PROJECT MANAGEMENT SEPTEMBER 2019
JOINING THE SCRUM
Popular in software development, the ‘Scrum’ method of agile project
management can translate to a manufacturing environment, as discovered
to great effect by Oxfordshire manufacturer, Crowcon Detection Instruments
Scrum is a type of agile project
management methodology, common in
software development. Its usage is not
limited to the tech world, however, and
expanding its scope can yield efficiency
gains – especially in manufacturing.
“The methodology of Scrum involves the
creation of small, self-organised, self-responsible
cross-functional teams,” says Dominic Feeney,
product manager at Crowcon Detection
Instruments, who led a successful Scrum at the
company’s factory in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.
Each Scrum team consists of between six and
10 people, with the following members:
Scrum Master: The Scrum Master’s role is to
facilitate the process, organise the Scrum, book
meetings, ensure things run smoothly and remove
any impediments the Scrum comes up against.
They also are responsible for enforcing the time
boxes (more on this later).
Product Owner: The Product Owner is the voice
of the customer within the Scrum. They need to
have a very clear vision of what the customer wants
and be able to convey this to the Scrum team and
go into detail on aspects as and when required.
This all needs to be done without complex spec
documents. They are responsible for the tasks on
the Scrum board (again, more on this later).
BY CHRIS BECK
Team Members: Everyone
else is a member of the Scrum
Team. The team decides what
tasks to do when and how
to do them. Pairing up to do
jobs is encouraged. All team
members act as extra pairs of
eyes for cross-checking, learning
and making sure tasks are not
forgotten about during the
project as it flows.
How it works
The product owner creates
an initial list of features and
functionality required in the
product. This is called a product
backlog. They then prioritise
this list into high-, medium-
and low-priority tasks.
Next comes a Sprint planning
meeting. The whole Scrum
attends this one and the objective
is to plan as a group what tasks
will be transferred from the
backlog into a ‘Sprint’ period,
which can be set at anywhere
from one to four weeks. Once
the tasks have been agreed as
a group and they are locked in,
these tasks must be completed
in that sprint period. It’s down
to the Scrum team as to how
they manage themselves in the
sprint period and which tasks
are allocated to which people.
No other tasks can be added
until the period ends. Any tasks
left incomplete at the end of the
Sprint period cannot be moved
back into the backlog. They
automatically carry into the next
Sprint and can be broken down
into smaller tasks if needed –
but they must stay in the active
Sprint period until completed.
All of this is tracked on
a Scrum board as a series of
sticky notes. The Scrum Team
meets around the board every
morning for a short catch-up
on the status of the current
Sprint and whether it’s on track
to be completed by the end of
the period. Completed tasks
get moved into the shipped
columns. Harder tasks get
broken down into smaller subtasks
if needed and the work
redistributed amongst the team.
At the end of the Sprint
period, a Review meeting takes
place. The team discusses
what worked what didn’t and
what they can learn. Any noncompleted
tasks move over to
the next sprint. The Product
Owner adds to and re-organises
the features and task priorities
and the group decides which
high-priority tasks and features
move over into the next Sprint.
The cycle continues until
all tasks are completed and
the project ends. A final
Retrospective meeting is held to
discuss what worked and what
didn’t and how to improve.
Team
Input from end-users,
customers, team and
other stakeholders
Team decides how
much to commit to
do by Sprint’s end
Sprint
planning
meeting
Tasks
Sprint
backlog
Product owner
12345678
8
Product
backlog
Daily scrum
meeting
Review
Potentially shipable
product increment
Retrospective
Below: The
Scrum method
of project
management
brings focus to
complex tasks
Scrum master
Sprint
1– 4
weeks
P d t
9
10
11
12
13
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