Getting to know SCRUM: from basic definition to various applications
Scrum in Companies
Companies benefit from Scrum as it allows teams to work together, encouraging teamwork and accountability across the whole project. Rather than a boss delegating jobs downwards to staff, Scrum involves the whole team.
We want to analyse specific companies that uses Scrum and we have chosen Spotify and Microsoft
Spotify
These are the three key aspects of Spotify’s Agile model:
1.TRIAL AND ERROR SYSTEM:
One of the most relevant aspects of the Spotify model is to create rules at the beginning to be able to “break” them later, adapting them to the needs that arise in the teams and the business.
The approach is simple: by failing fast, you learn fast and improve fast. By taking each error as a learning process and having a quick reaction capacity, it can be experienced with low risk, giving a prompt response to user requirements.
2. ORGANIZATION OF THE TEAMS
The structure of its teams has different dimensions:
1. SQUADS:
The term “Squad” could be equivalent to the Scrum Team of the Scrum methodology. They are small multifunctional teams, between 6 and 12 people, who work with complete autonomy. Each Squad member has specific responsibility for the final product and is free to decide how to do his job.
2. TRIBES:
Squads are grouped into different matrices called “Tribes”. The Tribes do not usually exceed 100 members.Tribes groups can respond, for example, to the different legs of the business. In the case of Spotify, the development of the iOS app, the Android app, the Smart TV app …
Each Tribe is led by a “Tribe Lead” who is responsible for defining the objective and vision of their Tribe, setting priorities, and ensuring that Squads are mutually supportive.
3. CHAPTERS:
Within the different Squads that make up each Tribe, members with similar skills are grouped into Chapters. This type of grouping is done, for example, according to the different departments (quality, front end development, UX / UI …).
The members of the Chapters meet periodically with the aim of promoting innovation for the benefit of the Tribe, by discussing topics of common interest in which they are specialists. The “Chapter Lead” is in charge of leading the team, and has a greater degree of specialization and experience for this
4. GUILDS:
Guilds are communities of interest that anyone from the company can join, regardless of the Tribe or Chapter of which they are part.
Its objective is to exchange knowledge on a specific topic. Each person can freely choose which guild or guilds to join, and decide when they want to stop being part of them.
3. AUTONOMY AND ALIGNMENT
The freedom of each person to decide how to do things is one of the characteristics of success of this model. Now, for there to be a feeling of “collective responsibility,” all members must be aligned with the culture and purpose of the company. The greater the alignment, the greater the degree of autonomy that can be granted.
