Scrum
Double output, half time
Description
The traditional product development approach, known as the Waterfall Method, is flawed. It involves breaking down projects into sequential stages and planning them out, but often leads to delays, budget overruns, and unwanted products.
In contrast, SCRUM, created in 1993, offers a dynamic and flexible alternative. Drawing inspiration from the Toyota Production System and combat aviation's OODA loop, SCRUM relies on small, efficient teams.
These teams prioritize tasks and engage in short, focused sprints, maintaining alignment through daily stand-up meetings. Jeff Sutherland, co-creator of SCRUM, views it as a transformative tool for various industries, capable of driving business innovation and efficiency.
Table of contents
01The challenge - ineffective traditional planning
Traditional top-down planning, where directives and timelines are issued from the upper echelons of an organization down to its base, employing visually appealing but ultimately deceptive color-coded charts, fails to deliver effective results.
This method creates a facade of organization and control, which deceives no one. It's crucial to recognize that while planning is a valuable exercise, adhering rigidly to plans without room for flexibility is unwise.
Typically, the conventional approach to project planning involves a hierarchical, waterfall-style distribution of tasks and methodologies from the top down. Planners may dedicate months to detailing the necessary tasks and assigning responsibilities. They produce elaborate Gantt charts, color-coded for clarity, outlining who will do what and when.
However, the flaw in this system becomes apparent when these meticulously crafted plans encounter the unpredictable nature of reality. As a result, projects planned in this traditional manner frequently exceed their deadlines and budgets. Moreover, by postponing the reveal of the final product to the end-user until the project's conclusion, there's a significant risk of delivering a product that no one desires or is willing to purchase.
Gantt charts, developed by Harry Gantt around 1910 and widely utilized for military planning during World War I, are hardly a testament to successful project management. The continued reliance on a planning tool designed for trench warfare in the early 20th century in today's dynamic and complex environment is illogical.
02The alternative - embracing scrum
SCRUM fundamentally revolves around a straightforward concept. At the inception of any project, it is crucial to engage in regular consultations with the end user to ensure that the project's trajectory aligns with their desires and needs.
The core principle of SCRUM is to maintain a consistent check on whether the project is progressing in the right direction while simultaneously seeking opportunities to enhance efficiency and speed. To initiate and effectively manage a SCRUM project, one must adhere to the following guidelines:
A SCRUM project necessitates the presence of a product owner, who embodies the vision of the project's objectives. The product owner must possess comprehensive domain knowledge, which includes an understanding of the project's potential achievements and its value upon completion. Essentially, a proficient product owner is adept at identifying what will significantly impact the end user. Additionally, the product owner should have the authority to make critical decisions and bear the responsibility for the project's outcomes.
Although the team can decide on the best approach to achieve the goals, the product owner retains ownership of the final product and is accountable to all stakeholders, both internal and external. The availability of the product owner is paramount; they must be accessible to elucidate the project's requirements and maintain the team's focus. Furthermore, the product owner is responsible for defining the metrics of success and demonstrating tangible progress. They must also have a keen understanding of the risks and rewards associated with the project and a deep insight into the passions of the ultimate end users. The product owner's role is to navigate the delicate balance between what is feasible to implement, what is marketable, and what ignites passion. This balance is critical for avoiding the pitfalls of developing a product that, despite being technically feasible or marketable, fails to resonate with users or lacks passion.
03Benefits of scrum - why it succeeds
SCRUM methodology compels you to adopt a prioritization mindset regarding product specifications, which is beneficial as it allows you to leverage the Pareto principle effectively.
By focusing on the 20 percent of efforts that yield 80 percent of the product's value initially, you can then judiciously decide whether the remaining tasks are worth pursuing. Unlike traditional task-driven approaches, SCRUM thrives on the concept of user stories rather than checklists.
This approach encourages you to envision the value your work brings to users by crafting brief narratives from their perspective. For instance, if you were developing an online bookstore, you might create stories like: "As a customer, I desire the ability to filter the catalog by genre to easily discover books that cater to my interests," or "As a customer, I wish to add books to a shopping cart to streamline the checkout process," or even "As a product manager, I aim to analyze customers' past purchases to tailor future book recommendations effectively."
This narrative-driven method allows teams to engage in meaningful discussions about the feasibility and implementation of each story, prioritizing those that deliver significant value swiftly and adding more stories progressively to refine the product.
In contrast to conventional project management, where feedback is often delayed until project completion, SCRUM introduces the concept of sprints. These are intensive work periods followed by evaluations, allowing for timely course corrections and adaptation to market changes.
This iterative process not only prevents prolonged misdirection but also fosters a dynamic work environment where progress is visible and motivating. The physical movement of tasks from "To Do" to "Done" on a SCRUM Board, for example, becomes a tangible and satisfying representation of progress, enhancing team collaboration and morale.
Related books
