Agile techniques offer an improved way to manage complex projects and product development. They reflect the fact that businesses have changed over the past decades and projects can benefit from a more flexible approach.
Scrum is one of the most popular frameworks for implementing Agile projects and product management – in use for over 25 years. As such, scrum training courses are a top choice for teams to follow Agile techniques, with many advantages.
Introduce an iterative approach to deliver faster results
The Scrum framework follows an iterative approach for any complex project or product development. These techniques emerged in software development, but are by no means restricted to such projects.
Teams approach projects using a series of iterative ‘Sprints.’ Each Sprint aims to produce a usable product or result, and evaluation of this then feeds back into further Sprints. This is a perfect approach when you acknowledge that requirements can change during development.
Introduce a common framework and terminology
An iterative approach could be followed without the deployment of a formal framework such as Scrum. Part of the power though comes from everyone involved using the same approach and terminology. Teams trained in Scrum collaborate in the same way, with the same expectations of how the project will proceed.
Others who interact with the project team can also be trained in the proper terminology and methods relevant to them. Fewer miscommunications and wasted time can only benefit teamwork.
Improve team communication
The Scrum framework highlights the importance of regular and focussed communication within teams. It formalizes this in several ways, including daily ‘Scrum’ meetings to quickly review progress, and reviews and re-planning meetings after each iteration or ‘Sprint.’
Regular communication also helps teams deal with problems as they arise. Rather than ad-hoc meetings as needed, regular updates force issues to be raised and dealt with.
Making teams more productive
The iterative nature of Scrum and its shorter duration ‘sprints’ keeps teams focussed. Regular reviews (with key people included) and constant development help prevent teams from becoming distracting or spending time on less relevant tasks.
This should speed development, and reduce costs. It will also engage people more, leading to more satisfied team members. Consultancy McKinsey looked at many areas of improvement under Scrum. They showed that team engagement was improved by as much as 20% to 30%.
Train teams for specific roles
Scrum is a comprehensive and well-developed framework. As such, there are plenty of options for training teams in different areas. Team members working on Scrum projects can be trained in implementing the framework, with specializations available in several areas such as software development projects, or larger multiple team projects.
Part of the success of Scrum lies in defining roles with specific responsibilities. Focussed training is available for anyone undertaking these roles. This includes Scrum Master courses, with the Scrum Master responsible for overseeing Scrum theory and guiding projects, and the Product Owner, responsible for maximizing the value of the project and for liaison with stakeholders.
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