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Learn Scrum Framework Using Real World Case Study! This Might Surprise You!

Before Starting The First Sprint

Alex works as the Scrum Product Owner of a new software development project. One of his first tasks is to assess and find out requirements to deliver the business value his client is looking for.

He needs to make sure that his client will get the correct software to achieve tangible business results. He writes down the essential use cases and discusses them with the architects, client representatives, and other stakeholders from IT and business units. (See our Scrum Example)

After assembling the high-level use-cases and requirements, he writes them into the Scrum Product Backlog and initiates an estimation and prioritization session with the Scrum Team. As a result of this session, all items in the Scrum Product Backlog get an initial rough estimate and priority.

During those sessions, Anna, the Scrum Master, ensures that everyone speaks the same language. So, the Scrum Product Owner, the Scrum Team Members, and their stakeholders are aligned with the anticipated goals. So they have an adequate understanding of potentially new concepts for them, such as Use Case, Backlog, Sprint, and so on. And most importantly, the Scrum software development and delivery process is correctly applied in their workplace.

Now Alex, the Scrum Product Owner, begins to break down the high-level requirements into the first draft of smaller-grained user stories. With this list, he then calls for the first Sprint Planning Meeting.

Sprint 1 - Day 0

During the Sprint Planning Meeting, Alex presents the Scrum Product Backlog items from the highest priority to the lowest. The Scrum Team asks and clarifies open questions. For each item, the team discusses if they have enough capacity and the required know-how to develop and deliver it. The Scrum Team needs to ensure that all required human and technical resources are in place before the start of the Sprint. They need to confirm that all prerequisites and dependencies are fulfilled, which could be critical to delivering certain software features successfully.

During Sprint Planning Meeting (What-Part), the Developers forecast that they can complete user stories 1,2,3,6,7 and 8 by the end of the Sprint, in support of the agreed Sprint Goal. So these user stories are now moved from the Scrum Product Backlog to the Sprint Backlog. The user stories 4 and 5 cannot be accomplished in this Sprint, as some prerequisite technical infrastructure is not yet in place.

After the What-Part of the Sprint Planning Meeting, Anna, the Scrum Master, calls the Scrum Team to drill down how the team is going to implement the committed user stories (How-Part). The emerging tasks during the How-Part of the Sprint Planning Meeting are written down on the cards, and the team stores them into the Sprint Backlog. Now all members of the Scrum Team are ready to select a task to begin to work on.

Sprint 1 - Day 1

In the morning, the Developers get together for their Daily Scrum Meeting. Everyone gives a brief and concise statement about what he or she has done so far, updates the estimates of remaining work on the cards of the Sprint Backlog. Everyone tells what he or she is planning to do today, and reveals if there are any impediments which hinder them from processing any tasks.

Today one of the Scrum Team members, Melinda, informs the Scrum Team that she has a problem with the license of the integrated software development environment she is using. Anna, the Scrum Master, checks if other team members have the same problem and confirms that she'll take care of this impediment after the meeting. After about 15 minutes of this Daily Scrum Meeting, everyone goes back to work.

After this meeting, Anna updates the Sprint Burn down Chart to visualize the progress of work during this Sprint. Then she calls the software vendor, orders the missing license, and delivers it to Melinda.

Introduction to Scrum A Real World Example (Case Study ) across various Scrum Phases and Sprints

Sprint 1 - Day 2

In the morning, the Developers get together again for their Daily Scrum Meeting. In the afternoon, a member of the Scrum Team, James, has uncertainty about the expected outcome of one of the user stories. He calls Alex, Scrum Product Owner, and they discuss this user story to ensure that James properly understands it. After James becomes confident about how to proceed with this user story, he continues working on its implementation.

Sprint 1 - Day 6

The day starts again with the Daily Scrum Meeting of the team. Anna, the Scrum Master, notices this morning that the meeting tends to take more than 15 minutes. The Scrum Team members are engaging with a discussion regarding the optimization of some database queries. Anna reminds the team that the Daily Scrum Meetings are not meant for a lengthy technical discussion, but for inspecting progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapting the Developers’ plan.

After the Daily Scrum Meeting, Alex (Product Owner) informs Anna (Scrum Master) that the client brought up several new requirements that may potentially impact the ongoing Sprint and the subsequent Sprints. Anna politely reminds Alex that changes must not endanger the Sprint Goal. The Developers and Product Owner can clarify or renegotiate scope as they learn, rather than treating every selected story as an unchangeable commitment. Anna therefore arranges a Backlog Refinement Meeting for the afternoon so that Alex can inform the team about these new requirements.

During this meeting, the group supports Alex to figure out where these user stories fit the overall development plan of the software, their initial task break-down, estimates, and priorities.

Sprint 1 - Day 10

Finally, that's the last day of this first Sprint. Anna, the Scrum Master, invites the Scrum Team for the Sprint Review Meeting. The team has prepared a non-production server with the latest version of the shippable software increment they created.

Alex, the Scrum Product Owner, and Mr. Rich, one of the client stakeholders, sit in front of an instance of a graphical user interface of this software. They validate if the implementation meets the expectations and if the team documented details regarding the current level of application adequately.

At the end of the Sprint Review Meeting, Alex concludes:

• The team delivered user stories 1,2,6 and 7 as committed and expected.
• The team couldn't finish the user story 3 on time, and they didn't demonstrate this user story at all. The unfinished story returns to the Product Backlog for reordering; its remaining work can be selected during the next Sprint Planning.
• User story 8 did not meet the common Definition of Done (DoD). It returns to the Product Backlog, where the team can clarify its acceptance criteria and remaining tasks before deciding when to select it again.

Alex, the Scrum Product Owner, and Mr. Rich, the client stakeholder, shortly debrief the Scrum Team about the upcoming changes and challenges about the software requirements and the direction of the overall strategy about this software should be going. Mr. Rich thanks the Scrum Team for their efforts and commitment and leaves the room.

After the completion of the Sprint Review Meeting, the Scrum Team sits together for the Sprint Retrospective Meeting. During this meeting, they discuss what went well during the Sprint and what could be improved, so that they can improve future forecasts and avoid repeating the problems with user stories 3 and 8 in the next Sprints. One of the hurdles identified from the Sprint Retrospective Meeting is that the team does not know enough about the overall system architecture. Anna, the Scrum Master, takes over the task of bringing a system architect on board to coach and guide the team at the beginning of the next Sprint.

Sprint 2 - Day 1

Alex, the Scrum Product Owner, keeps on adding new requirements to the Scrum Product Backlog based on his recent client meetings. Moreover, he clarifies the acceptance criteria and remaining work for user story 8, while retaining the common Definition of Done, so the Scrum Team can better envision the expected outcome from this user story.

Alex then invites the team for the Sprint Planning Meeting for Sprint 2. The Scrum Team agrees on a Sprint Goal, and the Developers select and plan the supporting user stories. Anna, the Scrum Master, helps the event be effective, and the second Sprint begins.