Scrum: Where Is It Now?
By Laszlo Szalvay
Agile methods have boomed in influence and practice, as organizations of all sizes and types acknowledge that linear thinking won’t cut it in a complex business world. But what does it actually mean to be Agile? This three-part series explores the question, focusing on the most popular agile approach, Scrum.
In the second installment of this three-part series exploring the origins, current state and future of the agile methodology known as Scrum, the author describes why Scrum has flourished in today’s uncertain business world.
As discussed in part one, Scrum’s family tree can be traced back to the Agile Manifesto’s break from traditional, sequential project management and even Lean Manufacturing practices pioneered by Honda and Toyota in the early 1980s. But Scrum’s deepest roots are in complex adaptive systems theory; its iterative work cycles mimic the patterns of alternating upheaval and stability that trigger biological evolution. In other words, Scrum gives teams the right amount of security in the midst of an unpredictable development environment to facilitate heightened performance. If that manages to explain where Scrum comes from, it only partially answers why it has emerged as the most popular agile paradigm.
Much of Scrum’s widespread organizational adoption is a result of how faithfully its processes and practices have been preserved. Because it is such a lightweight framework, no component of the paradigm is dispensable. If you were to remove a meeting or a role from the framework, one of Scrum’s tenets would be compromised. As such, it’s critical that what few rules it has remain in place for Scrum to facilitate optimal results.
Unlike other agile management methodologies, Scrum is guided by a non-profit called the Scrum Alliance, which is dedicated to advancing Scrum practices through scholarly articles, online communities, and other resources. Established by Scrum co-founder Ken Schwaber with Michael Cohn and Esther Derby, the Scrum Alliance has introduced a regulated certification process for individuals seeking training as a ScrumMaster or Product Owner. Through its regulatory work, the Scrum Alliance has maintained a very concrete meaning for the Scrum framework with clearly defined practices and roles.
Unlike the fuzzier territory of the umbrella term “agile” or its many offshoots, Scrum’s vocabulary, processes and values do not fluctuate from one organization to the next. Likewise, the requisite experience an individual needs before being designated a Certified ScrumMaster, Product Owner, Practitioner, or Trainer has become standardized. This is an incredible advantage for employers because they can gauge an individual’s experience with Scrum fairly accurately based on these certifications. Individuals seeking a career in Scrum benefit, too, since the Scrum Alliance’s certification and training initiatives provide a clear path for gathering Scrum knowledge and experience. In that sense, the Scrum Alliance functions as a kind of rudder for the Scrum ship, cutting a clear path for Scrum’s proliferation and preserved integrity.
Of course, much of Scrum’s popularity can be credited to the design of the framework itself. For instance, the ScrumMaster — often called the “servant leader” — plays a protective role within the confines of an individual Scrum team. More specifically, he or she helps create a direct, unimpeded path to success for the team. However, it should be stated that the ScrumMaster does not possess the authority to actively steer the team. In fact, the ScrumMaster has virtually no authority over the team; he or she simply works to remove impediments, ensures that the team is following Scrum’s rules, and generally supports the Product Owner.
Having a single individual dedicated to facilitating productivity for the team is often viewed as administrative overhead by traditional project managers, but it actually creates significant ROI. Because the ScrumMaster acts as a liaison between the team and the Product Owner, communication occurs frequently and the team’s impediments remain highly visible. Armed with that information, the Product Owner is empowered to make the best decisions based on existing business conditions.
Following the analogy above, the ScrumMaster is akin to the navigator of the Scrum ship: he or she works to navigate the unpredictability of a complex development environment so that the team can follow a direct route to accomplishing its Sprint goals. But, as mentioned above, the ScrumMaster cannot steer the team. That responsibility belongs to the skipper of the Scrum ship: the Product Owner.
