Scrum Burn-Down

Do you constantly worry about the progress of projects or how the team is doing? If you are frequently concerned about whether or not projects will get done on time - with the quality and functionality that is desired - Scrum may be the best solution to your problem.

Scrum is a team based approach to project management that controls the chaos of conflicting interests and needs. Scrum allows changes to be made before project launch, rather than after the initial system is delivered, or change management happens. It also ensures that those project changes are small and easily deliverable.

Scrum is driven by business priorities and is delivered by self-organizing teams. Requirements, designs, architectures, and other project details can emerge throughout the project. Scrum is beneficial for small, single projects or multiple projects for large organizations.

On a Scrum project, team communication is improved and cooperation is encouraged. Anything that may get in the way of the project or prohibit project development is identified and removed - before the project launch. Efficiency is maximized because each team member is encouraged to do the best they can and contribute to the project. The result is that people feel good about their job and their productivity increases.

Scrum Burn-Down Chart

Standard Time® includes a Project History burn-down line graph, as shown below. The remaining hours for each project are graphed against time, as in the Scrum burn-down method. This lets you see where your project has been, and predict where it will be in weeks to come.

With this tool, each team member updates a burn-down chart by simply tracking their time. Burn-down charts are simple, powerful, and an effective way to give visibility into a project’s progress. Burn-down charts reveal the strategy, progress, and invite discussions on the best way to proceed and move the project forward.

The emotional value of seeing "the light at the end of the tunnel" is tremendous. Project participants can focus on sprinting toward the light. Each day, the line graph will fall toward zero, encouraging everyone to meeting the final goal.

Advantages of Scrum:

• Scrum embraces and expects change.
• Increases in productivity are the result of active management commitment.
• Scrum enables continuous, rapid improvement and reengineering.
• Controlled Chaos
• Project is broken up into sections.
• Progress is always made even if requirements are not defined.
• All information is available to all project team members.
• Communication within the team improves.
• Successes and failures are shared, continuously.
• Customer relationships are improved.

For Scrum to succeed, management must be hands on and willing to make changes. The Scrum team needs decision-making authority. Management must let the teams do their work, even if mistakes are made in the process.

Where Did Scrum Come From?

Scrum originated from Controlled Chaos, a software development process based on the industrial process theory. Processes are undefined, dynamic, complex, and unpredictable. Therefore, project planning must plan for this - change is expected. Scrum is a management process, a development process, and a process for continuous improvement.

Standard Time^®

Standard Time^® is uncomplicated, intuitive, and can improve the results of any project. Use the Project History burn-down line graph to track your projects and predict the direction of the project plan. Download a copy today and try it for yourself.  Learn more  Contact the ScrumMasters at Advanced Development Methods, Inc.

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