Scrumptious

Now I need a place to hide away?

Well it's not quite that bad. Scrum has come a long way since Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber decided to shake up the software development world by creating a framework for making products faster, better, smarter and for lower cost, even if it was named after a bunch of sweaty men huddled together with ill intent for the other side.

The Scrum framework as we know it today kicked off in the mid 1990's when they both presented their paper at the OOPSLA conference. But it may interest you to know that it was almost a decade earlier when Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka first coined the term "Scrum" in relation to product development. This revelation came after their study of successful manufacturing firms where they noticed that the winning formula was cross-functional teams iterating during overlapping phases.

Scrum made its way into many organizations over the next 15 years, but it wasn't until 2010 that Jeff Sutherland and Jeff Schwaber finally laid down the framework in a semi-official form we know today as The Scrum Guide. There have been five versions of the guide released since 2010, with the latest being in November 2017.

Scrum has since evolved into a powerhouse for delivering successful Agile projects. But is there any quantifiable data to support its widespread adoption? There certainly is. The "State of Scrum 2017-2018 - Scaling and Agile Transformation" produced by the Scrum Alliance gives us some great insights into the game of Scrum and how it is played today.

Before we look at this data, it's important to know that the information was captured through 91 countries, 27 industries, and over 2000 respondents. 78% of the respondents were in the USA and Europe, while only 10% were located in Asia. Given that Asia represents 58% of the world's population, and is the fastest growing economic region and will be for at least the next decade or so, the Scrum Alliance may want to increase their respondent representation in this region for future reports.

How many use Scrum?
94% of respondents use Scrum in their Agile practices. This is broken down into two main areas. While only 16% use Scrum exclusively, 78% use a mixture of Scrum with other approaches such as XP and Kanban.

What about Team Size?
We all know that a good Scrum Team should be small and flexible. Most people believe that aside from the Product Owner and Scrum Master, the development team should consist of between 5-9 members. The report confirms this, and the average Scrum team size was 7.4. Of the 2000 respondents, 8% had team sizes between 1-4 members. 78% had 5-9 members, while 13% had 10+ members.

Sprint number and length
The average length of a Sprint was 2.4 weeks which sounds about right. An interesting thing I noticed was that the average number of Sprints per project was only 5. This could be that a lot of projects were feature updates or a small list of features regarded as a single project, rather than a huge release. This could also be disguised as a Release or Product Roadmap broken down into small "projects". If we multiply the average Sprint length (2.4) by the average number of Sprints per project (5.0), we get a 12-week average duration for Sprint projects. This was indeed confirmed in the 11.6 weeks reported in the State of Scrum.

Scrum Events
81% of respondents held a Retrospective after the Sprint. This seems high at first glance, but when you really think about it, it's really not acceptable that almost 20% of Scrum teams don't even hold a Retrospective. The whole idea of Agile and Scrum is to Inspect and Adapt, and particularly with processes and team performance, this is hard to do if the team isn't meeting for a Retrospective.

87% have a daily Scrum. Now this is where I start to grind my teeth. Is this a Scrum Master issue, or a team just not committed to Scrum? Similarly, only 86% hold a Sprint Planning meeting before a Sprint. I wonder what these teams were thinking when they head into a Sprint with no formal plan for the next iteration. We respect adaptive planning in Scrum, but progressive elaboration does not mean we can enter the current iteration without knowing what we will do and how we will do it. The Definition of Done and our Sprint Goal is a form of planning, so what the heck was going on in their minds?

                                                                * * *
If your Scrum projects are not half the Scrum they use to be, it is time to buckle down and look at the processes you are deploying and if they follow the Scrum Guide's framework, all the way down to the roles, rules, events and artifacts that deliver value to the stakeholders. Make sure your Scrum projects are implemented in the best way possible now and tomorrow. Don't long for yesterday!


