SCRUM - our favorite development methodology
In Kuadriga, we think that "team building" is important - but daily dialogue means more for high productivity.
SCRUM is an agile software development methodology that forces daily dialogue - especially when supported by shared tools.
What is SCRUM?
SCRUM is an agile software development methodology. It is based on teams of developers that develop their way through priortised lists of specific requirements. Development is organized in "sprints" of 2-4 weeks after which the product should be demonstratable. All developers meet in daily stand-up team meetings of typically 15 minutes. The agenda is simple - and the same for all developers :
1) what have I achieved since yesterday?
2) what am I going to do today?
3) are there issues that keep me from doing as promised until tomorrow?
Apart from the team members themselves, important roles are "Product Owner" and "Scrummaster". The Product Owner represents the customer and priortises work. The Scrummaster facilitates daily work by organising daily meetings and removing obstracles to progress.
Unlike other methodologies, SCRUM recognizes that customers may change their minds about what is needed. Productivity and quality are typically very high as the team members commit themselves towards each other and are working in managable development cycles.
In the box to the right, is a list of internal root causes for bad performance in a team. They are pretty obvious when you look at them. Fighting them is harder. Because of physical and cultural distances, there is greater risk of them to appear in cooperation with off-shore teams. In combination, they can be deadly to overall performance and productivity.
SCRUM in offshore
Supported by modern communications, SCRUM fights the effects of distance and makes the world almost flat. Kuadriga's SCRUM-based teams typically conduct their daily meetings over Skype and use a shared team management environment to ensure that all team members are looking at the same reality.
What we find is that SCRUM is extremely helpful in breaking down barriers of distance and increasing mutual trust in the team. "Team building" activities are necessary for successfully launching new teams and it is useful to let all team members meet a few times a year.
But real benefits to productivity and quality come from daily contact - facilitated by SCRUM. SCRUM effectively forces teams together on a daily basis and provides a natural environment for resolving issues early and keeps the team focused.