Another popular agile development methodology is known as SCRUM. While extreme programming focus on the core development, the real crude work activities of the programmer, SCRUM keeps its focus on the project management. 

 

The main ideology of the extreme programming is to “get the job done”, where as for SCRUM, it is “how to do it in efficient way”. The SCRUM has following terminology that nicely matches with the other agile development process including extreme programming:

1. Product backlog

2. Sprint

3. Sprint planning

4. Sprint backlog

5. Daily SCRUM meeting

6. Burn down

7. Working increment

 

 

The product back log describes the functionality of the product. This is the master list of all features that the product should have. Though, when the project is initiated it is not required to have a comprehensive, time consuming effort to write detailed requirement for the product. Typically the product backlog can have everything obvious for the project and then it is allowed to grow more when more information is learned about the requirement and features.

In the Sprint planning meeting the product owner (in our case the product owner is the expert user) will prioritized the product backlog and determine which item in the product backlog can be completed during the next sprint. The team then moves the selected item to sprint backlog as a candidate for next sprint.

 

 

The sprint cycle is an iterative cycle of about 3-4 weeks, in which the actual development of the product is done. It starts out with a Sprint Planning Meeting to decide what will be done in the current sprint. Then the development is done. A sprint is closed with a Sprint Review Meeting where the progress made in the last sprint is demonstrated, the sprint is reviewed, and adjustments are made to the project as necessary. 

The sprint cycle is repeated until the product's development is complete. The product is complete when the variables of time, quality, competition, and cost are at a balance. 

• Develop the product further - implement, test, and document. 

• Wrap up the work - get it ready to be evaluated and integrated. 

• Review the work done in this sprint. 

• Adjust for any changes in requirements or plans. 

 

 

A sprint planning meeting is a meeting at the beginning of a sprint where the sprint is planned. Items from the Product Backlog are selected to be completed in the sprint, based on the priorities set by the Product Owner.

 

 

The sprint backlog is a list of item taken from the product backlog as a candidate to complete in the next sprint.

 

 

A daily SCRUM meeting is held for 15 minutes. The meeting normally held in a fixed place everyday. In the daily SCRUM meeting the SCRUM master asked three questions to get overall feedback of the sprint team:

1. What has been accomplished after last meeting?

2. Is there any blocking issue to reach the goal defined in last meeting?

3. What the team will be going to accomplish before next meeting?

 

 

A burn down chart shows the features remaining to be implemented for current sprint. It is important to note that the burn down chart could remain flat for most of period covered by the sprint but still the sprint can be on schedule.

 

 

After each sprint cycle a working incremental product is produced for demo. In the sprint cycle the product is reviewed and goes through typical acceptance test by the SQA team. After the acceptance test the incremental product is presented to the product owner. It is important to note that the working increment of the product does not necessarily mean a complete product will minimal feature list. An working incremental product could be as simple as a component with the unit test suit with it.

From the development experience for large range client base in different vertical industry, knowledge has been accumulated that most of the development projects with both short and medium term development plan requires occasional change of requirements. This rapid change of plan and requirement demand rapid code factoring, code integration as well as change in system design. Inherently Agile development methodology supports this cyclic development cycle to accommodate new change requests, design changes as well as user feedback. Moreover, through the cyclic development process, incremental build are planned through new requirement and user feedback which reflects the story terminology of extreme programming and product backlog of SCRUM.