If anyone thinks Scrum is now known to everyone involved in software development or project management, think again. ‘What is Scrum’ is still one of the most searched terms on the web (in relation to agile development that is).
According to the Scrum Alliance, “Scrum is an agile framework for completing complex projects. Scrum originally was formalized for software development projects, but works well for any complex, innovative scope of work. The possibilities are endless. The Scrum framework is deceptively simple.”
For me, that still doesn’t describe what Scrum is. “An agile framework for completing complex projects” – that could be anything!
Here is my attempt to define it more clearly:
Scrum is a simple and repeatable way of managing work. It can be used for projects, or for ongoing activities. It was originally designed for software development work, although is not specific to software development so can be used to manage any work.
Scrum is based on the principles and values of the agile manifesto, which proposes a different style for managing software development work, encouraging an emphasis on people over processes, working software over documentation, collaboration over contract negotiation, and responding to change over following a plan.
The term agile has also become synonymous with an incremental and iterative approach to software development.
Over the years, I have seen various diagrams that try to depict Scrum. In my opinion, they are not great because they often look over complicated to me, or they leave too much to the imagination.
For more on scrum, have a look at my series How to Implement Scrum in 10 Easy Steps. Alternatively, you may also find the 10 Key Principles of Agile article useful.
Hope this has been helpful…
Kelly.