References
1. Schwaber, K. and Sutherland, J. (2017) The Scrum Guide. Available from: www.scrumguides.org
2. Scrum Alliance (2017) State of Scrum 2017-2018 - Scaling and Agile Transformation.
3. Wikipedia (2018) Scrum (Software Development). Available from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrum_(software_development)

Thank you for your interest in the Scrumptious blog. If you have any ideas for Scrum topics, please message me here. Until next time, remember, projects can be Scrumptious!


 

When implementing Scrum, there are always challenges associated with people, processes or the technology we use. Starting out with the right Agile mindset is a good start. However, transitioning from the old way we did things will always introduce trepidation and anxiety to some level. Transition programs of any kind usually go one of three ways:

• Full Transition
• Step or Part-Transition
• Pretend to Transition

Using a color code from one of our favorite films, the Matrix, we might categorize these as the following:

• Full Transition - Red Pill
• Step or Part-Transition - Purple Pill (Ok I added this one!)
• Pretend to Transition - Blue Pill

The creators of Scrum always intended it to be used as per the Scrum Guide, while considering some minor adjustments that may be necessary to facilitate the project. There are some organizations however that sing the praises of Scrum and Agile, but do very little in the way of implementing it into the organization. I have seen many corporate brochures that use the word "Agile" in almost every paragraph, only to find out that Agile is the furthest thing from their mind. The business environment in most cases is hybrid at best, even in the software development sectors.

A case in point was a BPO service delivery firm I dealt with in the Philippines that provided application development solutions to international corporations. They implemented a mixture of Scrum and XP and yes Waterfall. Scrum by utilizing daily scrums, Sprints, Sprint Reviews, Retrospectives etc., XP by utilizing pair-programming, refactoring, embracing simplicity of code, thorough testing etc., and Waterfall by trying to identify all the requirements up-front to lock down scope. This latter practice of course goes against Agile principles of the inverted triangle where time and cost are fixed, but scope may change.

However, a quick look at their flagship newsletter at the end of the year revealed a case study for the same project describing how this "Agile project was a success." I happen to know the project was a success because the client had a deep pocket and was willing to pay the bloated budget to get the job done. This point was of course left out of the case study.

The reality during the project was that the daily stand-ups were in fact sit-downs. Some daily meetings did not happen on time or at all. Retrospectives were almost a repeat of the Sprint Review where the development team talked about the issues the customer raised about the demo more than discussing ways to improve the team's processes and ways of working together. The Product Manager was AWOL for a day or two at a time, and the Scrum Master; well they didn't have one. Instead, one of the development team members who was also team leader no less, assumed the role of "Scrum Coach" to ensure that Scrum and XP principles would be followed. The team member did this by telling the team what processes to do and not to do, while also assessing individual performance as opposed to team performance. A bad idea in Scrum.

This scenario and ones similar to it is what I call the Purple Pill of Scrum and Agile. It is not a hybrid. It is a hybrid excuse for not taking seriously the Agile mindset and giving it a real chance to succeed.

In his book "Succeeding with Agile - Software Development Using Scrum", Mike Cohn outlines why we do Scrum:

1. Faster Time-to-Market
2. Higher Productivity
3. Lower Costs
4. Improved Employee Engagement
5. Improved Job Satisfaction
6. Higher Quality
7. Improved Stakeholder Satisfaction
   
   and my favorite...
    
8. What we've been doing no longer works
    

So, if you are involved in a Scrum or Agile project, remember the three golden rules which will help you decide which Pill to swallow:

1. Ideally adopt a Full Transition: Red Pill
2. Never Pretend to Transition - Blue Pill
3. If you're going to take the Purple Pill, at least implement Scrum properly, even if it is in steps, or mixed with other methods such as XP

References
Cohn, M. (2010) Succeeding with Agile - Software Development Using Scrum. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

Thank you for your interest in the Scrumptious blog. If you have any ideas for Scrum topics, please message me here. Until next time, remember, projects can be Scrumptious!


