Agile Methods

Is a Scrum Master just a Project Manager with an agile approach? This widespread vision is quite far from reality. As a coach in the Agile era, he gives rise to many fantasies and, above all, to misinterpretations. Far from being reduced to a project manager 2.0, he has a precise role in the eponymous methodology. If you ask him to fill in a schedule, to deliver a budget estimate or to answer clients on technical points, it is because you have not yet understood his real utility. To get the most out of agility and this role, get to know him. Let's meet an atypical profile, essential to the success of your project. First step: understand the Scrum method The term "method" is not entirely appropriate. Because more than a method, Scrum is a state of mind that is meant to be radical: rather than thinking "project" (like the V-cycle), think "product". Therefore, forget about specifications, cascading validations and delivery at N+3. From now on, new IT and software projects are developed step by step. In the Scrum language, we speak of iterations. Thanks to a "sprint" approach, the project is [...]

Agile Ritual: Focus on Sprints The first part of this article was dedicated to the roles and structures in Scrum. In this part, we will focus in more detail on the Sprint part, a key point for an efficient implementation of the agile method. First of all, it is necessary to consider that the objectives defined during the sprint planning were Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Temporally defined (S.M.A.R.T). The sprint review must then allow the team to present the achievements made during the sprint, by a series of demonstrations to the stakeholders. Objective: Carried out on the last day of the sprint, just before the retrospective, it must "show" the product. The purpose of this meeting is to present the results in a concrete way. In summary, what has been done during the sprint as an achievement in view of the Backlog. Prerequisites: The team must ensure that the material necessary for the proper conduct of the demonstrations is ready and functional (network, components, data). The participants are the stakeholders and other people in the organization, the Product Owner, developers and the Scrum Master. Duration: As a general rule, it depends on the duration of the sprint. For example, for a [...]

Agile Rituals: Roles and Structure in Scrum There is a lot of talk about agile methods and rituals, their effectiveness and flexibility. However, agility is not without a framework. Indeed, there are several agile methods, as well as several specificities in the way to implement the agile manifest. While there is no one-size-fits-all method, Scrum is the most suitable method in the context of IT. It is, in fact, the most implemented today in IT. Be careful, this is a method that requires a lot of rigor, especially regarding the respect of rituals. Indeed, the whole operation of Scrum is based on a very precise framework: well-defined roles with a clear and limited perimeter Structured and time-bound rituals (time-boxed) The principles and values of agility In this first part, we present the roles and structure of our teams and rituals. Agile ceremonies and rituals: agility is not a religion, nor a sport, but it borrows some codes from it The practice of Scrum is often recognizable, in some companies, by the presence of the colored notes, arranged on the walls of workspaces. In practice, there are other elements, such as [...]