Scrum

Scrum is a project management framework developed by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland in the mid-1990s.  Unlike traditional command and control project management approaches, Scrum puts control into the hands of those on the delivery team who are ultimately responsible for doing the work.  With the help of  a Scrum Master and Product Owner the team works in a short time-box (typically 2 – 4 weeks) to create “shippable” software.  These short interim periods of work along with continuous feedback loops allow the team to respond to change much quicker than in a typical waterfall approach.  So where does the name come from?  It’s actually a term used in the sport of rugby that defines when a group of players comes together to join arm to arm to move the ball forward – much like a Scrum development team does.

For a quick overview of Scrum refer to the Scrum Primer created by Pete Deemer and Gabrielle Benefield.