 

Scrum is what many of us eat, drink, breathe and dream about. It's more than just a framework for delivering successful Agile projects. It's a lifestyle in the project community that we Scrumians live by. We uphold the values and principles of the Scrum Guide authored by Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber. We also attempt to apply Scrum in its purest unadulterated form, while being open to modifications that make sense for the particular project or as mandated by the organization.

But who or what process can verify that we are indeed living Scrum by the book? Well fortunately, there are some certification bodies that train, test and certify individuals in the Scrum framework. These certifications are the best way to know that a Scrum practitioner is indeed qualified to assist the organization with its Scrum implementation or increasing maturity level.

But one question that many hiring managers and certification aspirants rarely understand or ask themselves is: "Which Scrum certification is best?"

My fellow projectmanagement.com colleague Andrew Craig wrote a great article on his journey to the PSM certification when compared to the most popular Scrum certification; the CSM. However, we will look at some other major Scrum certifications that are both popular and trending, and assess their pros and cons.

Certified Scrum Master (CSM)

The most well-known certification for Scrum is the Certified Scrum Master by Scum Alliance. It has the most Scrum certified professionals, which may have more to do with their marketing intelligence and early adoption into the Scrum certification domain. The vast majority of job advertisements that ask for a Scrum certification ask for the CSM, but this is changing rapidly.

The reason for this change is that the CSM is very expensive and only delivered through face-to-face training, which many feel is over the top. To make matters worse, the exam's very low passing rate does not go well for its longevity as the predominant certification chosen by employers. In fact, for many years there was no exam for the CSM; the training course was enough to get certified.

Pros:

• most well know Scrum certification
• most employers currently ask for the CSM
• the exam fee is included in the training course

Cons:

• mandatory 2 day face-to-face training course
• very expensive training (up to $1,500 in many cases)
• very low passing score needed to pass the exam
• have to renew once every 2 years for $100

Professional Scrum Master (PSM)

This certification is managed by Scrum.org, which is run by Ken Schwaber, one of the two Scrum founders, so you know you are in good hands. The website provides a lot of resources as well as "open" exams to assist those prepare for the PSM. Further, they have varying categories of the PSM exam such as PSM 1, PSM II and PSM III to reflect complexity and a higher level of mastery.

The PSM is not an easy exam to pass in comparison with other certifications. In fact I read the blog of a 10-year Agile veteran who had also performed several Scrum projects and yet he only passed the PSM exam by just two questions. The pass rate is 85% so it is by no means a walk in the park.

Pros:

• no training needed to apply for the exam
• no renewal fees
• low exam price

Cons:

• not as well known (yet) as the CSM
   

Agile Scrum Master (ASM)

The Agile Scrum Master is managed by EXIN, which has a long and distinguished record for authoring and delivering certifications. They have been around for almost 35 years and certified over 2 million professionals. You may also be surprised to know that EXIN is one of the founding partners in the development of ITIL.

This exam is pretty tricky even though it has a lower pass rate than the PSM. It does not just involve Scrum, but Agile as well, and touches on some other Agile methods such as XP. To add complexity, there may be more than one correct answer during the exam, and you need to choose which ones are correct from a list. I personally found the ASM to be the most difficult of all the Scrum certification exams I participated in.

A major negative point is that like the CSM, there is a mandatory training course that can cost up to $750, but this training also has it's own assessments in order to get the training certificate to use to apply for the exam.

Pros:

• the certification is almost as much about Agile as Scrum, and having the term "Agile" in it may tick some boxes for employers
• EXIN is well known in the certification world having certified over 2 million professionals

Cons:

• the exam fee is $230
• mandatory training course
• double assessment
   

Scrum Master Certified (SMC)

This certification is managed by ScrumStudy, who also authors the SBOK (Scrum Body of Knowledge). While they don't make it mandatory for exam aspirants to first take a training course from their approved education providers, they "highly recommend it".

