Scrum is an Agile methodology framework that’s primarily characterized by its iterative and incremental approach to project management software. This approach is achieved by implementing five important steps that act as a blueprint for the entire process.
The five steps of the Scrum methodology—initiation, planning, implementation, review, and release—may sound rather obvious and straightforward. However, without properly understanding them, any team can run into many risks that could have been avoided.
Hence, this article will cover all the important steps that take place throughout the Scrum lifecycle. By the end, you should not only understand how these five steps drive the scrum project management software process but also how to implement them properly.
A typical Agile Scrum methodology consists of three entities—a Product Owner, a Scrum Master and the Development Team. Together, the three of them collaborate and work on a project that’s divided into five distinct steps or phases. These phases are:
Initiation Phase
Unlike traditional project management, Scrum does not have a proper initiation phase that marks the start of the project, as the basis of Scrum is to operate within continuous cycles of short bursts of work called sprints in agile. However, it does require a foundational setup, where certain events take place before the project can begin properly.
Planning And Estimates Phase
Once the product backlog is established, the Scrum team engages in sprint planning. During this phase, the team selects a subset of items from the product backlog to be included in the upcoming sprint. Since a sprint is normally around two-to-four-weeks, the team must work within those time constraints and deliver an iteration of the product.
To help facilitate this endeavor, the team defines sprint goals and creates a sprint backlog, which outlines the tasks necessary to achieve the sprint goal. For more insights, check out scrum examples.
Implementation Phase
This phase is where the bulk of the work happens, where the sprint is executed. To finish a sprint, the development team works diligently to complete the tasks outlined in the sprint backlog. Daily stand-up meetings are held to review progress, identify impediments, and coordinate efforts. The Scrum Master facilitates these agile scrum meetings and ensures the team remains focused on the sprint goal.
However, within the actual work itself, the team is free to complete the work in any way that they think will suit the project. This level of autonomy and flexibility allows teams to quickly adapt and respond to changes on the fly, giving Scrum a leg up over traditional project management workflows. Without it, any Scrum framework can lose its potency.
Review And Retrospective Phase
The penultimate phase of the entire Scrum process, this stage involves reflecting over the currently finished sprint. Essentially, it’s a chance to assess all the crucial parts of the sprint (aspects that were successful, aspects that could have been improved, etc.)
Release Phase
The final Scrum methodology step involves handing off all the deliverables to the appropriate stakeholders. Given that it’s a Scrum framework, these deliverables are not normally the final product, but the latest iterations of a specific product. While Scrum does maintain that the iterations released are potentially shippable, the goal is to keep polishing the product as much as possible.
To sum it up, the Scrum framework is only as good as its implementation. As we’ve discussed, proper implementation and execution can only happen when the team understands the fundamentals of Scrum, adheres to those values and continues to adapt and refine their workflows based on their results. The Scrum methodology steps help with this further as they provide a structured approach to project management.
However, it’s also important to bear in mind that a Scrum thrives on flexibility rather than rigidity. It’s not a framework that’s meant to be followed to the letter, but an approach that aims to make teams more autonomous so that they can deliver value incrementally. As such, teams have the complete freedom to work as they see fit, provided they are still within Scrum guidelines.
