Table of Contents

Scrum and project management

Scrum is a part of the agile project management. It is based upon empirical process theory that can fit good in solving complex problems, where there might be several unknowns.

For this empirical process to succeed the focus lies on inspection and adaption in order to optimize the results. Learn from your results, process, risks and adapt.

As many firms try to implement Scrum there are several success stories and also realization that the right process can produce the right results.

Scrum can exist throughout the whole organization or be in a hybrid form, mixed with several project management techniques.

The best way to learn Scum is to read, take courses, get a certification, hire a coach, or hire a scrum master and a product owner to help in setting the standard. And continuously admit that you can do better, you do make mistakes and learn from them in an agile way.

Scrum needs commitment and understanding from the organization, of course to a certain degree and some of the rules mentioned in Scrum needs to be respected in order for the process to become successful and create a good product.

Scrum comes originally from the rugby world where scrum is used as a method of restarting play, that involves players packing closely together with their heads down and attempting to gain possession of the ball.

Scrum courses

You can receive an introduction to Scrum and the basic terminology used like Scrum events, roles and artifacts, and will understand the importance of the different elements in scrum and why they are inseparable. Furthermore the difference between traditional ans Scrum development is shown in terms of how to go through a Scrum project and end up with a product.

Teaching is important in order to gain knowledge on applying the theory into practices right away. Furthermore depending on the background of the participants the teaching can help clarify and learn them faster how to apply Scrum within their own organization.

There is of course a list of literature that is recommended but it depends a lot on your background and your needs in order to find out what you need.

If you decide to take a course there is normally a book included for reading ahead of taking the course.

There are several certifications, where our consultants can help in providing you with the right level.

Typically the courses for groups require at least 4 to max 8 participants.

Individual courses or larger groups can be arranged on an individual basis at a higher fee.

Scrum master certification, intensive course

For persons who already worked as or worked in a scrum team but are missing prove of their competences you can take an intensive course.

The intensive course consist of practical exercises and a large part of theory to understand Scrum and to succeed in obtaining a PSM1-certification.

We meet 2 times 4 hours from 15:00 to 19:00, preferably with at least one day in between.

Scrum master certification, no agile experience

For persons who worked as a project manager but have little or no agile experience this course is teaching the background the methods and contains practical exercises focused on the different aspects of scrum, in different angles and perspectives, in order to understand Scrum and to succeed in obtaining a PSM1-certification.

We meet 2 times 8 hours from 9:00 to 17:00, with at least one day in between.

Professional Scrum Master certification resources

There are many on-line resources available at http://www.scrum.org.

And of course the bible of Scrum: the Scrum guide at http://www.scrumguides.org

For the scrum master certification course PSM I, the following reading is recommended.

Agile Project Management with Scrum (Developer Best Practices), Ken Schwaber.

The scrum primer and the scrum papers are good to prepare for PSM II certification, covering theory and practices, including scaling of scrum. They can be found at the Scrum Foundation.

Scrum primer and scrum papers.pdf

Scrum product owner certification resources

For the scrum product owner certification course the following reading is recommend

For basic understanding and practice
– Software in 30 Days, Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland

For focusing on product backlog and the task of the product owner throughout the Scrum process
– Scrum Product ownership, Balancing the Value from Inside Out, by Robert Galen