When Is a Scrum Not a Scrum?
Dr Peter May · Cambridge University Press eBooks · 2009
SYNOPSIS This chapter presents a case study in which a large project was managed with Scrum by splitting the deliverable into three separate parts. Each part was assigned to a separate development team and the project was run as a “Scrum of Scrums.” The case study focuses on one of these teams, describing how they followed the Scrum methodology closely to build and system-test their part of the deliverable. It then examines a few of the reasons for the exceptional outcome achieved by this team: zero code bugs in their first live code release. The chapter closes with a look at common deviations from the prescribed Scrum methodology, and whether a project that deviates in any of these ways can still be considered to be following Scrum. Introduction My name is Peter May and I have worked for Deloitte as a technology consultant for the past six years. During this time, I've been involved in a number of agile projects in various roles, including developer, test manager, and latterly, as a project manager. Each of these agile projects has used the Scrum project management approach, but each has deviated from the “pure” Scrum approach to a greater or lesser extent. In the case study that follows, I look at a model example of how Scrum, when implemented in a form close to its “pure” form, can lead to the production of very-high-quality software artifacts.