is an example of a proactive response to mitigating risks.

Risk communication is important because stakeholders have an interest in the project and need to know the hindrances that the project may face. Information provided to stakeholders related to risk should include potential impact and the plans for responding to each risk. This communication is on-going and should occur in parallel with the four sequential steps discussed thus far—risk identification, assessment, prioritization and mitigation. The Scrum Team may also discuss specific risks related to their Tasks with the Scrum Master during Daily Standup Meetings. The Product Owner is responsible for the prioritization of risks and for communicating the prioritized list to the Scrum Team.

To know more, please visit: www.SCRUMstudy.com 

Value-based Prioritization in SCRUM

The Scrum framework is driven by the goal of delivering maximum business value in a minimum time span. One of the most effective tools for delivering the greatest value in the shortest amount of time is prioritization.

Prioritizing can be defined as determining the order and separating what must be done now, from what needs to be done later. The concept of prioritization is not new to project management. The traditional Waterfall model of project management proposes using multiple task prioritization tools. From the Project Manager’s point of view, prioritization is integral because certain tasks must be accomplished first to expedite the development process and achieve the project goals. Some of the traditional techniques of task prioritization include setting deadlines for delegated tasks and using prioritization matrices.

Scrum, however, uses Value-based Prioritization as one of the core principles that drives the structure and functionality of the entire Scrum framework—it helps projects benefit through adaptability and iterative development of the product or service. More significantly, Scrum aims at delivering a valuable product or service to the customer on an early and continuous basis.

Prioritization is done by the Product Owner when he or she prioritizes User Stories in the Prioritized Product Backlog. The Prioritized Product Backlog contains a list of all the requirements needed to bring the project to fruition.

Once the Product Owner has received the business requirements from the customer and written these down in the form of workable User Stories, he or she works with the customer and sponsor to understand which business requirements provide maximum business value. The Product Owner must understand what the customer wants and values in order to arrange the Prioritized Product Backlog Items (User Stories) by relative importance. Sometimes, a customer may mandate all User Stories to be of high priority. While this might be true, even a list of high-priority User Stories needs to be prioritized within the list itself. Prioritizing a backlog involves determining the criticality of each User Story. High-value requirements are identified and moved to the top of the Prioritized Product Backlog. The processes in which the principle of Value-based Prioritization is put into practice are Create Prioritized Product Backlog and Groom Prioritized Product Backlog.

Simultaneously, the Product Owner must work with the Scrum Team to understand the project risks and uncertainty as they may have negative consequences associated with them. This should be taken into account while prioritizing User Stories on a value-based approach (refer to the Risk chapter for more information). The Scrum Team also alerts the Product Owner of any dependencies that arise out of implementation. These dependencies must be taken into account during prioritization. Prioritization may be based on a subjective estimate of the projected business value or profitability, or it can be based on results and analysis of the market using tools including, but not limited to, customer interviews, surveys, and financial models and analytical techniques.

The Product Owner has to translate the inputs and needs of the project stakeholders to create the Prioritized Product Backlog. Hence, Value, Risk or uncertainty and Dependencies are the three factors considered while prioritizing the User Stories in the Prioritized Product Backlog.

Thus prioritization results in deliverables that satisfies the requirements of the customer with the objective of delivering the maximum business value in the least amount of time.

To know more, please visit: www.SCRUMstudy.com

Learn How to Conduct an Effective Backlog Grooming Session

A typical Prioritized Product Backlog will contain all User Stories, their time estimates (including any revised estimates), and the status of higher priority requirements. Any new or revised User Stories resulting from changes to business requirements, customer requests, external market conditions, and/or lessons learned from previous Sprints are also incorporated.

Product Backlog Review Meeting

Also referred to as a Prioritized Product Backlog Grooming Session, the Product Backlog Review Meeting is basically a formal meeting during the Groom Prioritized Product Backlog process, which helps the Scrum Team review and gain consensus about the Prioritized Product Backlog. However, other than the Prioritized Product Backlog Review Meeting, Prioritized Product Backlog grooming should happen throughout the project and can include situations in which the Product Owner writes new User Stories or reprioritizes User Stories in the existing Prioritized Product Backlog, Scrum Team members or Stakeholders give their suggestions about new User Stories to the Product Owner, and so forth.

Backlog Grooming Session

The Product Owner takes the lead in a Product Backlog Review Meeting which is conducted during the Groom Prioritized Product Backlog process. It is important that the Product Owner sets the objectives and ideally develop an agenda before the Product Backlog Review Meeting begins. Without these, the session will be unstructured and may prove unproductive. It is also important to limit the number of stakeholders participating in the meeting. Having too many participants tends to decrease the overall efficiency of the meeting. The Product Owner should invite only those stakeholders whose feedback is required for the grooming session. All Scrum Team members should be included because their input is valuable to the work being done and any issues encountered. If the grooming session results in any reprioritization of or change in the Prioritized Product Backlog, it is important that the team is in agreement with those changes.

Backlog Grooming Techniques

• Develop Epic(s)
• Create Prioritized Product Backlog
• Conduct Release Planning
• Create User Stories
• Approve, Estimate, and Commit User Stories
• Create Tasks
• Estimate Tasks

Grooming helps ensure that refining of requirements and their User Stories is done well in advance of the Sprint Planning Meeting so that the team has a well-analysed and clearly defined set of stories that can be easily broken down into tasks and subsequently estimated. Based on lessons learned from the current Sprint, there may be changes to requirements, or there may be reprioritization that can be easily incorporated into subsequent Sprints. Grooming supports and enhances the flexibility of the Scrum model by incorporating the latest business and technical insights into future Sprints.

