Scrum Dictionary: 33 Essential Terms to Know - AHA.io

Scrum dictionary. Scrum is an agile development framework and one of the most popular established methods for managing software product development. AgileguideScrumScrumglossaryScrumdictionaryScrumisanagiledevelopmentframeworkandoneofthemostpopularestablishedmethodsformanagingsoftwareproductdevelopment.Whilesomeagileworkflowsareflexiblebydesign,scrumisexplicitlydocumentedandprocess-driven.Inscrum,developmentteamscompleteworkwithinafixedperiodoftime(typicallytwotofourweeks).Withintheseiterations,orsprints,teamsaimtodeliveranincrement—definedasusableandvaluablefunctionality—tocustomers.Scrumfollowsaprescribedsetofartifacts,meetings,tools,androlestohelpagileteamsmanageworkflowefficientlyandgeneratemorevalue.Thisdictionaryprovidesalistofdefinitionsofscrum-relatedkeywordstohelpyoubetterunderstandthemethodology.Notallofthetermsareuniquetoscrum,butallareimportanttoimplementingscrum.AAcceptancecriteriaRequirementsthatmustbemetforaspecificitemintheproductbacklogtobeconsideredcomplete.Acceptancecriteriaishelpfulforestimatingtimeandresourcesneededduringsprintplanning.Notethatalthoughtheyseemsimilar,acceptancecriteriaisdifferentfromdefinitionofready(DoR).ArtifactsItemsthatrepresentworktobedoneinordertodelivervalueagainsttheproductgoal.Scrumartifactsincludetheproductbacklog,thesprintbacklog,andincrements.BBacklogAlistofworkitems.Inscrumtherearetwobacklogs:theproductbacklogandthesprintbacklog.BacklogrefinementProcessofaddingdetailandestimatestoitemsinabacklog.Duringbacklogrefinement(or“backloggrooming”),largeitemsmaybebrokendownintosmallerunits.BurndownchartAvisualgraphicshowingworkagainsttimeallowed.Burndownchartsareareportingtoolusedbyscrumteamstounderstandprogresswithinasprint.BurnupchartAvisualgraphicshowingtheamountofworkthathasbeencompletedduringasprint.Burnupchartsareusedbyscrumteamstotrackprogresstowardasprintgoalandensureworkfallswithinthesprint'sscope.CCapacityAmeasurementoftheamountofworkthatcanbecompletedduringasprint.Capacityisbasedonthenumberofhoursanindividualorateamhasavailabletocompleteworkduringagivensprint.DDailyscrumOneofthefivescrumevents,thisisaquickmeetingwiththescrumteamtoreviewtheday’swork,assessprogress,andcaptureanyroadblocks.Definitionofdone(DoD)Anorganization'sformaldefinitionofwhenanincrementofworkmeetsthequalitymeasuresrequiredforrelease.Definitionofready(DoR)Anorganization’sformaldefinitionofquality.OnceanitemreachesDoRitbecomesanincrement.DependencyAnevent,collaboration,orpieceofworkthatreliesoninvolvementfromanotherteam(s).Dependenciesmustbecompletedinorderforanagileteamtofinishasprintitem.DevelopersEngineerswhocompleteworkduringasprint.Developers,whotypicallyworkingroupsofthreetoninepeople,areresponsibleforallaspectsofdeliveringaworkingandtestedincrement.EEstimationApredictionmadebythescrumteamabouttheamountofeffortitwilltaketocompleteanincrementofwork,oftenmeasuredinuserstorypointsortime.IIncrementAscrumartifactthatdefinesthevaluethatwillbedeliveredtocustomersuponcompletionofasprint.IncrementstypicallybuildoneachotherandaresteppingstonestodeliveringaCompleteProductExperience(CPE).PProductbacklogAprioritizedinventoryoffeatures,defects,prioritizedideas,ortechnicalworkthathasyettobeworkedon.Theproductbacklogshouldincludeworkthatisconsideredvaluablefromtheproductowner’sperspective.ProductmanagerProductmanagersinscrumareoutwardlyfocusedonthemarket,customers,positioning,andpricing.Theyareresponsibleforsettingvision,goals,andmajorinitiativesfortheproduct.Theydohigh-levelproductplanningandowntheproductroadmap.ProductownerProductownersareinwardlyfocused.Theyinfluencetheproductmanager’sresponsibilities,suchasreleaseplanningandfeaturedefinition.Theyrepresentthecustomerandadvocateforthebusinesscaseonthescrumteam.Theyaretheonlymemberoftheteamwhocanchangetheorderoffeaturesintheproductbacklogandchoosewhethertoreleaseasprint.SScaledAgileFramework®TheScaledAgileFramework®(SAFe®)isasetofguidelinesforimplementingagileandleanprinciplesatscale.SAFe®includesitsownsetofcoreprinciplesandguidanceforactionacrossthreemainlevelsofanorganization