The exam price is almost obscene at $450, so if you fail the exam a couple of times, you may just run out of money to get any Scrum certification.

Pros:

• None

Cons:

• extremely high exam price

                                                               * * *

So, which Scrum certification is best? When evaluating all the above certifications, and weighing up all the pros and cons, the author has decided to select the Professional Scrum Master (PSM) certification as the gold standard in Scrum certification due to trending popularity, rigorous assessment, high passing score, certification body being owned and managed by one of the Scrum founders, expected increase in future value and market share, no training course required, and low exam price with no annual renewal fees. 
 

Thank you for your interest in the Scrumptious blog. If you have any ideas for Scrum topics, please message me here. Until next time, remember, projects can be Scrumptious!

 

Management support for remote working teams is so important in today's Agile organizations. To learn more, please read my latest article in PM Network (March 2018) on page 27 entitled Remote Support by clicking the image below.

Transformations of any kind within the organization are challenging at best, and disastrous at worst. Sometimes there are dynamics we can't avoid, like the time it takes for that transformation to take hold, or the strategic priorities of the organization not including a 100% full steam ahead of the Scrum implementation (ie. a never ending series of pilot projects).

There are, however, a few major roadblocks that we do have some control over. The first two deal mainly with process, and the third with mindset. We all know that Scrum has rules, events, roles and artifacts. But it also needs to have people with the right mindset, and who follow a proven process.

So, with all that being said, here are 3 roadblocks to Scrum faced by organizations all over the world:

1. Partial or Late Testing
There are some who don't mind leaving testing until after the Sprint, or partially completed by the end of the Sprint. While there are some exceptional circumstances when this may be required, here is Scrum Co-founder Jeff Sutherland's view on this:

"Do not end your Sprint without your software Done and bug free."

According to Dr. Sutherland, bugs that remain at the end of the Sprint can reduce speed of development by 50%, and in some rare cases up to 1,000%. In order to mitigate this, we need to "change engineering practices, implement continuous integration, and incorporate automatic testing into the builds". 

2. Backlog Mismanagement
Garbage In, Garbage Out! The products and services we produce are only as good as the refined Product Backlog items that find their way into the Sprint Backlog. I have spoken about this in a previous blog, but a poor Product Manager can render the backlog ineffective.

Dr. Sutherland asserts that 65% of features developed are "never or rarely used by customers" which means we are doing a "terrible job" in turning customer's needs into usable and relevant features. This wastes time, money and effort. His recommendation for this problem is to get a great Product Owner, produce a quality refined Product Backlog, and get continuous customer feedback in "30 days or less" to ensure every feature in the Backlog are only the features the customers want.

3. Management Involvement
Even when Scrum has been sanctioned at the Executive level, and is running full swing at the project level, if managers do not embrace Scrum and empower the team to work at the best of their ability, Scrum is going to be running with one engine in a two-engine plane. One major catastrophe, and the whole project could come crashing down.

Dr. Sutherland has some good advice in this area:

"Train your management team on how to run a modern corporation. It needs to be Agile and it needs to be Lean. Managers need to make a big shift in the way they think and how they work with teams."

A lot of this can be facilitated through a Scrum Master or coach to guide the organization and its management in the benefits and implementation of Scrum, but more importantly, the mindset, values and principles of Scrum.

                                                               * * *

Remember, a pitfall is a "hidden or unsuspected danger". It can also be defined as a trap; a trap for those who wish to sabotage the implementation of Scrum. We need to navigate the transformation minefield and avoid those pitfalls in order to reach our destination: a product or service that is fast-to-market, bug free, and what the customer really needs.


References
Sutherland, J. (2012) How to Avoid the Most Common Scrum Pitfalls. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEu-YEv1LVo

Thank you for your interest in the Scrumptious blog. If you have any ideas for Scrum topics, please message me here. Until next time, remember, projects can be Scrumptious!