Agile methodologies are increasingly needed in the development of projects, whether software, engineering or any other type. In this context, one of the most commonly used is the Scrum methodology. Project management according to Scrum involves a different way of working. This agile method of development is composed of different roles. One of the most important is the Scrum Master. Jose Duarte, an entrepreneur and Scrum Master from Costa Rica, provides insight into how Scrum can help eCommerce entities improve their online project management.
Every professional who wants to dedicate himself or herself to Project Management must know the main tasks of the Scrum Master. Usually, the role of the Scrum Master is to ensure that the Scrum method of project management is understood and applied by the entire team. Among the main functions of the Scrum Master in Project Management are included several items – helping the Scrum method to be adopted in both the team and the organization, leading the Scrum team, seeking improvement in the productivity and quality of the project’s deliverables, helping the self-management of the project team and resolving the impediments the team encounters to fulfill project tasks.
The Scrum Master role is also assigned a number of tasks. These are intended to work for the product owner or product owner, but also for the development team or for the organization itself. Explains Duarte, “Among the tasks of the Scrum Master aimed at the owner of the product is to find techniques for the effective management of the Product Stack. He is also responsible for communicating the vision, objectives, and elements of that product stack to the development team. Another task of this role in Scrum is to help understand long-term planning in a real environment. On the other hand, during the sprints of the project, the Scrum Master will have to be present to support any problems that may arise.”
In working with the project development team, the role of the Scrum Master is to train in self-organization and multifunctionality. It’s a basic thing in agile methodologies. You will also have the task of training the team to cope with environments in the limes the Scrum methodology has not been fully applied or understood.
Scrum Master tasks aimed at the organization itself also play an important role in Project Management. This figure is responsible for leading and training for the adoption of Scrum in a company or organization. This involves planning the implementations of this agile project methodology or causing changes that increase the productivity of the development team. “Sometimes it is advisable that the Scrum Master work with another Scrum Master, in order to increase the effectiveness when applying this methodology in a project or in an organization,” adds Duarte.
There are several reasons to implement this type of project management in a company, as it can provide a different point of view if it is stuck in outdated methods that are required today. Additionally, a company may not be using any method to work with and may not be aware that it can become much more cost-effective and resolute by applying an agile methodology, as they have few barriers to entry and implementation.
A common link of these methodologies is that they always work through partial deliveries to find an MVP (minimum viable product) of the product as soon as possible and continue working from that point on. This allows the Scrum Master to detect any anomalies or problems quickly, providing both the team and the customer with information about the need to reinforce or eliminate some key point in the process.
In addition, having the customer’s acceptance criteria always updated. “Being a stakeholder allows a quick decision-making regarding changes in the operation of the process of elaboration of the product or service,” concludes Duarte.