The **Scrum** tag is used for questions about using or implementing the Scrum project management methodology.
8
votes
6answers
1k views
Where should design be incorporated in an agile process?
We use a scrum-based agile development process. But where should design get incorporated? Separate user stories? Tasks on stories?
We currently think of design as a separate task and break it out as ...
5
votes
2answers
164 views
In Scrum, how do you account for tasks with lead time?
I am the scrum master for a project that involves not only software, but firmware development, electrical engineering and industrial design.
Some tasks involve a small amount of time from a team ...
3
votes
3answers
599 views
How to Integrate Multiple Project Plans in a Weak Matrix Organization?
How can I approach integrating multiple project plans from different departments into one master plan? Here are the details in this situation:
All teams are ultimately working on the same product, ...
2
votes
2answers
179 views
What are the repercussions for one person being the QA lead and product owner?
I work for a start-up software company transitioning to Scrum. We don't have dedicated positions yet, so I'm wondering what kind of repercussions (negative and positive) could come about if one ...
4
votes
3answers
723 views
10 things that I can do to improve my Team and our Process
Some backdrop about my team, just so that you can make your answers relevant ->
We are a Web Application development team, with Team strength being 5 members.
What are 10 simple things we can do to ...
34
votes
12answers
9k views
Why use story points instead of hours for estimating?
After using hours to estimate our projects for a long time and rarely coming within 20% of actual "work-to-ship," I have been told by a handful of people that "points" work a lot better at gauging the ...
1
vote
1answer
404 views
Implementing scrum inside a real-world matrix organized software department
I'm working as a manager of the software department in our small sized company (~50 people).
I have three development teams, 3..4 Members each. One of the members in each team is in the role of the ...
3
votes
2answers
686 views
Kanban web tool, integrated with Google Tasks/Calendar
Following this post, I would like to ask about the kanban tool which has an integration with Google products such as calendar and/or tasks. Tried to google for it, found nothing promising. Any ideas, ...
11
votes
5answers
1k views
Is Certified Scrum Master valuable?
Do you see value in CSMs? I'll be quite honest in saying that I've never put a lot of thought into such certifications, but it seems like if you are interested in Agile and wanting to deepen your ...
5
votes
8answers
306 views
Selecting the right iteration duration
I've long argued that "1 week" makes a great iteration duration. It forces the issue of getting SW Dev tools operating smoothly and effectively, it also makes it much harder to operate a "dev then ...
2
votes
2answers
294 views
What are some key takeaways from transitioning from a QA Lead to a Scrummaster?
I'm wanting to transition from the QA Lead in my agile company to a scrummaster role. We're still in the process of getting the Scrum methodology right, but I think it's important to have someone ...
3
votes
4answers
616 views
How do I convince a client to use SCRUM in a tight deadline and fixed price project?
This is perhaps an addition to this question: 'How do you convince a client to use Agile Methods'.
But I was not 100% convinced by the answers on that question.
What I am asking myself is how to ...
5
votes
4answers
357 views
Will hiring an agile coach make that much of a difference?
My company is still young, and our processes still inadequate. I want to get the scrum process right from the start. Would hiring an agile coach make that much of a difference even if I've done ...
9
votes
4answers
2k views
What are some agile (scrum) metrics?
I'm interested in learning what types of metrics can be used in the following areas:
Productivity
Quality
Responsiveness
Customer Satisfaction
Employee Satisfaction
Predictability
...and what ...
1
vote
3answers
274 views
Structuring an Internal API Team in an Agile Environment
My company has adopted scrum two years ago, and I think we have been fairly successful using it. I am currently facing the task of trying to restructure part of our development organization, and I ...
9
votes
7answers
312 views
What are some ways you are getting your business engaged with your Agile team?
I continue to see Agile adoptions that focus on the R&D or Engineering team. There seems to be this acceptance that the core of Agile rests there. I'm absolutely not convinced. I think that if the ...
