Agile Development and Scrum Master: Here Are Things You Need To Know

In today’s hyper-competitive landscape, it has become necessary for companies to keep up and get their products launched as fast as they could. With the competition getting fiercer than ever, flexibility in the process of developing quality products offers the chance for businesses to stay ahead of their competitors. To achieve this, companies started adopting a product creation methodology called “agile development,” wherein Scrum Masters play a big role in completing projects faster.

What is Agile and Scrum?

The term “agile” is often heard and connected to software development, but it has become a standard practice for most companies in different industries. Defined as an iterative approach to managing projects, agile helps the team or company deliver value to customers as quickly as possible and with fewer problems encountered.

To implement agile processes, the agile team adopts the scrum framework, wherein work is delivered in small increments so that each plan and result is evaluated and improved continuously and simultaneously. Because of its flexible and changeable approach, team members can start working on the project instead of waiting for others to complete their part.

Now, where does the Scrum Master fit in all these?

The Role of Scrum Masters in Project Management

Nowadays, scrum masters are in great demand thanks to their expertise in utilising the Scrum framework. LinkedIn even recognised it as one of the most promising careers to have in the last five years. As scrum masters are responsible for supporting every leg of the process, these professionals work with three different groups namely: the product owners, the team and individuals, and the business and organisation. They lead the communication and collaboration between all these groups to effectively manage and complete projects.

Communication. The ability to communicate well is important in this role as both the product owners and team need to know valuable project details. For example, a web developer Singapore based will work well if he/she understands the scope and goals of the project while product owners manage the product backlog so the team can prioritise items according to urgency.

Good leaders. As leaders, these professionals are in charge of teaching the team about agile practices and adopting scrum techniques. They help in planning sprints or short iterations of work, as well as lead daily scrum meetings to talk about different portions of the project until project completion.

Problem-solvers. In software development and other types of projects, it’s normal to encounter problems along the way. Instead of removing specific members of the team, the scrum master finds the best person to tackle the problem. This way, the attention of the developer or designer is undivided and can focus on completing the sprints while a more experienced individual seeks to resolve the problem.

So, there you have it. You now know if it’s a scrum master or project manager you need for your development project.

What are the Industries in Need of these Professionals?

Because of the numerous benefits provided by agile teams utilising the Scrum framework, it’s no wonder that they are highly in-demand in the following industries.

Software Development

Considered to be the most common industry where scrum masters are in demand, they are considered to be an indispensable asset to such development projects. When developing software at scale, it’s typical to run into roadblocks along the way. To solve the problem, the manager will give the task to the developer who may already be working on a sprint for the project. As problem-solvers, the scrum master will find an experienced individual to work on quickly solving the problem rather than taking the developer’s focus away from the project.

Financial Services/Institutions

From web portals to apps, we’re accustomed to accessing financial technologies through smartphones and other mobile devices. To avoid mistakes even in the initial stages, financial institutions seek the services of scrum masters and/or teams to help identify and fix software product risks early to save money and prevent compromises in their operation. While IT support may help at times, they are not well-versed in developing and launching financial products, hence the need for these professionals for faster product development completion.

Government Offices

Some government offices are notorious for having costly and time-consuming processes as they digitise operations. Because of traditional contracts that focus on misleading milestones, these offices may have had massive losses. The solution is utilising the scrum framework to break down work into small increments and making improvements to the earlier plan, therefore, bringing the product delivery back on track.

Conclusion

Agile development or scrum framework may still be unheard of in some industries and companies, but it’s one useful technique that should be adopted in today’s landscape.

If you understand how valuable working with a scrum master is, then there’s no need to look further. Frontline Mobile Pte Ltd is one of the leading Singapore agencies you can get in touch with for agile development and scrum needs.