How to implement Scrum (Agile) in few steps

Step $: Get cross functional team on board or run from existing team

Cross Functional Scrum Team, As an individual have "T-shaped" skills. T-shaped, good in one skill but have knowledge of other required skills.

e.g. Web development team of 7 members.

1. Business Analyst BA

2. UI Designer

3. Coder

4. Tester

5. PL/SQL/ Database Administrator

6. Infra administrator

7. Subject Metter Expert

As a cross functional scrum team:

UI Designer expert in UI related work and also know about coding of PHP/JSP/ASP or any web technologies along with PL/SQL.

Coder expert in PHP/JSP/ASP or any web technologies and also know about UI Designing along with PL/SQL and testing.

Tester expert in testing with all expect and also know about requirement gathering along with PL/SQL and admin work.

BA expert in functional/non-function requirement gathering and also know about testing.

Infra admin expert in hardware/software configuration and also know about PL/SQL/DBA and Testing.

Whereas SME expert in web development end to end and have all required skills.

Normal day to day activity, all team member work with their primary activity but in case of any one absence and overload of other team member help it for

achieving the common goals. 

Step $: Trained team if there are not cross functional

For making cross functional team if we don’t have:

1. Internal/external training

2. Internal knowledge sharing within team

While doing this non cross functional team will converted in cross functional team. What's required willingness inside team and adaptation.

Step $: Environments ready (Development, Sprint, SIT, Pre-PROD and PROD)

End to end development/sprint environment required for starting work.

e.g.

1. Web/Application Server

2. Database Server

3. Repository Server, e.g. SVN, Git

4. Build Server. e.g. Jenkins

Step $: Decide sprint cycle 2-4 weeks

In scrum, sprint cycle is very important factory, if we decide it for 2, 3 or 4 weeks, accordingly we have to work on it till end of all release. As cycle will be fixed for all sprint and subsequent releases. As per scrum rule min 2 weeks and max we can choose 4 weeks.

Step $: Team details in any portal

Simply we have to put team profile along with picture in portal for visible to others. It’s easy for identification, as who is doing what along with what expatiation that person have.

e.g.; Google site or confluence or any wiki

Step $: Share Team communication details if multi location environment (as agreed day and time to work/available)

Team communication details are more important if team located in different geography. Simply we have to put their primary communication details along with secondary.

e.g.

Name: Vinod Kumar

Address: India or UK

Phone No: 07442790858

Email address: vinod@tutorialbyexample.com

Step $: Team calendar or working day and time for sprint

Calendar will have details working day and time, as team is working in different location and deferent weekday and time zone.

e.g. Suppose, running with scrum of scrum and few member are working in different country as mention below all have different time zone and working day.

USA Monday to Friday but different time zone

UK Monday to Friday but BST time zone

UAE Sunday to Thursday with GTZ

India Monday to Friday but GMT

Step $: Know your stack-holder’s or Vendors

Clear communication details required and all team must know about stack-holders' and their single point of contact SPOC.

Step $: Choose tool for scrum

Identifying the tool and uses all depend on company and cost of project, few tools are there as paid or open source which support the scrum.

e.g. Rally or Jirra or xplanner or any other as per your need

Need to put project, team, vendors, task, test case details.

Step $: Implement Continuous development CD, Continuous Integration CI and Continuous Delivery/Deployment CD

CD, CI and CD bring all work on single click instead of doing the deployment, server configuration, testing and all in day to day work.

e.g. implement Git, Gerrit and Jenkins like tool for achieving it.

Step $: Sticky note tool or windows for scrum update, apart from scrum tools

Step $: Messenger for communication in team for file, desk, audio and videos sharing

Choose any tool, e.g. join me, web sharing, Lynch, Skype, or any other tool.

Step $: Get your backlog in order with help of PO

Backlog have details about vision in form of epic, that epic will divide in backlog then sprint backlog and iteration backlog.

e.g. We need web site where we have logging screen along with employee and customer details.

Step $: Estimate your product backlog with available technique

In scrum, follow few technique, planning poker, story point and t-shirt size. All depend on what you are choosing and following for your scrum.

Step $: Sprint Planning (Top level first half)

In sprint planning, first half just we picked it up high propriety backlog, and discussed on it high level with PO, SME, Lead and few stack holders.

Accordingly we put in sprint backlog.

Step $: Sprint Planning/estimate tasks (With team in second half)

In second half of sprint planning meeting, detailed discussion with team and there estimation and feasibility or dependency.

Step $: Scrum tools update by team every day before stand up

Individual team member responsibility to update the respective task status in tool and there work time. As per status tool, generate the different type of reports.

Step $: Stand up and be part of it without failure

Daley status, 15 minutes reporting to each other, as in this meeting all are required and have to say:

What I have did that in last 24 hours?

What I’m going to do?

Is there any impediment?  

Why answering all three above question, scrum master will note and put it in tool.

Step $: Track progress with a daily burn down chart in tool

Generating the burn down chart and share with higher management on demand basis.

Step $: Review

After Sprint execution, the team holds a Sprint Review Meeting to demonstrate a working product increment to the Product Owner and everyone else who is interested.

Step $: Retrospect

Each Sprint ends with a retrospective. At this meeting, the team reflects on its own process. They inspect their behavior and take action to adapt it for future Sprints.

Step $: Reflect

Finished work for this sprint. It will visible in shippable.

Step $: Backlog Refinement Meeting

Most Product Backlog Items (PBIs) initially need refinement because they are too large and poorly understood. Teams have found it useful to take a little time out of Sprint Execution — every Sprint — to help prepare the Product Backlog for the next Sprint Planning Meeting.

Step $: Repeat...for next Sprint!

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