The Product Owner is exclusively responsible for translating the vision of what is to be developed to the team. This division of labor creates a highly effective management framework, in which each role depends upon the others. In this way, Scrum’s emphasis on shared responsibility and teamwork creates development environments in which every member of the team contributes directly to the overall success of the project. And, typically, when a team member can see how his or her input impacts the team, it results in an increased commitment to success, boosted morale, and products that make customers happy.
Finally, the lightweight, flexible nature of Scrum has made it the most attractive agile option for organizations that can’t afford to dismantle existing organizational structures. Rather than demand that organizations re-build from the ground up, it provides a skeletal framework with enough stability to lean on during the most turbulent phases of development, but adaptive enough to complement existing structures. And while Scrum does not demand that an organization utilize particular engineering practices, it is highly recommended that development teams support Scrum values with agile engineering techniques, such as Test Driven Development, Continuous Integration, and Pair Programming.
In all, there are a host of factors that have made Scrum the most popular of today’s agile methodologies. By virtue of its emphasis on communication and collaboration, Scrum helps improve teams’ performances and create products that business owners can deliver and customers really want. Because it is a lightweight, flexible framework that can be applied to existing organizational structure, it can be implemented without starting from scratch. And with the support of the Scrum Alliance and, on the team and organizational level, the ScrumMaster, the integrity of Scrum is actively preserved.
Together, these factors have made Scrum the management framework of choice for enterprises that understand that to compete in today’s rapidly evolving business world they must be agile.
Next: The Future of Scrum — where is it headed?
Previously: “Scrum: Where Did It Come From?”
Laszlo Szalvay is president and co-founder of Danube Technologies, which helps organizations transform to Scrum software development practices. Danube first developed an internal tool to improve its own processes and then offered it free to the market. Building on its success, Danube has since introduced ScrumWorks® Pro and created a services division, ScrumCORE™. Today, more than 90,000 software professionals use ScrumWorks.
This article originally appeared in the online edition of Projects@Work on Thursday, October 9, 2008. To access it online, visit: http://www.projectsatwork.com/content/Articles/245185.cfm
Agile methods have boomed in influence and practice, as organizations of all sizes and types acknowledge that linear thinking won’t cut it in a complex business world. But what does it actually mean to be Agile? This three-part series explores the question, focusing on the most popular agile approach, Scrum.
In the second installment of this three-part series exploring the origins, current state and future of the agile methodology known as Scrum, the author describes why Scrum has flourished in today’s uncertain business world.
As discussed in part one, Scrum’s family tree can be traced back to the Agile Manifesto’s break from traditional, sequential project management and even Lean Manufacturing practices pioneered by Honda and Toyota in the early 1980s. But Scrum’s deepest roots are in complex adaptive systems theory; its iterative work cycles mimic the patterns of alternating upheaval and stability that trigger biological evolution. In other words, Scrum gives teams the right amount of security in the midst of an unpredictable development environment to facilitate heightened performance. If that manages to explain where Scrum comes from, it only partially answers why it has emerged as the most popular agile paradigm.
Much of Scrum’s widespread organizational adoption is a result of how faithfully its processes and practices have been preserved. Because it is such a lightweight framework, no component of the paradigm is dispensable. If you were to remove a meeting or a role from the framework, one of Scrum’s tenets would be compromised. As such, it’s critical that what few rules it has remain in place for Scrum to facilitate optimal results.
Unlike other agile management methodologies, Scrum is guided by a non-profit called the Scrum Alliance, which is dedicated to advancing Scrum practices through scholarly articles, online communities, and other resources. Established by Scrum co-founder Ken Schwaber with Michael Cohn and Esther Derby, the Scrum Alliance has introduced a regulated certification process for individuals seeking training as a ScrumMaster or Product Owner. Through its regulatory work, the Scrum Alliance has maintained a very concrete meaning for the Scrum framework with clearly defined practices and roles.
