Scrum Methodology: Definition, Principles, and Work Phases

Scrum methodology is a working framework that can divide long-term plans into several short-term work periods. It is known for facilitating projects by setting boundaries in periods called "Sprints" that are then worked on by a cross-functional team with various skills. 

The term "Scrum" generally refers to the Agile method, a set of methodologies closely related to project management efforts and software development. 

Therefore, this methodology is proven to be one of the popular frameworks frequently used by software development teams and product development teams to address various complex planning problems.

If the term "scrum methodology" is unfamiliar to you, then please read the full discussion below to learn about what is it, its principles, how it works, as well as its strengths and weaknesses.

What is Scrum Methodology?

In broad terms, the Scrum methodology is a framework that can help improve efficiency and ease teams in handling large projects. 

It is often applied in the software development process, yet this strategy can also provide benefits to business professionals responsible for product or project development.

If you are responsible for large-scale project management and face specific operational obstacles, then this method is one strategy worth considering.

This methodology is believed to be a strategy or approach that has been used since the early 1990s because it enhances the iterative and adaptive aspects of a project as it is based on fundamental Agile principles, emphasizing collaboration, transparency, and the ability to respond quickly to changes.

What is the Difference Between Scrum and Agile?

Agile is a core philosophy of a set of product management principles consisting of 12 main principles. 

The Agile method aims to ensure that the developed product has the best technical quality, usability, and user satisfaction to optimize customer experience and the satisfaction of the team working on it.

On the other hand, the scrum consists of a series of activities that are part of the Agile philosophy. 

This is why all teams involved in the scrum methods need to maximize the realization of the 12 main Agile principles so that the development and project management processes can proceed smoothly.

Teams Involved in the Scrum Methodology

So, who are the people involved in the Agile Scrum methodology? In general, there are three main roles responsible for ensuring that the methodology runs as planned. They are:

1. Development Team

To implement this methodology, a group of professional developers is needed, including front-end, back-end, and web developers. 

They are responsible for developing the project by determining workload rules, capacity, and sprint periods according to the discussed strategy.

2. Scrum Master

In short, a Scrum Master is responsible for overseeing the entire project development process using this method.

They are responsible for guiding team members and addressing obstacles encountered during project work based on appropriate principles and methodologies.

In addition, the Scrum Master also collaborates with stakeholders or product owners to review strategies that can maximize the overall return on investment (ROI).

3. Product Owner

As a representative of end users or customers, a product owner has several roles and responsibilities, including:

• Prioritizing work levels to be done by the development team on the backlog list.
• Analyzing customer needs and target markets.
• Implementing the project's main vision in the entire development process by the development team.
• Collaborating with the Scrum Master to review and monitor ROI.
• Ensuring that all development and project management processes run efficiently and in line with principles.

Within the implementation, you may also come across additional positions other than the three roles mentioned above, such as:

• Stakeholder: Responsible for providing input and suggestions for the project.
• Subject Matter Experts: Experts with specialized skills in project development who can provide input and guidance to the team.
• Agile Mentor: A coach responsible for explaining Agile principles for implementation throughout the process.

Scrum Methodology Advantages and Disadvantages

To get a deeper understanding of what is scrum methodology, let's also explore its strengths and weaknesses listed below.

Advantages

The Scrum methodology is widely used in various project developments because it offers many benefits and advantages, including:

• Maintained Product Quality: Especially because the development team remains focused on a single functionality during each sprint.
• Flexibility and Adaptability: Every change from clients or product managers can be directly integrated into the development process.
• Rapid and Responsive Development: Product owners can promptly learn about product developments and provide feedback, thus helping the product evolve according to market needs.
• Facilitates Testing: It allows clients to test the software developed before its official release.
• Streamlines Revisions: It enables the development team to revise specific work before the product's official release.

Disadvantages 

Although it offers many conveniences, this method still has several aspects that may not fully support development teams and project management, including:

• Scope Creep Potential: Scrum can trigger "scope creep" if stakeholders frequently demand additional features and functions that can affect the project scope.
• Poorly Defined Sprint Planning: Poorly defined sprint planning can disrupt accurate cost and time estimates.

Scrum Methodology Steps

In general, this working structure can be categorized into several phases to manage product or project development. Here's how the Agile Scrum methodology works, which you should know:

1. Creating the Backlog

In this stage, the Scrum team needs to identify the project or product to be developed in terms of goals, scope, and initial understanding of customer needs.

Furthermore, a team consisting of cross-functional members with various roles and expertise is formed, including a product owner, Scrum master, and others.

In this phase, the product owner also needs to create a product backlog, which is a list of all the features, improvements, and tasks to be completed.

2. Sprint Planning Phase

The next scrum methodology step is sprint planning, which begins to explain the project development strategy.

In this stage, the development team and the product owner work together to break down the work in the sprint backlog.

They ensure that these tasks have clear descriptions, specific requirements, and measurable success criteria. 

3. Sprint

Sprint is the main stage and the core of project development. In this phase, the development team starts working on the backlog list within the specified sprint time period, usually ranging from 2 weeks to a month.

During this period, the team focuses entirely on the tasks agreed upon during the sprint planning phase.

4. Daily Scrum

This phase is also known as "standups" or "daily standups." Daily Scrum is a brief discussion session held every morning during the sprint process.

These daily meetings aim to discuss the team's daily work plans and address solutions to obstacles or challenges that arise.

This stage aims to enhance communication and ensure that all team members have a common understanding of their daily goals.

5. Sprint Review

Sprint review is a critical stage because, through this meeting, the entire Scrum team can review the extent to which the backlog list has been completed.

This stage also serves to determine the effectiveness of the proposed solutions in solving problems and analyze why the work couldn't be completed.

Agile Scrum Methodology Principles

Below are the essential Scrum principles that must be applied throughout the project development process.

1. Reflective

This principle emphasizes that every process needs to conduct reviews as a form of reflection. 

This means that all team members involved need to hold meetings to discuss performance evaluations or strategies for addressing specific issues. 

These evaluations can be carried out through sprint reviews and retrospective meetings held after each sprint.

2. Transparency

With this principle, all Scrum activities should provide information about project progress, issues and risks, and customer needs transparently. 

3. Adaptive

This principle indicates that the Scrum methodology is a strategy that ensures flexibility to adapt to changes based on customer needs and market conditions. 

For this reason, the Scrum team must be capable of adjusting plans to ensure that the produced product/software remains relevant to customer needs in the ever-changing business environment.

That concludes the comprehensive explanation of what is Scrum methodology, its principles, the differences from Agile, its advantages and disadvantages, the teams involved in the process, and the Scrum methodology steps to enhance large-scale project development operations.

If you require powerful strategies and methodologies for software or website development, then this methodology is one solution worth considering. 

This framework has generally become the primary focus for development teams. Whether it's developing products, building websites, or introducing new services, Agile Scrum can streamline these complex processes, making them more efficient.

However, to further enhance performance efficiency in building and optimizing websites, entrust your needs to SEO Services by cmlabs, which can help you dominate the digital search landscape. 

Let's collaborate to maximize brand awareness for your products or projects in the digital landscape with cmlabs. Contact our Marketing Team now!