In the past two decades there has been a major transition in the way that software development companies approach their work. The methodologies of the past were considered heavy and not conducive to efficiency and quick results. As a result the Agile Manifesto was created and with it several methodologies came to be that changed the software development business dramatically, with more than 70% of companies mentioning they use these methodologies at some point, according to the Project Management Institute.
SCRUM is perhaps the most widely used of the Agile Methodologies and is meant to expedite results and bring Software Development teams together. The word, which comes from rugby lingo, alludes to the coming together of teammates with a clear, common objective. It promotes developers learning from their past experiences, self-organization, and a constant reflection on their successes and failures.
Within the SCRUM methodology, objectives are known as “sprints” which describe perfectly what this methodology is looking for: speed and effectiveness. Clients receive a constant stream of software and developers are encouraged to meet the fast-paced deadlines and to work towards constant improvement.
Everything revolves around the daily scrum, a 15 to 30-minute meeting conducted by a scrum master meant to keep every team member up-to-speed as far as the activities that everyone performed the day before, the ones planned for the day, and any potential obstacles. This provides short attainable daily goals for developers and a permanent eye in the future.
SCRUM looks to improve motivation by focusing on specific activities within a project, breaking down complex jobs, thus eliminating the demoralization created by extreme long-term goals; it brings movement and a constant sense of accomplishment that, combined with a keen focus on quality through foresight, avoids mistakes and rework.
The main drawback that the SCRUM methodology can have is that this extreme segmentation might make your team lose sight of the big picture, so it is important for everyone to keep the eye on the prize. It’s also key to have a clear understanding of each team member’s role; SCRUM relies on absolute clarity and accountability so if people start getting confused as to what they should be doing, the speed could start working against the team; the idea is to make short, measurable ‘sprints’ that will build up to a finished, perfected project.
If you’re interested in learning more about the SCRUM methodology we can suggest some further specialized reading and, if you want to work at a company that already implements these sorts of methods, make sure you drop us a line today!
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