There are many project management methods. We could mention the V-cycle or the waterfall model. All have their advantages and disadvantages. However, if you want to steer your business towards a more agile and responsive approach, it’s highly advisable to learn the principles and advantages of the Scrum method. Scrum allows you to be more flexible and speed up production, while significantly improving customer satisfaction.
What is the Scrum method?
Scrum is largely utilized as a framework in the software development industry. However, its numerous advantages have made it essential for any agile product or service development.
Scrum is derived from an English term that originated in rugby and translates to “mêlée” in French. It first appeared in the book “The New Product Development Game” by Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka.
The authors drew a parallel between this new approach based on collaborative work and rugby union, where the team “tries to cover the distance to the goal as a unit, passing the ball back and forth”.
What are the fundamental principles of the Scrum method?
The Scrum agile process is based on collective intelligence. It is based on the principles of transparency, adaptability and continuous improvement.
In practical terms, Scrum agile management divides the work into stages that are easier to understand. The elements resulting from this division are called sprints. They are short in duration, usually lasting no more than two to four weeks.
Before and after each sprint, the agile team, Product Owner and Scrum Master meet. They then define the objectives to be achieved in the next sprint. Throughout the iterative development cycle, communication between team members helps to identify obstacles and discuss what has been achieved.
The succession of short cycles within this agile methodology fosters a corporate culture based on continuous improvement.
The benefits of the Scrum approach
Setting up an agile environment using the Scrum method is the ideal way to benefit from a wide range of advantages.
For example:
- Greater adaptability: Agile development encourages great flexibility. The project manager and team members can quickly adapt to change and uncertainty quickly and effectively.
- Better communication: Regular exchanges during the daily meeting or during a sprint planning meeting encourages clear, transparent and active communication between all the members of the agile team.
- Increased customer satisfaction: By regularly delivering new features, the Scrum method is able to respond better to customer needs and significantly increase product quality and customer satisfaction.
- Improved risk management: Regular information gathering is very useful for quickly identifying problems and obstacles, so that risks can be better managed and delivery deadlines met.
Managing projects using the Scrum methodology helps you to become a more agile company, meet deadlines and improve the quality of communication and deliverables. Agile and collaborative approaches are therefore essential for improving your company’s performance and optimising project management.
The essential roles of this method
Implementing agile methodologies such as Kanban or Scrum requires a strict adherence to the core concepts of these methods. Certain crucial roles within the project are required as part of the Scrum approach if you are to meet your goals.
The Scrum Master
Let’s start with the Scrum Master. You should think of him as a sort of coach or guardian of this method. Throughout the project, this expert will ensure that the principles and values of the Scrum approach are respected. Their role is also to resolve problems and facilitate communication between team members.
The Product Owner
Then there’s the Product Owner. The link between the project team and the end customer, the Product Owner maximises the value of the product. He ensures that all the team members have a clear understanding of the objectives to be achieved and the functionalities to be developed during each sprint. It is this role that manages the Product Backlog, which defines and prioritises the objectives for the team.
The agile team
Of course, the project will be impossible to accomplish without the agile team. This development team is made up of people from various backgrounds who will collaborate to create the product or service. Scrum teams, in general, are multi-skilled and multi-disciplinary. The Scrum model is particularly powerful because of the interchange of best practices, the flexibility of communication, and the collaborative work of these specialists with their diverse abilities.
What tools should you use for Scrum?
To benefit from a high level of agility and improve the quality of your products using the Scrum method, you need to use the right tools.
To summarize, you must manage the backlog, create sprints throughout the project, track task progress, and encourage group communication. Obviously, you must select a collaborative work management application.
This type of tool will integrate all the elements needed for your Scrum project. These include task management tools, instant messaging for exchanging information, an office suite for creating reports and a videoconferencing tool for organising meetings on the fly. All these points need to be considered when looking for the most appropriate software to implement the Scrum agile method.
Developing collective intelligence with the Scrum method and uniting energies towards a common goal is ideal for strengthening links between employees. They will become more efficient, more adaptable, more committed, and you will achieve your development objectives more quickly. You’ll be able to boost your profitability while significantly improving customer satisfaction. For all these reasons, we recommend that you try out the Scrum method with the right collaborative tools to digitalise your business and increase its agility.
