scrums

Scrums is a lightweight framework used in Agile project management to guide the development of complex products. It emphasizes empirical process control—transparency, inspection, and adaptation—within small, cross-functional, self-organizing teams. While Scrum originated in software development, its practices have been applied to a variety of knowledge work. The plural form scrums can refer to multiple Scrum teams or the concurrent events and ceremonies that occur across an organization.

Core roles in Scrum are Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team. The Product Owner is responsible for the Product Backlog, prioritizing work to maximize value and ensuring the team understands the desired outcomes. The Scrum Master serves as a facilitator and coach, helping remove impediments, guiding the team in Scrum practices, and shielding them from distractions. The Development Team is a self-organizing group of professionals who deliver a potentially shippable Increment at the end of each Sprint.

Scrum centers on time-boxed iterations called Sprints, typically one to four weeks. Key events include Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective, with ongoing Product Backlog refinement. Artifacts consist of the Product Backlog, the Sprint Backlog, and the Increment, along with a Definition of Done that clarifies when work is complete.

Scaling Scrum, through approaches like Scrum of Scrums or Nexus, addresses coordination across multiple teams, though it can introduce complexity. Effective implementation relies on organizational support, discipline, and a focus on collaboration and continuous improvement.