As we explained two weeks ago, Agile is a methodology that enables the delivery of projects iteratively and flexibly.

With this methodology, developers execute work in cycles of days, weeks, or months and deliver the product to the client in tranches.

Furthermore, the Agile methodology makes projects flexible as it makes it possible to adjust the development to the needs of either the customer or the product itself.

Every project has its environment. Depending on the size, the number of people involved, or the requirements of the decision-makers, you can adopt different work methods.

You can perceive Scrum as a working skeleton of the Agile methodology. But let's take a closer look.

What is Scrum?

If you are a rugby fan, Scrum may sound familiar to you. It is the name given to the moment of a restart.

At this moment, the players gather in a circle to reorganize the game and adopt the best strategy.

In theory, Scrum as a work structure is similar to game strategy. And this is because it has as its priority a well-organized team.

Scrum is a framework that allows managing projects and organizing work steps objectively and interactively.

With this framework, work teams can tackle complex problems while delivering results productively and creatively.

Scrum's premise accepts that clients can, and do, change their ideas during the project.

Because it has sprints - development cycles -, it facilitates communication with the client and makes the work organization more flexible.

And this is why programming teams use Scrum in software development. It facilitates the understanding and distribution of tasks and speeds up problem identification and resolution.

Scrum structure

We know that Agile is often confused with Scrum. However, the terms do not mean the same thing.

Agile is a working methodology, a mindset that approaches projects agilely.

On the other hand, Scrum is a framework that defines the development and releases steps.

But it does not describe what to do in each situation. In complex projects, it is impossible to predict everything that will occur.

It is necessary to know that this framework has a heuristic structure, to understand Scrum in software development.

Scrum bases his structure on continuous learning and adjustment to fluctuating factors.

But the structure is not necessarily rigid. You can adapt it to the needs of any project or organization.

We already know that the Scrum framework dictates work cycles. Within these cycles, there are three constants: product backlog, sprint backlog, and sprint goal (increment).

In the product backlog phase, the Product Owner elaborates a list of project requirements and brief descriptions of all the functionalities and features desired in the product.

In the sprint backlog, it's defined the iteration plan for the work cycle. The team analyzes the items in the product backlog to agree on what to do in the next iteration.

In the increment, the phase that marks the end of the work cycle, the team analyzes the sprint's final usable product.

Scrum in Software Development

Because of its versatility, you can use Scrum on different projects. However, because of its interactive and flexible characteristics, it is widely used in software development.

With this framework, the software development process can be based on experience, adopting solutions throughout the project without compromising time or resources.

These characteristics are relevant in software development, where it is common for obstacles and unforeseen issues to arise during the creation phase.

Scrum promotes transparency, facilitates the inspection process, and is open to change.

It promotes transparency because it has a work process that should be clear to all team members.

On the other hand, it allows for inspection of the planned tasks. Thus, the project manager has the opportunity to correct any faults that may appear during the production process.

It also makes it possible to immediately adopt improvements and more convenient processes to correct any found faults.

In software development, Scrum also allows the product to be delivered and tested as development phases get completed. In this way, the customer can see whether the product created is meeting expectations.

When to use Scrum?

As we have already said, not all projects are suitable for this working structure.

You should always analyze the dimensions of the work, and the team put the objectives in perspective, and consider whether this method is the best.

You should use the Scrum framework if you have a project on hand that does not have strictly defined requirements and have room for change and adaptation.

Because of its semi-prescriptive approach, Scrum helps eliminate ambiguities in the development process.

Because Scrum is non-linear, it also enables the integration of other processes or techniques. By analyzing the relative effectiveness of development management practices, it is possible to improve them.

Furthermore, it should be used in projects that require frequent and intermediate deliveries of already developed functionalities or daily discussions with the development team.

At Zalox, we always use the most convenient structures and methodologies for each project. Get to know all the work on our site and social networks.