Following the theme of our previous blog post “Waterfall Methodology: Your Bespoke Development Project”, today, we’re helping you understand the timeline and key milestones during your Scrum project process.
You may already be familiar with the Scrum framework which facilitates the Agile approach to software development.
The Scrum model breaks the project into small cycles (or sprints) and is an iterative and collaborative approach, giving your team the flexibility to prioritise the most valuable features for each sprint.
Instead of developing the complete product in one go, each sprint builds on the previous functionality. After each sprint, our team verifies the changes and delivers them to you for feedback.
This model is best for teams that like frequent and fast feedback cycles, and when a project needs to pivot and adapt to the needs of the users; Sprints normally take one to four weeks, so you see the product evolve rapidly. It’s also an effective method if the full scope and requirements are not clear from the outset and are likely to change as the project progresses.
When using Scrum, you must set a sprint goal, so that everyone is aligned with the product vision, as the approach is focused on working software and concise documentation.
With Scrum, you’ll commit to a fixed cost and number of hours per sprint, and we estimate the number of sprints needed for each distinct phase of the project.
Using the Scrum framework, the timeline for your bespoke development project might look like this:
1. Initial Consultation and Requirement Gathering
Just like in a traditional Waterfall approach, we start with an initial consultation to understand your vision, goals, and requirements. This phase sets the foundation for the project.
2. Sprint Zero: Planning and Setup
Before diving into development, we have a Sprint Zero, which focuses on planning and setting up the project. This includes:
- Defining the Product Backlog. This is a prioritised list of features and work items. (Read about how to refine your backlog in our blog post “Backlog Refinement: 5 Ways To Make Your Backlog Items Sprint-Ready)
- Setting up the development environment and tools.
- Establishing roles, including Product Owner, Scrum Master, and the roles in the Development Team.
- Establishing ways of working. This requires the team to agree on the preferred communication channels, the release and support process, and how to raise and prioritise feature requests.
3. Development Sprints
- Sprint Planning: At the beginning of each Sprint, we hold a Sprint Planning meeting. Here, the team selects items from the Product Backlog to work on during the Sprint and agrees on the Sprint goals. Make sure your sprint planning is effective by reading our blog “5 Sprint Planning Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)”.
- Daily Stand-ups: We hold short daily meetings with the development team to discuss progress, challenges, and plans for the day.
- Development Work: The team works on the selected backlog items.
- Testing and Quality Assurance: Testing is integral to each Sprint. The team tests the features and functionality as they are developed, ensuring continuous feedback and quality.
- Sprint Review: At the end of the Sprint, the team demonstrates the completed work to stakeholders for feedback.
- Sprint Retrospective: The team reflects on the Sprint to identify improvements for the future.
Once you complete a Sprint, this process starts again and continues until you’re satisfied that you have a fully functioning application that meets the needs of the business. Sometimes, Sprints can continue indefinitely.
4. Release Planning and Deployment
Depending on the scope of the project (whether you’re developing a new application or enhancing an existing platform) we’ll plan a release. A release may include one or several sprints depending on the complexity of your project. Ideally, we’ll carry out frequent, small releases so you see the product evolving and quickly benefit from the new features and functionality.
Planning a release involved involves:
- Finalising the product increment for deployment.
- Deploying the product to the live environment.
5. Post-Launch Support and Maintenance
Once the project is complete, you may need ongoing support, including regular updates, bug fixes, and performance monitoring.
Conclusion
Using Scrum, the development process is highly iterative and collaborative. Each Sprint delivers new features and functionality, ensuring that the software closely aligns with your evolving needs and expectations.
By understanding the timeline and Sprint events, you can better prepare for the journey ahead.
Our goal is to deliver a high-quality, tailored solution that meets your unique needs and helps your business thrive. If you have any specific questions about how Scrum might work for your project, feel free to ask!
