The Sprint Review & Earned Value Analysis in

What is Earned Value Analysis and how does the Sprint Review assist? This is a description of where Earned Value Analysis (EVA) fits in the context of Scrum. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Earned Value Analysis (EVA) and Earned Value Management (EVM), please see our earlier article “Using Earned Value Analysis for…

User Story Points and Estimating User Stories

What are User Story Points and how are they used for estimating User Stories Within Scrum Projects? While Scrum does not follow Traditional Project Management guidelines, there are some Estimation activities around the Work to be Done. Estimation is Done for:-. User Stories, which are subsets of the general Requirements. Tasks, which are the activities…

Good User Stories: Writing The Perfect User Story

Writing Good User Stories can be a difficulty process, but is it an important aspect of developing the Right product. You read this because:-. As a team member you have been charged with writing a User Story and do not understand where to start. You have actually written some User Stories prior to and the…

User Stories Prioritization in Scrum Projects

What is User Stories Prioritization and how is it applied within Scrum Projects? We provided a brief description of the Product Owner Role in a previous article where we explained their Responsibilities. One of the responsibilities that we metioned was in regards to the prioritization of the user stories. As the steward of the Product…

Vision Board Starter Kit for Creating Optimal Value

How can the Vision Board Starter Kit be used in Scrum Projects for creating optimal value? The introduction of a new Product may start from many different sources in an Organization. However the Development, either of the Product itself or of an Application that supports the Product will be carried out in an IT Project.…

Scrum Inspect and Adapt: Agile Planning

What is Scrum Inspect and Adapt and how does it apply within Agile Project Planning? ‘Agile Planning’ is very different to Traditional Planning because it Accepts and Expects Uncertainty. However, there is still one very important similarity, the Project Constraints. These Constraints are depicted as a triangle, known as the Triple Constraints or the “Iron…

Conflict Resolution Strategies within Scrum

‘Conflict Resolution Strategies’ within Scrum is as much about the Scrum Master’s Management style as it is about Conflicts. These conflicts occur between Scrum Team members (Scrum Master, Product Owner – the Voice of the Customer, and the Development Team). This is where a good Scrum Master comes into their own. However, we are not…

Bruce Tuckman Theory For Team Development

What is the Bruce Tuckman Theory, and how does it apply to Scrum Projects? In 1965, Bruce Tuckman composed a definitive research study on the nature of Teams and Group Dynamics. His study was Titled “Developmental Sequence in Small Groups”. This study was based upon Team behaviour in the United States Navy. The study was…

Team Building Business Plan in Scrum Projects

What is the Team Building Business Plan and how does it apply to Scrum Projects? The Dynamics of a Team and how to promote co-operation and Teamwork among the Team members is a popular topic. This is due to the move towards replacing old, hierarchical structures with Teams. This is occurring throughout the business and…

Scrum Master Daily Duties in Agile Projects

What are the Scrum Master Daily Duties within an Agile Scrum Project? The Role of the Scrum Master is often under-rated by many Organisations. This is often because they do not understand the real Value of the Scrum Master. This is why it is often stated that the Scrum Master can be assigned to more…