Scrum is an Agile Software Development Process that Jeff Sutherland invented based on work done at Easel Corporation in 1993.
Pigs and chickens?
A very quick overview. A Scrum Master, leads the scrum. Typically a scrum meeting should be a precise meeting, standing and ready to leave after 15 minutes. With precise questions:
1. What have you done since yesterday?
2. What are you planning to do by today?
3. Do you have any problems preventing you from accomplishing your goal? (It is the role of the ScrumMaster to remember these impediments.)
Each iteration is called sprints, and are typically 4 weeks of development. I have found that usually you end up writing code for 2 weeks, integrating and testing for a week and fixing it up a bit before the sprint ends. Not sequentially, but more something like this code, test, code, integrate, test, code, deploy, code, test, deploy
Each sprint has a design and a plan. You set out the goals of the sprint, and then you sprint, with your 15 minutes of meeting each day. So it is not blindly sprinting. As that, could cause injury.
Testing is part of it, and unit testing is critical.
Have a look at Control Chaos for information on SCRUM.
When you are ill, you visit Doctor
And when your project is ill, you should call a qualified Agile practitioner.
If you project is running late, and you don't use any Agile Methods, "SCRUM and XP" together for a few months, will more than likely help the situation. However, I should stress, if you are new to these methods, don't try it on your own for a critical project. Get a consultant, get someone who knows the method, who you can work with your project team, who can help you implement the 3 months properly.
The team ethic, the calculated sprints, unit tests and pair programming are definitely a great combination for a lagging project.
One of my favorite things about scrum is the burn down chart.
When other methods, like Waterfall demand more documentation and quantification in time consuming ways, this is simple and very visual. it is as accurate as any other, as its still prediction at the core.
I am going to be asking Kent Beck, about XP, and maybe, just maybe (I am trying) to get Jeff Sutherland on as well for a word on SCRUM.
Next post, DSDM. (If you are in a very formal method, DSDM could help, as it offers the most structure to Agile Methods?)
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