Scrum and The Guide

Scrum

Scrum is an iterative, incremental framework for project management, often used in agile software development, it is the most adapted agile methodology.

Scrum teams consists of a Scrum Master, a Product Owner, developers, and executives. A 'Scrum Master' acts as a project manager. A 'Product Owner' decides what the software should do.

Iterations are called sprints. During each sprint (typically a two to four week period with the length being decided by the team), the team creates a shippable product version (working and tested software). The set of features that go into a sprint come from the product backlog, a prioritized set of high level requirements of work to be done. The backlog items that go into a sprint is determined during a sprint planning meeting. During this meeting the Product Owner informs the team of the items in the product backlog that should be completed. The team determines which items they can produce, and records this sprint backlog into a dashboard. During a sprint, no one is allowed to change the sprint backlog. Each sprint must end on time, if requirements are not completed they are left out and returned to the product backlog. Daily meetings (daily scrums) are held, and everybody tells what has been done and what will be done, and what impediments prevents work from being done. After the sprint the team demonstrates how to use the software.

The Guide

The Guide is a comprehensive project management software that supports CMMI level 5, ISO 9001, time management and timesheets, best practices, and much more. Contains also CRM, HRM, and professional services automation. Automates work never automated before. Optimized for software development projects. Supports Scrum and CMMI (You can easily have both agile development and develop software in a disciplined manner).

Server based, user interface via www-browsers, everything real-time. Supports an unlimited number of concurrent users and has an impressive performance even with really big data/user amounts. Extremely well suited for distributed teams.

Scrum support in The Guide

• Product Backlog. Add and modify requirements which form the backlog. Prioritize requirements (backlog items). List and search the backlog.
• Sprint Backlog. Select/modify requirements to become tasks for a sprint. All normal project management tools for tasks (e.g. Gantt-charts).
• Scrum meeting. During the daily scrum several different pages can be used; edit/modify requirements (the backlog), prioritize and select backlog items to be done as tasks, assign tasks to team members. See the dashboard, activities done, recent changes, estimates, and burndown charts for a sprint.
• Burndown chart. While working hours and estimates are entered into a project The Guide will automatically create burdown charts for sprints and tasks.
• Sprint. Enter hours done and hours remaining for tasks in a sprint. See all Your current activities in a sprint. Save and find version controlled files (artifacts).
• Impediments. Enter, search and modify impediments (anything that prevents a team member from performing work efficiently).
• Dashboard. The Guide contains a dashboard page, where the backlog is recorded. Search and edit easily backlog items.
• Scrum master, team, product owner. The Guide is role based, and typical roles in Scrum are preconfigured. All authorization is role based, what You see and what You can do depends on the role You have in a project.
• Distributed teams. Scrum encourages co-location of team members (better communication between team members). Sometimes distributed teams (team members in different physical locations, e.g. distance work) is preferred or a must. The Guide enables distributed Scrum with it's online, real-time software tools designed to enhance communication and distribute information to all team members. The Guide is a distributed development software environment.

Links