What Is Agile Scrum Methodology?

Agile scrum methodology is used by companies of all sizes for its ability to provide high-end collaboration and efficiency for project-based work. Agile and scrum are two different methods and can be used separately; however, their combined benefits make the agile scrum methodology the most popular use of agile. Here’s the complete guide to agile scrum methodology.

Agile and scrum can be used separately, but their combined benefits make the methodology popular.

Agile scrum methodology is the combination of the agile philosophy and the scrum framework. Agile means “incremental, allowing teams to develop projects in small increments. Scrum is one of the many types of agile methodology, known for breaking projects down into sizable chunks called “sprints.” Agile scrum methodology is good for businesses that need to finish specific projects quickly.

Agile scrum methodology is a project management system that relies on incremental development. Each iteration consists of two- to four-week sprints, where the goal of each sprint is to build the most important features first and come out with a potentially deliverable product. More features are built into the product in subsequent sprints and are adjusted based on stakeholder and customer feedback between sprints.

Whereas other project management methods emphasize building an entire product in one operation from start to finish, agile scrum methodology focuses on delivering several iterations of a product to provide stakeholders with the highest business value in the least amount of time.

Agile scrum methodology has several benefits. First, it encourages products to be built faster, since each set of goals must be completed within each sprint’s time frame. It also requires frequent planning and goal setting, which helps the scrum team focus on the current sprint’s objectives and increase productivity.

Agile is a process that allows a team to more efficiently manage a project by breaking it down into several stages, each of which allows for consistent collaboration with stakeholders to promote steady improvements at every stage.

Agile lets a team manage a project more efficiently by breaking it down into several stages.

Agile was first described in the Agile Manifesto in 2000 by a group of developers who sought out a new method of writing software. The manifesto cites four values:

The Agile Manifesto also enacted 12 principles in reference to software development and was later reconfigured to fit a wider perspective of users:

In short, scrum is a framework for effective collaborations among teams working on complex products. Scrum is a type of agile technology that consists of meetings, roles, and tools to help teams working on complex projects collaborate and better structure and manage their workload. Although it is most often used by software development teams, scrum can be beneficial to any team working toward a common goal.

While scrum can be useful for a wide variety of businesses and projects, these are the most likely beneficiaries:

These are some of the collective benefits of agile scrum methodology:

The greatest benefit of agile scrum methodology is its flexibility. With the sprint-based model, the scrum team typically receives feedback from stakeholders after each sprint. If there are any problems or changes, the scrum team can easily and quickly adjust product goals during future sprints to provide more valuable iterations. This way, stakeholders are happier because they get exactly what they want after being involved every step of the way.

Compare this with traditional project management systems, in which stakeholders do not provide frequent feedback and time is wasted making changes to the product halfway through development – or worse, such as the teams needing to start from scratch after the product has already been built.

To implement agile scrum methodology, there must be either a scrum expert in the company or an outside consultant to ensure scrum principles are being applied correctly. Agile scrum methodology involves precise execution and could result in serious problems if not done properly.

To implement agile scrum, you’ll need an expert in your company or an outside consultant.

Agile scrum methodology consists of two sets of roles: core roles, known as “pigs,” and ancillary roles, known as “chickens.”

There are three core roles: scrum master, product owner and scrum team. All of these people are committed to the scrum project.

Ancillary roles, on the other hand, are other stakeholders who are involved in, but not committed to, the scrum project. Typically, ancillary roles consist of customers, management and members of the executive team who are involved for the purpose of consulting, reporting progress and gathering feedback to better work toward delivering the highest value possible.

Managers and employees can enroll in training for both agile and scrum through various online and in-person courses. Many educational training courses result in certification in agile or scrum methodologies. Agile training provides the trainee with the basic knowledge of agile and how to implement it to the rest of their team. Scrum provides similar training, including the basic agile overview; however, the training caters to the scrum framework.

To become a certified scrum master (CSM) or certified scrum product owner (CSPO), you must first prepare and learn the basic details of scrum through videos or a simple internet search. Next, find a suitable CSM or CSPO course, either through your workplace or another internet search. Once you’ve completed the course, you usually have to pass an exam to become certified. After certification, you’re able to lead your team through the scrum process or provide scrum product details.

Although scrum and agile are similar, they have some key differences:

Sara Angeles contributed to the writing and research in this article.

Benefits of Agile Methodology & Scrum Processes

Agile processes are focused on the rapid and repeatable delivery of products or projects. Today, more and more companies across industries—including IT, manufacturing, marketing and communications, healthcare, and construction—are implementing Agile methodologies and development practices to help improve project management skills and stay competitive. For Agile to be effective and to maximize business value, they depend on continuous iterative planning and feedback loops—and the Scrum process allows you to do so quickly and effectively.