Unlike the fuzzier territory of the umbrella term “agile” or its many offshoots, Scrum’s vocabulary, processes and values do not fluctuate from one organization to the next. Likewise, the requisite experience an individual needs before being designated a Certified ScrumMaster, Product Owner, Practitioner, or Trainer has become standardized. This is an incredible advantage for employers because they can gauge an individual’s experience with Scrum fairly accurately based on these certifications. Individuals seeking a career in Scrum benefit, too, since the Scrum Alliance’s certification and training initiatives provide a clear path for gathering Scrum knowledge and experience. In that sense, the Scrum Alliance functions as a kind of rudder for the Scrum ship, cutting a clear path for Scrum’s proliferation and preserved integrity.
Of course, much of Scrum’s popularity can be credited to the design of the framework itself. For instance, the ScrumMaster — often called the “servant leader” — plays a protective role within the confines of an individual Scrum team. More specifically, he or she helps create a direct, unimpeded path to success for the team. However, it should be stated that the ScrumMaster does not possess the authority to actively steer the team. In fact, the ScrumMaster has virtually no authority over the team; he or she simply works to remove impediments, ensures that the team is following Scrum’s rules, and generally supports the Product Owner.
Having a single individual dedicated to facilitating productivity for the team is often viewed as administrative overhead by traditional project managers, but it actually creates significant ROI. Because the ScrumMaster acts as a liaison between the team and the Product Owner, communication occurs frequently and the team’s impediments remain highly visible. Armed with that information, the Product Owner is empowered to make the best decisions based on existing business conditions.
Following the analogy above, the ScrumMaster is akin to the navigator of the Scrum ship: he or she works to navigate the unpredictability of a complex development environment so that the team can follow a direct route to accomplishing its Sprint goals. But, as mentioned above, the ScrumMaster cannot steer the team. That responsibility belongs to the skipper of the Scrum ship: the Product Owner.
The Product Owner is exclusively responsible for translating the vision of what is to be developed to the team. This division of labor creates a highly effective management framework, in which each role depends upon the others. In this way, Scrum’s emphasis on shared responsibility and teamwork creates development environments in which every member of the team contributes directly to the overall success of the project. And, typically, when a team member can see how his or her input impacts the team, it results in an increased commitment to success, boosted morale, and products that make customers happy.
Finally, the lightweight, flexible nature of Scrum has made it the most attractive agile option for organizations that can’t afford to dismantle existing organizational structures. Rather than demand that organizations re-build from the ground up, it provides a skeletal framework with enough stability to lean on during the most turbulent phases of development, but adaptive enough to complement existing structures. And while Scrum does not demand that an organization utilize particular engineering practices, it is highly recommended that development teams support Scrum values with agile engineering techniques, such as Test Driven Development, Continuous Integration, and Pair Programming.
In all, there are a host of factors that have made Scrum the most popular of today’s agile methodologies. By virtue of its emphasis on communication and collaboration, Scrum helps improve teams’ performances and create products that business owners can deliver and customers really want. Because it is a lightweight, flexible framework that can be applied to existing organizational structure, it can be implemented without starting from scratch. And with the support of the Scrum Alliance and, on the team and organizational level, the ScrumMaster, the integrity of Scrum is actively preserved.
Together, these factors have made Scrum the management framework of choice for enterprises that understand that to compete in today’s rapidly evolving business world they must be agile.
Next: The Future of Scrum — where is it headed?
Previously: “Scrum: Where Did It Come From?”
Laszlo Szalvay is president and co-founder of Danube Technologies, which helps organizations transform to Scrum software development practices. Danube first developed an internal tool to improve its own processes and then offered it free to the market. Building on its success, Danube has since introduced ScrumWorks® Pro and created a services division, ScrumCORE™. Today, more than 90,000 software professionals use ScrumWorks.
This article originally appeared in the online edition of Projects@Work on Thursday, October 9, 2008. To access it online, visit: http://www.projectsatwork.com/content/Articles/245185.cfm
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