What is the difference between Scrum and Agile

To understand the difference between Scrum and Agile, we first have to go back to basics. Agile software development is a general term for a group of software development methodologies such as RUP (Rational Unified Process), XP (Extreme Programming), Scrum and a number of others. There are more than 40 Agile methods in total.

Agile supports iterative development

The common denominator of all Agile methodologies is that they support iterative and step-by-step development. These methods are therefore diametrically opposed to traditional (waterfall) development methods, in which all wishes and requirements are first mapped out before anything is developed. With Agile, these wishes and requirements become increasingly clear during the development of the products or services.

The advantage of this is probably easy to name; the flexibility to respond quickly to changes in requirements, wishes and priorities. Agile solves the problem of having to wait a long time before development can start. It also solves the problem of large complicated schedules and budgets.

scrum vs agile

So what distinguishes Scrum from other Agile methodologies? Scrum is a fairly simple and flexible Agile method. It can be used for basically any product or service (software and not software). Simple, flexible and easy communication and collaboration are the main features of Scrum.

Scrum is a framework that helps teams work together. Like a rugby team (hence the name) training for an important match, teams can use scrums to learn through experience, organize themselves while working on a problem, and reflect on their successes and mistakes to continuously improve themselves. improve.

There are only 3 roles within Scrum:

• Product Owner
• ScrumMaster
• Developers (formerly called the Development Team)

The Product Owner represents the internal or external customer. This is the role with the most authority and responsibility.

The Scrum Master is the facilitator of the project. He or she does not manage the team like a traditional project manager does. His main task is to motivate the team and to remove any blockages so that the team is not hindered (e.g. team members who are constantly called away to put out fires)

When we say team, we are talking about the developers. This is the 3rd role within Scrum. The Developers jointly determine what will be delivered each sprint. These sprints last about 1 to 4 weeks. Prior to such a sprint, the team commits itself to deliver a certain amount of work.

User stories

So how does the team decide what is to be delivered? User Stories are used to describe the characteristics of what needs to be created. These User Stories are stored in a Product Backlog, a prioritized list of actions to be performed. If the business decides to add User Stories, the team can already pick this up in a next sprint, see here the flexibility compared to the more traditional methods. You hardly understand why these outdated methods are still used. In the past, a project took 3 to 9 months to work on, only to find out that the wishes had changed in the meantime. With Scrum you communicate daily or weekly with customers and you can make adjustments immediately.

All kinds of teamwork

While scrum is mostly used by software development teams, the principles and lessons can be used for all kinds of teamwork. This is one of the reasons scrum is so popular. Often thought of as an agile project management framework, Scrum includes a series of meetings, tools, and roles that help teams structure and manage their work.

Are you interested to learn more about scrum or looking for talent to help you work agile? Don’t hesitate to contact Global Enterprise Partners.