What Is Scrum in Agile?

The background of the Scrum framework

The term ‘’Scrum’’ originates from a 1986 Harvard Business Review article where cross-functional teams were compared to rugby scrummages. This analogy reflects the adaptability that defines Scrum today. 

Scrum was designed using a software model that follows a set of roles, responsibilities, and meetings. It can be used for any complex project but works best when the result is a concrete product rather than a service. Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber are credited with creating Scrum as a framework for project management.

At its core, Scrum in Agile methodology is an iterative and incremental framework that helps teams deliver high-quality products in a timely manner. It is based on the principles of transparency, inspection, and adaptation, and provides a flexible and collaborative approach to project management.

Scrum roles and responsibilities

Scrum in Agile requires particular roles and responsibilities. Each Scrum team member has a specific role to play, ensuring that everyone knows what they’re responsible for. The Scrum process includes the following roles:

• Product owner: The product owner represents the customer’s best interest. This person has the ultimate authority over the final product.

• Scrum master: This person is a facilitator, responsible for arranging the daily meetings, improving team interactions, and maximizing productivity. The project manager often takes on the role of Scrum master, but they can delegate it to anyone on the team who is a Scrum expert and strong facilitator. 

Scrum also relies on practices called Scrum artifacts to keep everything organized. There are three main Scrum artifacts:

• Product backlog: The complete, prioritized list of tasks, features, or requirements for the project, managed by the product owner

• Sprint backlog: A subset of the product backlog that includes tasks chosen for a specific sprint

• Product increment: The result of work completed during a sprint

 Other key activities in the Scrum process include:

• Sprint: A sprint is a set time frame for completing each set of tasks from the backlog. Every sprint should be the same length. Two weeks is typical, but a sprint can be anywhere between one to four weeks long, depending on the team and project needs.  

• Daily standup: A Scrum project team is expected to meet every day to discuss progress. These meetings are typically referred to as a daily Scrum or daily standup.

• Sprint review: This is a meeting where development teams show the work that was completed in an individual sprint and focus on how they can deliver a better product.

• Sprint retrospective: In the retrospective meeting, the team reviews their overall system and processes and how they can be improved for the next sprint.

The Scrum framework in Agile

Agile Scrum is the same thing as Scrum. Agile is the overarching methodology, while Scrum is the project management framework that follows the principles of Agile. 

You could have an Agile team that doesn’t use Scrum, but Scrum will always use the Agile methodology. It is sometimes referred to as Scrum methodology, but Scrum is an Agile framework that helps teams collaborate and deliver a final product.

As mentioned, Agile Scrum is common in software development, where teams require an iterative and incremental approach that focuses on continuous improvement. 

It’s important that teams engage in sprint planning, where they plan the work to be completed in future sprints.

Agile Scrum benefits

What is Scrum in Agile’s secret sauce? It’s simple — Scrum adds a mix of structure and flexibility, which helps teams:

Collaborate better

Scrum teams are cross-functional, with different team members offering different areas of expertise. The Scrum master leads the team members and ensures they follow the principles of the Scrum framework. This helps to eliminate potential roadblocks that may impede progress. 

Prioritize tasks

Within each sprint, the development team completes tasks outlined in the product backlog with the overall goal of creating an improved version of the product, often with additional features and fewer bugs. This process is overseen by the product owner, who ensures that team members are working on the right tasks according to priority.

Adapt to change  

Flexibility is at the heart of Scrum, aligning perfectly with the principles of the Agile Manifesto. Scrum’s iterative approach helps teams adapt without losing focus. While it’s often associated with software development, it’s also suitable for other industries that need to retain a sense of flexibility in their workflows, such as marketing operations and event planning.

Stay committed

The foundation of Scrum lies in its values. Scrum values include:

• Commitment
• Focus
• Courage
• Openness
• Respect

These values create a positive, supportive culture that helps team members stay motivated.

Need a quick overview of how Scrum benefits teams? Watch the video below to learn more about Scrum in project management.

Use Scrum with Wrike

By now, you know the answer to the question: “What is Scrum in Agile?” We’ve shown that Scrum is a powerful framework that can help teams improve their agility, collaboration, and product quality. By embracing the Scrum framework in Agile methodology, organizations can reduce risks and increase delivery speed.

Implementing Scrum requires a deep understanding of its flexible processes — that’s where Wrike comes in. Wrike is highly customizable and offers features to track product backlogs, manage daily standups, execute sprints, and more. With Wrike, Scrum teams can easily plan, execute, and monitor their projects, and adapt to changing requirements in real time.