The Scrum methodology is a component of the broader Agile approach designed in order to develop the products in the most effective manner possible. It is concentrating on making the best use of all resources available in order to get the best possible outcomes. The Agile product management technique is commonly acknowledged across the world and the Scrum framework is one of the most prominent.

This product development technique has had an influence on the different business sectors throughout the world. Scrum is an efficient project-management system designed to assist businesses in creating, delivering, and maintaining complicated products. Product managers usually use the Scrum agile methodology in order to divide long-term project goals into short-term work time known as sprints. Every sprint generally has a time frame of one to four weeks.

In this article, we are going to further talk about what the Scum framework is, how it works, and what are the major ​​pros and cons of Scrum methodology in the process of product development. So if you are just starting to develop this approach in your early-stage startup this article might be extremely helpful for you.

Defining the Scrum Framework - How Does It Work?

Scrum is an important agile approach since it increases product development without reducing the quality. Its success arises from its iterations, or sprints, which divide the product design process into actual tasks that prevent confusion and misunderstanding while moving the project ahead.

One of the most important things to mention while talking about the Scrum framework is its artifacts. There are three Scrum artifacts including the Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Product Increment. The product backlog is the major set of tasks that must be completed. It is usually managed by the product owner or product manager. This is a continuous set of characteristics, requirements, upgrades, or fixes that serves as the sprint backlog's inputs. The Product Owner regularly revisits, re-prioritizes, and maintains the product backlog since, as the market evolves, products may become irrelevant or challenges may be handled in different ways.

A sprint backlog is the list of items from a product backlog that a product development team chooses to focus on throughout the forthcoming sprint. The sprint backlog is, in reality, the major output of sprint project management planning.

Before every sprint, the development team decides which tasks have the highest priority and which tasks from the product backlog to work on during the sprint planning meeting. A sprint backlog might be adaptable and develop during the sprint. Nevertheless, the primary sprint objective — what the team hopes to accomplish during the current sprint – must not be undermined.

Another significant artifact that should also be mentioned when it comes to the Scrum Framework definition is a product increment. It is the total number of items accomplished within a sprint. To be considered "done," a new increment has to be useable and ready for the launch, and the Product Owner generally decides when is the appropriate time to do so.

The Scrum project development can begin once the tasks in the product backlog have been defined. It comprises a sequence of sprints, which are designed to complete a specified series of tasks. Throughout a sprint, the Product Owner's responsibility is to address any concerns, accept user requirements from teammates, and determine when a product increment is "finished." Every sprint is broken down into five stages also called Scrum events. Those stages include Sprint planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Sprint retrospective, and Sprint completion.

Advantages of Scrum Methodology

If you wonder what are some of the benefits of the agile development methodology, you need to know that there are a lot of the major advantages of Scrum that every Startup owner definitely needs to consider if they want to implement Scrum Framework in the process of their product development. So here are some of the main pros of using this approach.

Flexibility

The scrum technique works best in a very unpredictable environment where it would be difficult to precisely describe the requirements and solutions prior to launching a product. The scrum team has the ability to make changes to any component of the project without harming the product's output. Flexibility and adaptability are important in defining the needs and objectives of a project as it progresses.

Cost-Effectiveness

Another essential thing to be noted while talking about the benefits of Scrum is cost-efficiency. Scrum team members prepare ahead of time in terms of costs before beginning each task, so they make effective use of time, money as well as other resources. This assists in the minimization of unanticipated expenses or time delays. Besides, team members also test their product before releasing it at the end of every sprint in order to identify and repair any issues which may have emerged in the process.

Structured Work

Another noticeable advantage of the Scrum approach is the fact that it results in more productivity because of more structured work. For example, daily meetings between the team members allow them to monitor the process of every iteration's development and identify any issues that may arise at the early Scrum Phase of the project. These everyday meetings are called standup meetings.

Risk Reduction

One of the biggest advantages that should be highlighted while explaining the pros and cons of Scrum methodology is the fact that it reduces risk by allowing for the addition or modification of objectives at any point throughout the product development. This allows a company to adapt to risks that might occur in the market as well as gives space for unanticipated demands, at a minimal cost of change as compared to other approaches.

Furthermore, because the Scrum methodology is considered to be iterative, there are numerous possibilities to receive input from customers and define objectives throughout the entire project development process. This prevents product stakeholders and the team members from being taken off-handed by irrelevant requirements.

Cons of Using Scrum Framework

Even though there are numerous advantages related to using the scrum methodology, there still are several cons that you might want to consider before implementing this approach into your business. So let’s talk briefly about the disadvantages of agile Scum down below.

No Due Date

Because Scrum's approach does not have a set timeframe or deadline and operates on a sprint-by-sprint basis, projects might go on for far longer than they were planned. Since Scrum is based on the continual improvement of a certain product, there is no such thing as a particular ultimate iteration. This might be considered as a disadvantage side of this methodology because with no due date to deliver a product, project managers might be constantly requesting more features to be provided.

Difficult to Adapt

To be effective, an Agile Scrum Framework may also necessitate some kind of organizational restructuring. Using Scrum may necessitate breaking down certain organizational obstacles. This is why Scrum teams usually struggle to adopt the Scrum approach since it is a significant shift from their usual and traditional working ways (such as Waterfall). The difficulties in embracing a completely new way of working might create delays in product development. Particularly when team members are under-trained and under-educated.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using Scrum?

As with every other framework, Scrum also has its own pros and cons. The biggest advantage of using the Scrum approach is that it is considered to be very flexible as well as cost-effective. Besides, it gives the entire product development process a more structured characteristic and it also reduces the risks that might occur in the market while launching the product.

Is Scrum a good framework to use?

Yes, Scrum can definitely be one of the best options when it comes to project management. The greatest advantage of this approach is that it is very flexible and cost-efficient. Scrum team members plan the budgeting ahead of time before starting each work in order to make the best use of time, money, and other resources. This aids in the reduction of unexpected expenditures and time delays.

What are the problems with Scrum?

Even though very few, there still are several problems related to the Scum approach. For example, Because Scrum's approach does not have a set timeframe or deadline and operates on a sprint-by-sprint basis, projects might go on for far longer than they were planned. Besides, the Scrum framework may also necessitate some kind of organizational restructuring which sometimes makes it difficult to adapt.

 

Written by Keti Getiashvili

Based on an interview with Ilia Chigogidze