Steps in the Scrum Process
There are a specific, unchanging set of steps in the Scrum flow. They include:
- Product backlog: The Product Owner and Scrum Team meet to prioritize the items on the product backlog (the work on the product backlog comes from user stories and requirements). The product backlog is not a list of things to be completed, but rather it is a list of all the desired features for the product. The development team then pulls work from the product backlog to complete during each sprint.
- Sprint planning: Before each sprint, the Product Owner presents the top items on the backlog to the team in a sprint planning meeting. The team then chooses which work they can complete during the sprint and moves the work from the product backlog to the sprint backlog (which is a list of tasks to complete in the sprint).
- Backlog refinement/grooming: At the end of one sprint, the team and Product Owner meet to make sure the backlog is ready for the next sprint. The team may remove user stories that aren’t relevant, create new stories, reassess the priority of stories, or split user stories into smaller tasks. The purpose of this “grooming” meeting is to ensure the backlog only contains items that are relevant and detailed, and that meet the project’s objectives.
- Daily Scrum meetings: The Daily Scrum is a 15-minute stand-up meeting where each team member talks about their goals and any issues that have come up. The Daily Scrum happens every day during the sprint and helps keep the team on track.
- Sprint review meeting: At the end of each sprint, the team presents the work they have completed at a sprint review meeting. This meeting should feature a live demonstration, not a report or a PowerPoint presentation.
- Sprint retrospective meeting: Also at the end of each sprint, the team reflects on how well Scrum is working for them and talks about any changes that need to be made in the next sprint. The team may talk about what went well during the sprint, what went wrong, and what they could do differently.