:team,program,andportfolio.ScrumboardThisiswherethesprinthappens.Ascrumboardisavisualizationofalloftheworkinanongoingsprint.Itemsaretypicallydisplayedacrossdifferentworkflowstages,whichhelpsteamsstayorganized,assignwork,andtrackprogress.Scrumboardsarefairlyrigidandboundtothegoalofsprintcompletion.Otheragileteamsusemoreflexibletoolslikekanbanboardstovisualizetheirwork.ScrumofscrumsAtime-boxedmeetingdesignedtocoordinatetheworkofmultiplescrumteamsworkingonthesameproject—integratingoutputsandeliminatinganyimpediments.ScrummasterThescrumteammemberwhohelpsthedevelopmentteamstayontask,maintainalignmentwithscrumtechniques,andeliminateroadblocks.Scrummastersplaytheroleofcoachandmotivator—notenforcer.ScrumbanAnagilemethodologythatcombineselementsofscrumwithelementsofkanban.Scrumbanteamsblendthestructureprovidedbyscrumwiththeflexibilityandworkflowvisualizationofkanban.SpikeOriginatingfromExtremeProgramming,aspikeisatypeofuserstoryorfeaturethatiscreatedtodedicatetimetoresearch.Insteadofproducingshippablework,aspikeisfocusedonfindinganswerstoproblemsandgatheringnecessaryinformationforupcomingwork.SprintAtime-boxediterationofworkthattypicallylastsbetweenoneandfourweeks.Asprintincludesdefinedfeaturesoruserstoriestocompletewiththegoalofdeliveringusablefunctionalitytocustomers.SprintbacklogAlistofupcomingworktobecompletedinasprint—intheformofuserstories—thatisoftendisplayedonthescrumboard.Thesprintbacklogfillsupwhentheengineeringteamandtheproductownerworktogethertodivvyupplannedreleasesintosprintcycles.SprintgoalThestatedobjectiveofasprint.Sprintgoalshelpdevelopmentteamsalignonprioritiesandunderstandwhytheyarebuildingthecurrentincrement.SprintplanningTheplanningmeetingatthestartofeachsprint.Theproductowner,scrummaster,anddevelopmentteammeettodeterminethesetofitemsfromthebacklogthatwillbecompletedduringthesprint.SprintretrospectiveAseparatemeetingfromthesprintreviewwheretheteamdiscusseswhatwentwellandwhatdidnotgoasplannedduringthesprint.Thegoalofaretrospectiveistoidentifyopportunitiesforfutureimprovement.SprintreviewAreviewmeetingthathappensafterthesprintiscomplete.Thedevelopmentteamtypicallygivesademotoshowwhattheyaccomplished,andstakeholdersprovidefeedbacktohelptheproductownerdecideifthesprint'sobjectivehasbeenreached.StorypointsAunitofmeasurementusedtoestimatetheamountofeffortnecessarytocompleteadevelopmenttask.Thenumberofstorypointsassignedtoauserstoryisbasedonfactorslikethevolumeofwork,complexity,andrisk.TTechnicaldebtAmeasurementofsystemmaintenancecoststhatresultfromchoosingalimitedshort-termsolutionoverahigherqualitysolutionthatrequiresmoretimeandresources.Technicaldebtreferstotheoverheadofmaintainingandeventuallyreworkingsuchasystem.VVelocityAmetricfordetermininghowmuchworkateamcanaccomplishduringasprint.Onabasiclevel,velocityiscalculatedbyaddingupthecompleteduserstorypointsattheendofasprint.WWorkinprogress(WIP)Inscrum,WIPreferstothetotalnumberofworkincrementsthattheengineeringteamiscurrentlyworkingon.ScrumteamsmaysetWIPlimitstofocusonfewertasksatagiventime.Agreatscrumteamneedstherightagiledevelopmenttools.TryAha!Developfreefor30days.AgiledevelopmentWhatisagilesoftwaredevelopment?Whatisanagileroadmap?Whatarethemostcommonagiledevelopmentmethodologies?Agilevs.leanAgilevs.waterfallWhatistheScaledAgileFramework(SAFe®)?Whatarebestpracticesofagiledevelopmentteams?Whatisunittesting?WhatisDevOps?WhataresomeDevOpsbestpractices?DevOpsand"continuouseverything"Whatisanagileretrospective?IntroductiontoagilemetricsWhatisaburndownchart?Whatisagiletransformation?Whatisissuetracking?Whatistheroleofasoftwareengineer?KanbanWhatiskanban?HowdevelopmentteamsimplementkanbanHowtosetupakanbanboardKanbanvs.scrumScrumWhatisscrum?Whatarescrumroles?Whatisascrummaster?Whatisasprint?Whatisasprintplanningmeeting?Whatisadailystandup?Whatisasprintreview?SprintretrospectivetemplatesThemes,epics,stories,andtasksinscrumHowtoimplementscrumHowtochooseascrumcertificationScrumglossaryThe#1productdevelopmentsoftwareBuildlovableproductsandbehappydoingitStartafreetrialRequestademo©2022Aha!LabsInc.•AllrightsreservedPrivacypolicyTermsofservice