Software development – creating software characterized by a high level of complexity – is a task on which development teams nowadays spend long months. From the pre-implementation analysis, when the first outline of software is created together with the client, to the testing and implementation phase – it is always a complicated, multi-stage process, on which specialists from various fields will work. Is it possible to accelerate this work or at least make problems appear less frequently? It turns out that yes. The solution is scrum. What should you know about it?
Scrum – the basics
The concept of the scrum was born in the IT industry, which has long been looking for a way to safely and efficiently execute complex projects in which separate teams of specialists work on individual elements of the whole. Such projects are, by their very nature, quite vulnerable to human error. Inadequate coordination or lack of communication can lead to a situation where the whole job has to be done from scratch. Such a situation is obviously very problematic for the ordering party, which does not receive its product on time, as well as for the software development house or the interactive agency which undertakes the execution of such orders. The benefits of using the scrum method meant that it has moved from the world of IT to other sectors of production and services, and is successfully used in processes related to the creation of all kinds of products.
How does scrum work in the software development process?
A scrum is an approach that is most often described as agile. It allows organizing the software development process in such a way that the whole thing is always safe, regardless of whether there are problems with on-time delivery at some stage. In this process, work on the product is divided into specific stages, which are called sprints. A team with the right competencies works on a single sprint, which can last from one to four weeks. The goal of a single sprint is to create a working version of the software – one that meets the pre-defined goals for each stage. The finished version becomes the basis for work in the next sprint, which adds specific elements to the product. Teams working on subsequent sprints may differ in their composition, as each stage of product development requires slightly different competencies. The combination of all product increments (versions that are created as a result of sprints) gives the finished software that can be implemented in the customer’s company. A very important aspect of the process is that each of the sprints and the overall project development have their own definition of completion so that where the work is always clearly defined and the situation is unambiguous. The procurer in this system is called the product owner. Extremely important is the function of the scrum master, i.e. a person who designs the development process and coordinates all the work.
The most important benefits of the scrum process
By applying the principles of the scrum method, software development is faster and safer – both for the customer and the development team. Since the work is divided into predefined segments, in case of a major problem the time loss is never bigger than the duration of a single sprint. So even if it does happen, you’ll never be in a situation where you have to start all over again. Dividing work into sprints, which are carried out by separate teams, always allows using of the maximum potential of the specialists involved. The product owner also has greater control over the process of software development and always knows exactly at what stage the work is. Software development house can, in turn, precisely plan the work of employed people, thanks to which it gains much more possibilities in strategic planning of the company’s activities.