Traditional waterfall project management assumes you will map everything from the beginning through one streamlined process. Agile reflects the changing nature of requirements and feedback throughout the process of project delivery. It is a methodology where you apply an iterative approach to project management. Instead of delivering a final product to a client at an end deadline, you are constantly consulting with the client and stakeholders throughout smaller deliveries and feedback sessions or “sprints.” Living up to its name, Agile project management allows you to be nimble and responsive to the changing needs of your client and your team.

Scrum is an implementation of the Agile methodology. A Scrum meeting is focused on how you organize team roles, update client feedback and the latest changes in requirements. During this process, teams regroup to make sure the project is on task, on time and on budget. During Scrum meetings, project leaders and teams identify the steps, resources and personnel needed to complete a task.

Drexel’s Goodwin College of Professional Studies offers professional pathways and courses to get up to speed about Agile Scrum. You can take two-day courses, ranging from beginner to advanced levels here on campus. Or, you can explore a professional skill track in Agile project management that includes on-campus courses and online essential skill training through The Skills Hub.

If your company is using waterfall and exploring adopting Agile, consider about Agile project management with Scrum training for your employees. Talk to us about getting a complimentary training skills gap analysis and our multiple employee discount.

Best Scrum developer certifications

As big tech companies including Twitter and Facebook lay off thousands of programmers, the job market becomes increasingly competitive.

As such, developers who seek gainful employment and top-tier compensation must find ways to set themselves apart from the crowd. One of the ways to do that is to complement your education and work experience with certifications that are highly in demand and respected in the industry you’re in.

For Scrum developers who wish to find work on cross-functional and self-managed Agile teams, here are the top 5 Scrum developer certifications:

A certified Scrum developer understands the importance of the five, core Scrum values.

Employers want developers that are immediately productive. They don’t want to waste time explaining software development processes and procedures to new hires.

When a Professional Scrum Developer Certification appears on a programmer’s resume, an employer knows that the application fully understands the following:

Relatively few programmers are certified as Scrum developers. A developer this certification on their really stands out from the crowd.

Developer certifications in Scrum can be obtained by several organizations, but the premier designation comes from scrum.org.

Modern software development happens in the cloud.

A productive software developer on a Scrum teams must know how to provision cloud-based resources, troubleshoot code in the cloud and overcome cloud-based security and firewall issues.

Employers know that the ability to develop and manage cloud-based applications is essential to modern-day businesses. A cloud developer certification on an applicant’s resume tells the hiring manager that you understand and can take full advantage of the benefits of cloud computing for a software development team.

All of the major cloud vendors offer a cloud developer certification. Cloud developer certifications from Google, Amazon and Oracle are all held in high regard.

Organizations expect a software developer on a Scrum team to know how to write code. Therefore, every Scrum developer should have a some type of a programming language certification on their resume.

For example, I like to see a Certified Java Programmer designation from Oracle on a resume, even if a company’s main language is Python or JavaScript.

A Java programmer certification proves a developer knows the following:

Industry-recognized certifications in other languages, such C# from Microsoft, also demonstrate to potential employers that you have a strong grasp of programming fundamentals.

Agile’s highest priority is the continuous delivery of software.

An Agile Scrum developer must understand the toolchain that enables continuous software delivery. DevOps certifications proves one’s knowledge of that toolchain.

The two most highly coveted DevOps certifications come from Amazon and Google. Both are considered ‘Professional’ designations, which means they go further in depth than introductory or associate certs.

Both the AWS and GCP certifications cover the same breadth of topics, including how to:

A Scrum developer certified by Amazon or Google as a DevOps Engineer brings a qualification to the table that few other job applicants possess.

The DevOps infinity loop shows an iterative dev process often embraced by Agile teams.

A Kubernetes certification is rare, but it’s definitely a plus.

A developer with strong knowledge of cloud-native computing, 12 factor app development and the limitations of Docker and Kubernetes will help streamline an organization’s microservices development and play a key role in its digital transformation efforts.

The CKAD designation is provided through the Cloud Native Computing Foundation, a highly respected open source organization in the cloud native computing space. Scrum developers with this certification have proof of competency in the following areas:

Scrum development teams that build cloud-native applications that are managed at runtime by Kubernetes will be well-served to have a Certified Kubernetes Application Developer.

In a competitive job market, it is important to stay ahead of your competition. With these five Scrum developer certifications on your resume, you will find your Agile development skills in great demand.