9
votes
8answers
1k views
Best way to do peer code reviews in the development process [closed]
In our company, we use Scrum with short sprints of 1 or 2 weeks and peer code reviews as a requisite, but I'm still trying to figure out which is the best "flow".
One option could be doing the code ...
2
votes
2answers
227 views
Whose responsibility is it to encourage/ensure knowledge flow across Agile teams?
I am working with larger and larger organizations adopting Agile. One discussion recently has kept me thinking about a challenge I hadn't been paying attention to heretofore. That is, how do we create ...
4
votes
4answers
299 views
How do we integrate marketing in our Scrum process?
We are a small team that just created a website. We used Scrum and it worked very well for us. But now we have to shift our focus to marketing that website.
We would like to keep Scrum as our ...
6
votes
6answers
719 views
How to handle user stories that cannot be split and do not fit even a 30 days long sprint?
Given a small team (3 people or so) and a technically challenging area (e.g. middleware, embedded software etc.), and
Assuming that a user story is a smallest thing that has value for the end user,
...
11
votes
3answers
883 views
How do you schedule maintenance work in Scrum?
What are some of the different patterns you use to schedule maintenance work (any non-feature work like bug fixes, technical debt reduction, etc.)? In our organization, we've considered mash-ups of ...
10
votes
9answers
2k views
How to handle big stories / epics in Scrum?
It's about a Scrum Team. PO and the couple of developers. They do well every time, when task is clearly defined and only technical part is to be done. It gets complicated when there is a need to work ...
1
vote
3answers
242 views
Tools in agile methods
We are currently in the process of implementing Scrum. I would like to let us started with a tool to help the team get along with it (see here about this point), but after a presentation I made where ...
2
votes
6answers
555 views
Choosing a tool for Scrum
I'm considering the use of a software in order to help our team to implement Scrum. I saw iceScrum, but I don't know if it's a good tool. Do you ever used it? Can you suggest another tool?
2
votes
2answers
308 views
Who is using Cynefin for their Agile adoption?
I've listened to some David Snowden podcasts on complexity theory and the Cynefin framework. It looks as though it could be powerful for guiding Agile adoptions.
Who has used Cynefin for this work? ...
2
votes
5answers
281 views
Who owns the issue of Agile team complacency?
I am really eager to hear different perspectives on team complacency about their Agile adoption. Is it the ScrumMaster's problem? The team's issue? The manager's fault? I can see so many complex webs ...
8
votes
3answers
343 views
What are you doing with Agile teams who no longer run retrospectives?
I have run into several teams who tell me that they no longer run iteration retrospectives: they were a waste of time and they weren't learning anything new. What is your answer to these teams? Should ...
8
votes
6answers
577 views
Daily Scrum and flexible work time
Our company is in the process of introducing elements from Scrum in our working process. As we have flexible work time (not completly sure how to say it in english. People can come to work when they ...
6
votes
2answers
456 views
How does a Project Manager's job change when transitioning from waterfall to Agile?
When adopting Agile and moving away from waterfall what specifically changes in the day-to-day job duties of a PM? I'm interested especially in hearing from PMs who have made (or are in the process of ...
6
votes
6answers
3k views
Famous projects using Scrum [closed]
As some of you know now, I'm trying to introduce Scrum in our company. Our CEO asked me if famous projects and/or big companies used the method. I found some companies, that's easy (Google, Yahoo, ...
7
votes
7answers
212 views
Resources for Scrum
I'm looking for resources for Scrum. Online resources would be particulary suited, but I'm ready to consider books. There is much material available, and I have to say it's hard to choose the good ...
4
votes
1answer
1k views
Does anyone use a personal Kanban / Scrum board for project management activities (rather than work items)?
I've seen plenty of people using Kanban or Scrum boards to manage the work of a project.
However, I also use a personal Kanban board to manage my work at home, so I was curious - does any PM use a ...
12
votes
4answers
788 views
How do you kick-off new Agile teams?
I'm curious what others are doing with regard to getting teams up and running with Agile in a sustainable way. What do you emphasize first (practices, principle, process framework)? Or is there no one ...
