Scrum is a framework for project management that emphasizes teamwork, accountability and iterative progress toward a well-defined goal.
The framework begins with a simple premise: Start with what can be seen or known. After that, track the progress and tweak as necessary. The three pillars of Scrum are transparency, inspection and adaptation.
The framework, which is often part of Agile software development, is named for a rugby formation. Everyone plays a role. When it comes to product development, Scrum roles include product owner, Scrum master and Scrum development team.
Product owner: This team member serves as the liaison between the development team and its customers. The product owner is responsible for ensuring expectations for the completed product have been communicated and agreed upon.
Scrum master: This team member serves as a facilitator. The Scrum master is responsible for ensuring that Scrum best practices are carried out and the project is able to move forward.
Scrum development team: This is a group that works together for creating and testing incremental releases of the final product.
The Scrum process encourages practitioners to work with what they have and continually evaluate what is working and what is not working. Communication, which is an important part of the process, is carried out through meetings, called Events. Scrum Events include:
Daily Scrum . The Daily Scrum is a short stand-up meeting that happens at the same place and time each day. At each meeting, the team reviews work that was completed the previous day and plans what work will be done in the next 24 hours. This is the time for team members to speak up about any problems that might prevent project completion.
Sprint Planning Meeting. A Sprint refers to the time frame in which work must be completed, and it's often 30 days. Everyone participates in setting the goals, and at the end, at least one increment -- a usable piece of software -- should be produced.
Sprint Review. This is the time to show off the increment.
Sprint Retrospective. A Sprint Retrospective is a meeting that's held after a Sprint ends. During this meeting, everyone reflects on the Sprint process. A team-building exercise may also be offered. An important goal of a Sprint Retrospective is continuous improvement.
An artifact is something of historical interest that deserves to be looked at again. In Scrum product development, artifacts are used to see what's been done and what is still in the queue. Scrum artifacts, which include product backlog, Sprint backlog, product increment and burn-down, are useful to look at in Sprint Planning Meetings.
Product backlog. This refers to what remains on the "to be done" list. During a product backlog grooming session, the development team works with the business owner to prioritize work that has been backlogged. The product backlog may be fine-tuned during a process called backlog refinement.
Sprint backlog. This is a list of tasks that must be completed before selected product backlog items can be delivered. These are divided in to time-based user stories.
Product increment. This refers to what's been accomplished during a Sprint -- all the product backlog items -- as well as what's been created during all previous Sprints. The product increment reflects how much progress has been made.
Burn-down. The burn-down is a visual representation of the amount of work that still needs to be completed. A burn-down chart has a Y axis (work) and an X axis (time). Ideally, the chart illustrates a downward trend, as the amount of work still left to do over time burns down to zero.
CEO
Since founding Gunner Technology, Cody has served the company in every aspect of business development and product development.
Executive Assistant
Lisa keeps Gunner on point, ensuring that all tasks are completed on time and with high quality.
CTO
From a contractor to a partner, Dary has been with Gunner since year 1 and embodies the meritocratic spirit and philosophy of Gunner Technology.
Creative Director
As the oldest member of the Gunner Technology team, Keith goes by the affectionate nickname "Papa Keith" and is always available to help out a "young buck."
VP / Product Development
Jeramiah is a wizard at turning loose requirements into a firm vision with a solid plan.
Project Manager
In her own words, Caitlin is a Jill of All Trades - eager to learn and always ready to help.
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Ethan has a mind for infrastructure and a knack for visualizing platform solutions
Developer I
As the youngest member of the team, Brenden earned the nickname of Young Hybrid for his proficient in both development and design.
Designer II
Melissa is known for her odd hours, which earned her the name "Night Walker," but despite the nocturnal tendencies, she's one of the most outgoing members of the Gunner team.
DevOps Engineer I
Nicolas' goal is to learn everything. A voracious reader, the only time his nose isn't in a tech book is when he's scripting a new infrastructure.
A Bug Sprint is a sprint specifically for fixing bugs.
This is a single sprint for answering critical business questions through design, prototyping and testing ideas.
Velocity is a measure of the amount of work a Team can tackle during a single Sprint and is the key metric in Scrum.
A effort point is an abstract measure of effort required to implement a user story.