Why is Scrum methodology choice of many IT companies?
Shortly, it provides them work that gives a set of great, prosperous values.
We talk about transparency, open communication, flexibility, and efficiency with the finest result that satisfy the clients.
More precisely, the agile way of working gives every Scrum team member a chance to develop software in carefully planned sprints along with the client’s active feedback on the matter.
What can you get from the sprints?
Within every finished sprint comes already functional part of the product ready for early testing and using. Based on this experience you can determine further priorities and make plan along with others in the team for future development.
Comparing to a methodology where you get the product at the end of the entire development process, in Scrum, you can work closely with the team. You can share ideas and feedback and shape your product more precisely.
What is more important, Scrum offers every manager’s dream: Getting more accomplished in less time!
And not only that.
This way of collaboration leaves enough space for quick reaction to unexpected changes. In addition, you can work on improvements that in the end increase productivity and fasten the final product release.
Almost perfect working surrounding, don’t you think?
However, there are more than one Scrum team that will tell you about passing through thick and thin before reaching the planned goals.
Why can even the best-laid plans go astray?
Every project is different, but one thing is sure – knowing your Scrum role is essential for the project to succeed.
Without it, there will be no results and work in Scrum will simply fail.
That’s why the role of the Product owner is equally if not the most important role besides the particular roles of the development team members and the Scrum master.
Taking care of product requests not only to follow the process and set up the priority tasks but to provide efficiency and enhance the Scrum process in the best possible way.
This situation is perfectly described with just one sentence from the Scrum postulates:
“Working software over comprehensive documentation” – Agile Manifesto
In order to enhance software development, every product owner needs to be aware of the importance that requests Scrum methodology.
To easy up an understanding of the process and working with the rest of the team, we have answered the most important questions that can increase the development process.
Heads up,
Keep these things in the small corner of your everyday working routine.
#Support changes in scope as a part of software development
Most of the product owners easily slip on “I prefer the old ways” of dealing with the development team and the development process.
Meaning – writing an enormous document that includes specifications, estimating hours based on a fixed price, picking a deadline and then getting to work.
Yes, we understand, that gives you guarantee on a budget, explicit dates, and room to act when you need to explain and report the project internally to higher management.
But,
The truth is that you cannot avoid changes.
Later, you will still have to deal with more budget approvals and schedule reorganizing.
Too many projects have failed because the project delivered the system that was designed and not the system that was needed.
Changes during the development process are inevitable!
New ideas can pop up during the process at any moment. Changes can be caused by many reasons, including evolving insights in how a system should work or how a process should be automated.
After all, the best advantage of working in Scrum is that each sprint can potentially deliver functionality that can be put into production or used for showing to higher management that the project is progressing.
Therefore, be supportive, understanding and have trust in your team. Choose efficiency over the bureaucracy.
#How to see benefits without precise dates and estimation documents?
It’s a fact – Scrum methodology gives you the best way to deal with the complexities of software development.
We talk about working on small steps towards stable, tested, and working part of software rather than nailing down all the details from the start.
Don’t worry, it’s another fact – details will change without exceptions as the insights are collected. That’s why you can always count on the support and counseling with others in the team.
No matter what happens – use the product backlog for prioritizing the most important tasks and leave the details for later.
You can also use the team meetings to set the effort and value for the price for each task.
How does Scrum methodology impact the team efficiency no matter the documentation?
This way of dealing with tasks prevents team members from wasting time reading the massive documentation which is most of the time hard to read.
So, take the benefit of being able to start the development phase as soon as possible without dealing with documents.
#Focus on giving feedback at the right time
As we concluded, changes are an essential part of the agile development and frequent feedback from, in this case, the product owner is necessary.
How is that possible through Scrum methodology?
On the daily scrum meetings, sprint reviews and retrospective, you are welcome to present your insights. That include suggestions and opinions regarding the development process and other applied functionalities.
On these meetings, you will have full attention and time specially dedicated to solving those problems.
That is how you’ll get a chance to discuss and upgrade something that you miss earlier from the product backlog.
Take your time and analyze what is done so far. Take a list of suggestions, search the bugs and other dysfunctions that you want to function.
Once again, keep the focus on the main functionalities and leave the details at the end of the developing process.
That’s how you’ll preserve the efficiency and motivation of the entire Scrum development team.
#Understand the unpredicted development process in the Scrum Methodology
It is a disbelief that every developer knows what will happen after he enters the code.
The truth is that development is a highly unpredicted process. The product owner needs to make a difference between misunderstanding of the functionality and a mistake in the code.
Best time to report changes is the new sprint planning. Use this period to describe the features or tasks of an urgent matter that you want to be done into the following sprint.
On the other side, the development team needs to be comprehensive and specific when they are explaining the feature functioning. The goal is having no misconception among the team members.
In addition, every software development includes many variables that are unknown and most of the times complex. Yes, some parts can be predictable, but most are not because every software is an intangible object.
There comes a miscommunication.
Developers talk through codes and technology, while product owners think about the business process. It is a communication challenge and you need to get through it along with the Scrum master and the rest of the team.
What do we suggest?
If you are not from the IT working field, you will have difficulties to understand the majority of a development process. That is the moment where you have to believe in agile and advantages of Scrum methodology, but in a team that you chose as well.
Keep in mind this, you don’t have to be alone in making decisions regarding the project.
The rest of the team is there for you. You can count on their support and collaboration in deciding what needs to be done regarding your business targets.
What can you do?
Communicate, collaborate and have great trust in your team.
Keep them on the radar, involve yourself in the development process by giving the necessary insights. Try to understand functionalities and keep track of changes that could affect the project in a majority.
In the end, all that is matter is the product delivered on time. A product ready for use and within a satisfied team that you can count on in the future.
Are you a product owner?
Share with us your experience, we would like to know how you deal with the rest of the team.
Want to hear more about project risk management? Browse our blog for more articles about Agile and Scrum.