To know more, please visit: www.SCRUMstudy.com

Quality Comes in Large Quantities in Scrum

Competing video game companies—one that operates inside of the Scrum framework and one that does not—release similar games around the same time. The graphics and story-lines in each are fantastic. As gamer’s button mash their way through the campaigns, however, disparities emerge. Unlike its competitor, the company that operates inside of the Scrum framework finds little need to release patches for various game-play glitches. This is because those issues were neutralized during the company’s iterative quality testing throughout the production process—also known as Sprints—rather than saving that critical part of the process for the last minute.

In Scrum, quality is defined as the ability of the completed product or deliverable to meet the Acceptance Criteria and achieve the business value expected by the customer, according to A Guide to the Scrum Body of Knowledge (SBOK™ Guide). From small projects with six team members to large, complex projects with hundreds of team members, Scrum can be applied effectively to ensure quality is a staple in the production process.

To achieve this, Scrum adopts an approach of continuous improvement whereby the team learns from experience and stakeholder engagement to constantly keep the Prioritized Product Backlog updated with any changes in requirements. Any changes to the requirements reflect changes in the internal and external business environment and allow the team to continually work and adapt to achieve those requirements.

Since Scrum requires work to be completed in increments during Sprints, this means that errors or defects get noticed earlier through iterative quality testing, rather than when the final product or service is near completion. Moreover, important quality-related tasks—development, testing, documentation—are completed as part of the same Sprint by the same team. This ensures that quality is inherent in any deliverable created as part of a Sprint.

Continuous improvement with repetitive testing optimizes the probability of achieving the expected quality levels in a Scrum project. Constant discussions between the Scrum Core Team and stakeholders (including customers and users) along with actual increments of the product being delivered at the end of every Sprint reduces the gap between customer expectations and actual deliverable.

Between competitors, oftentimes it’s “game on.” But when a company commits to quality while operating within the Scrum framework, it’s game over.

To know more, please visit: www.SCRUMstudy.com

Sprint Retrospective Meeting

Sprint Retrospective is a meeting convened by the Scrum Master in which the team talks about the previous sprint and decided on how to make the next sprint productive. This meeting differs from a Sprint Review meeting. In Sprint review meeting the team looks into what the team is currently working on whereas the Retrospective meeting talks about how they are working.



The team discusses on processes , communication, environment, artefacts and tools, practices.
Scrum is a framework that needs to be adjusted appropriately for a project, team and circumstance. The Sprint Retrospective meeting is a valuable instrument that allows a team to constantly develop and progress throughout the project.

In Scrum it is very key for all team members including the Product owner and Scrum Master to get an opportunity to voice their opinion in an truthful atmosphere. In some cases it may be beneficial to get an external enabler to attain the maximum advantage from retrospective. Also in cases where emotional conflicts are present in the team an impartial facilitator could be of help.

The duration of this meeting is usually time boxed to 3 hours and The participants of the meeting would be team members, product owner and scrum Master. However the attendance of the product owner is uncomplelled.
The meeting concentrates and getting answers on the below questions:

• What are the positives during the sprint?
• How to improve the next Sprint?

Irrespective of who joins the meeting , the atmosphere for Sprint Retrospectives must be harmless for participants. This infers that participants are required to be truthful and must be honest and apparent while considering others with respect. Issues performance and improvement can flare up in retrospectives. This can be handles by having a professional facilitator in the meeting.

Sprint Retrospectives are basically a method used to divulge the practices and activities of the Team to itself. It is considered that when a self organising team is self aware , it provides opportunities to correct one-self and improve. When a self-organizing system becomes self-aware, it self-corrects and deliberately improves when given the tools to do so.

However an ineffectively run Sprint Retrospective can do more harm than good to the team. It unnecessarily consumes the time of the team and can also be destructive to the team. Hence as stated earlier a professional facilitator is recommended to conduct the meeting at least when the team is newly following Scrum.

When Sprint Retrospectives work well, the team becomes more focused and  productive. Excellent teams do not simply appear. They evolve over time  and Sprint Retrospectives are a key ingredient in  for this.

To know more, please visit: www.SCRUMstudy.com

Selecting appropriate Scrum Master(s) and identifying relevant Stakeholder(s)

Selecting appropriate Scrum Master(s) and identifying relevant Stakeholder(s) is crucial to the success of any project. In some projects, there may have been pre-conditions stipulating certain team members and their roles.

When there is flexibility in choosing the Scrum Master(s), the following are important Selection Criteria:

• Problem-solving skills—This is one of the primary criteria to be considered while selecting Scrum Master(s). The Scrum Master(s) should have the necessary skills and experience to help remove any impediments for the Scrum Team.
• Availability—The Scrum Master should be available to schedule, oversee, and facilitate various meetings, including the Release Planning Meeting, Daily Standup Meeting, and other Sprint-related meetings.
• Commitment—The Scrum Master should be highly committed to ensure that the Scrum Team is provided with a conducive work environment to ensure successful delivery of Scrum projects.
• Servant Leadership Style—Servant leaders employ listening, empathy, commitment, and insight while sharing power and authority with team members. Servant leaders are stewards who achieve results by focusing on the needs of the team. This style is the embodiment of the Scrum Master role

When identifying the Stakeholder(s), it is important to remember that stakeholders are all the customers, users, and sponsors, who frequently interface with the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Scrum Team to provide inputs and facilitate creation of the project’s products. The stakeholders influence the project throughout its lifecycle.

To know more, please visit: www.SCRUMstudy.com