7
votes
3answers
643 views
Scrum: Cancel or change a sprint
The Scrum method defines that the content of a sprint cannot be changed. But can a sprint be cancelled while it's done? I mean, it's unlikely to happen and probably shows really bad planning skills by ...
14
votes
9answers
4k views
How Long Should an Agile Sprint Be?
I'm currently PM on a project that is scheduled to run for about 14 months. The current sprint structure is 4 weeks of development; week 5 allows us to show progress to the client, deploy it for ...
8
votes
7answers
487 views
Involve graphic designer in daily Scrum meetings
As I explained in a previous question, our company is willing to introduce some elements of the Scrum method in our working process.
We have a in-house graphic designer, who is attached to the ...
7
votes
4answers
281 views
Partially introduce Scrum into a team
The CEO of our small company (14) asked me to introduce some elements of Scrum into the working process of our development team.
Problem is: the piece he would like to see introduced is not really ...
3
votes
4answers
327 views
How does specialization fit into Scrum?
One of the rules of the Scrum states the team should self organize and be in control of the technical part of the project. It is rather easy when Product Owners are delivering tasks which every member ...
14
votes
6answers
1k views
Scrum, Agile, Kanban looking for 'for dummies' type of information
I'm sure I'm not alone in this. I have heard and read a lot of snippets of information about this topic and I've formed my own understanding - probably not the best way to assess the value or try to ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Number of PMP, CSM and Prince2-certified PMs
What are current world-wide numbers of people who are:
PMP (Project Management Professional)
CSM (Certified Scrum Master)
Prince2 certified
2
votes
3answers
451 views
What techniques are effective for Scrum teams within organizations that do waterfall release planning?
What planning and prioritization techniques are effective for Scrum teams and Product Owners working within an IT organization that uses waterfall planning behaviors at the release level? Are there ...
10
votes
6answers
5k views
Agile methodologies such as Scrum in non-software development projects
Even though Scrum was originally suggested for managing product development projects, its use has focused on the management of software development projects.
None of the project management teams I ...
7
votes
4answers
467 views
How to implement SCRUM without forgeting the four principles of the agile manifesto on the way?
Don't the four agile principles get a bit lost in the middle of all the SCRUM process? How can this be avoided? How to promote these four principles over the process that is imposed? How to make the ...
5
votes
3answers
366 views
How can a team working on research based items work in an Agile project?
My R&D organization is following an Agile (SCRUM) development methodology. One of the development teams is working mostly on items that are really problematic in terms of the certainty during the ...
9
votes
4answers
1k views
Why do Scrum adoptions fail?
Scrum is the most popular of agile methods and since agile has become mainstream it is chosen more and more often as something teams should try. No surprise we often see Scrum implementations fail.
...
8
votes
3answers
2k views
How to link Scrum release backlog to conventional project plan (MS project) in keeping sprint benefits?
We use the Scrum methodology for our software development. Since software development isn't the core activity of our company, and since this company isn't agile methods oriented yet, I need, as the ...
11
votes
2answers
2k views
Can PRINCE2 and SCRUM work together?
This question has raised a debate within my organization with multiple points of view.
Several Project Managers think that they are completely different things aiming for different results whereas ...
4
votes
5answers
896 views
Scrum+Kanban SaaS tool [closed]
Do you want to use such tool?
It will be some tool with product backlog, sprint backlogs, Scrum/Kanban dashboard...
Me and my partners want to develop this.
21
votes
14answers
12k views
Where to Find a Desktop Kanban board application?
I have been looking for a week now, all over the net for a simple desktop based kanban management system. I work in a distributed team, but my company won't accept to use an exterior webapp like ...
8
votes
6answers
472 views
How can we avoid finishing all stories on the last day of a sprint?
I am the Scrum Master for a team that has completed two sprints. For Sprint 1, the burndown looks like:
Day 1: 70
Day 2: 70
Day 3: 70
Day 4: 70
Day 5: 13
For Sprint #2:
Day 1: 90
Day 2: 90
Day 3: ...
