Getting to know SCRUM: from basic definition to various applications
Certifications
Since Scrum has become very trendy in the software production nowadays, there are a lot of different certification that allow to improve and certify the knowledge on Scrum. For instance Scrum.org offers different Scrum certifications, depending on which part of the process you want to focus your attention. Some of the certifications are Professional Scrum Master, Professional Scrum Product Owner, Professional Scrum Developer, Professional Scrum with Kanban…
Sectors
The main sector where Scrum is used is in Software production, as we have said before. Nevertheless, every day we can see it in new industries and companies. In SMEs it is very useful since it is easier, compared with big companies, to achieve its goals thanks to SCRUM. More examples of sectors that use this methodology are: automotive, banking, games… Examples of famous companies that use Scrum are Nokia, Amazon, Adobe…
Advantages and Disadvantages
This technique that has been growing for the last years, has without a doubt a lot of pros such as:
- Fulfilment of expectations: The client establishes its expectations indicating what he desires in each requirement/project, also indicating its priorities. As the team knows exactly what they have to do they are more efficient and fulfil the expectations.
- Flexibility: High capacity of reaction to changes in requirements.
- Reduction of the Time to Market: The client can start using the main project functionalities before it is completely finished.
- Higher quality software: the requirements and necessity of obtaining a functional version, helps to the obtaiment of a higher quality software.
- Higher productivity: elimination of bureaucracy, and team motivation since they are autonomous to organize themselves.
- Higher ROI: Software production only with the things that give more value to the business thanks to the ROI priorities.
- Time predictions: We know the mean velocity of the sprint team, so it is possible and easy to estimate when something will be available.
- Risk reduction: things with more value are done first and you know the working speed, so it is easy to avoid risks anticipating.
- Scrum is easy to learn: roles, tools are clear and have an objective so it is a related method with our day a day life.
However, as any other work dynamic, it has some disadvantages:
- Easy to learn, but difficult to implement: it is needed a change in the company’s predisposition and organization’s culture. From the high positions to the clients.
- The necessity of having multidisciplinary teams: this can be a problem since it is difficult to find people able to work in teams.
- The team can try to do the shorter paths: that leads to a sprint objective, which not always produce quality results.
