Why is scrum the most popular agile methodology?

How did a rugby term that alludes to the formation of players huddling together closely, in an attempt to gain the ball, come to represent the most important software development methodology of our times? 

It’s because Scrum represents teamwork, whether on a rugby field or in project development. And this teamwork and cohesion between elements in a Scrum framework is what makes it one of the most popular Agile methodologies.

Why Scrum for projects? There are plenty of statistics out there that are a testament to the popularity of Scrum.

85 percent of respondents say Scrum continues to improve quality of work life—State of Scrum 2017-2018

Scrum Master is one of the most promising jobs—LinkedIn

Scrum is by far the most popular and widely used agile framework—Scrum Alliance®

This article attempts to help the reader understand about Scrum project management, why it is so popular, the scrum process flow, scrum ways of working and a lot more.

What is Scrum?

What is Scrum in Agile? Scrum is an Agile framework that follows an incremental and iterative approach to development. While it was initially used only in software development it has also proved to be useful in diverse fields such as sales, research, marketing and more.

The world was first introduced to Scrum as a concept in product development by two Japanese professors, in their article that was published in the Harvard Business Review. The idea of using Scrum as a framework for software development was put forth by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland in 1995. Since then, Scrum has seen continuous improvements and enhancements and become among the most widely used software development methodologies.

Scrum focuses on breaking large projects into small chunks. Goals are defined and timeboxed and teams are small, self organized and with a high degree of cross-function.

A Scrum team is made of 3 major units:

• The Product Owner
• The Scrum Master
• The Development team

Why is Scrum So Productive?

In his book “Scrum: The art of doing twice the work in half the time”, Jeff Sutherland states that Scrum is one of the reasons why productivity gains of as much as 1200% have been recorded.

Scrum has benefited not just the software development industry but also the military, government, universities and manufacturing industries and agencies.

The reason for Scrum being an enabler of high productivity is because it helps teams to stay focused and transparent with each other, collaborate, communicate, take accountability and remain motivated.

Advantages of Scrum

• Ability to manage changing priorities

The markets are tough and companies are jostling for customer attention which they can get by creating unique products that match target goals. This results in frequent changes in their requirements—which a Scrum team needs to implement.

Scrum successfully manages changing priorities because it is based on Agile principles and values that place the customer before process and principles, and responding to change over following a plan.

• Better visibility into projects

Scrum with its use of tools like task boards, daily stand-up meetings, sprint reviews and more helps in better resource allocation and project completion within timelines and budgets. This helps in improved planning, reduced chances of failure and faster response to risks.

• More alignment between business and IT
  

The product owner who represents the business works in tandem with the development team and the scrum master, ensuring better synergy between the business and IT.

Teams do not work in silos and there is open communication between business and IT, which leads to better understanding of what the business wants, and if and whether IT can deliver it.

• Faster time to market
  

Scrum is built on the foundation of time-boxed iterations called Sprints at the end of which a working part of the software is delivered. This ensures that a minimum viable product is immediately available for the customer to market.

Since it is also based on continuous improvements, the product is continuously enhanced, and more features are added in each subsequent release.

What are the Main Agile methodologies?

There are several popular Agile methodologies including

• Scrum
• Kanban
• Lean
• Crystal
• Extreme Programming (XP)
• DSDM
• FDD
  

What makes the Scrum the most popular Agile methodology?

So, why use Scrum?

• Easy to implement 
• Works for complex projects 
• Helps implement fast response to changing requirements 
• Fosters creativity and innovation 
• Increases pace with which dev teams work 
• Lowers costs 
• Ensures customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction 
• Promotes flexibility and adaptability 
• Reduces time to market 
• Works across markets and industries 
• Gives a sense of satisfaction to team members

The Secret of Scrum's Success

What contributes to Scrum’s success? That’s a question to ponder upon. That Scrum is extremely popular is a well-known fact. It checks all the boxes that a good Agile framework should satisfy, helps companies gain their business objectives and promotes creativity and innovation.

Some may argue that other Agile frameworks too offer these advantages. Yet, among all the other Agile frameworks like XP and Kanban, Scrum has managed to retain the top spot for the most popular agile framework.

These are some reasons why:

• Scrum is simple, straightforward, and easy to implement.  
• It has many well documented use cases that can be referred for successful implementation.
• Right from books to certifications to non-profit organizations, Scrum has a huge community that lends it enormous credibility and support.
• There are also a number of certifications like the Certified ScrumMaster®, Certified Scrum Product Owner®, Professional Scrum MasterTM certification and more that are widely recognised and accepted by the industry as a testament of the holder’s knowledge of Scrum. These certifications are a great way to land lucrative job roles and further one’s career.    
• Certifications are available not just for those wishing to become Scrum Masters and Product Owners but also for those who wish to coach and lead organization wide transformations with frameworks like SAFe® and LeSS.  
• Scrum is a continually evolving methodology and its global network of practitioners contribute to its growth and success.

Conclusion

From Google, Apple and Facebook to Adobe, AirBnB, Spotify, and Yahoo, the who’s who of technology is using Scrum for their day-to-day operations.

These are solid companies that have seen huge growth over the past years and a large part of this can be credited to the Scrum style of working. Not just applicable to tech giants, but Scrum is perfect for small team start-ups who need to innovate quickly and bring products out at breakneck speed.  

The State of Scrum Report states that Scrum is the overwhelmingly preferred Agile method, used by 40% of respondents. Scrum is definitely the most popular agile methodology and when used the right way, with the right tools it becomes a no fuss, simple implementation that gives autonomy to teams, emphasises on quality and customer satisfaction and above all helps each individual team member work to their maximum potential.