AGILE SCRUM Briefing

Waterfall versus Scrum

This is a brief tutorial on Agile project management in contrast to the traditional waterfall approach to software development. The waterfall approach requires careful and extensive planning, of the entire project, before development starts. The Agile scrum approach breaks the project up into smaller blocks, called sprints, which should result in a working incremental release. 

Waterfall

Scrum

Separates development activity tasks into 'sprints' that could be completed in 1-3 weeks with an incremental release. Usually based on a priority list.

Scrum Roles

Scrum Workflow

Scrum workflow is a process that involves items or tasks that are termed artifacts or product backlogs.

Product Backlog

The Product Owner creates a product backlog which is a list of tasks created from 'user stories'. User stories usually come from the stakeholders. The user story narrative can follow the following lines:

                                                  As a ............. , 

                                                  I need ............. , 

                                                  so that ............... . 

The user stories are translated into 'tasks' in a sprint backlog from a sprint planning session. 

Sometimes this is described as the 3 ceremonies of sprint planning, daily scrum, and sprint review or retrospective.

Scrum Task Board (Kan Ban)

Scrum or Sprint task board for task tracking.

Sprint burndown chart.

Summary