How Can You Use The 12 Scrum Principles?

The goal of a software developer and the development team is to offer the customer the greatest possible benefit. First of all the purpose of agile principles is to help teams to focus on their goals using simple techniques. Here we tell you what the 12 scrum principles are and how you can benefit from them!

What is Agile Software Development? 

• Agile software development is a term for many frameworks and practices that are based on certain principles that are found in the Agile Software Development Manifesto and summarized in the 12 principles. 
• You should adhere to these if you want to approach agile software development. What makes Agile different from other methodologies is that it focuses on people and collaboration in self-organized teams. This means that teams have the opportunity to decide for themselves how to solve tasks.

Background of Agile Software Development and Scrum

• Computer scientist Kent Back and his team created the theoretical basis for agile software development in 1999. They formulated the “Agile Manifesto” in 2001, which contains the principles of agile software development.
• Above all this form of software development differs from the classical model, because the focus is on functionality and the user.
• Scrum is about developing projects over a series of sprints. In the beginning, the Scrum Master does a planning session. In this session, the team members get a list of tasks and they decide how many tasks and which tasks can be completed in the sprint. Therefore the team members complete the tasks during the sprint.
• Daily Scrums are held every day, where everyone has the opportunity to report on obstacles and compare their work with the other team members.
• At the end of the sprint, there is a Sprint Review where feedback can be given and new functionality can be demonstrated.

The 12 Scrum Principles

1. Our top priority is to satisfy the customer by delivering valuable software early and continuously
2. Welcome requirement changes, even late in development. Agile processes leverage change for the customer’s competitive advantage
3. Deliver working software frequently, from a few weeks to a few months, and prefer shorter time frames
4. Business people and developers need to collaborate daily throughout the project
5. Build projects around motivated people. Give them the environment and support they need and trust them to get the position done
6. The most efficient and effective way to communicate information to and within a development team is face-to-face
7. Working software is the most important measure of progress
8. Agile processes promote sustainable development. Clients, developers, and users should be able to maintain a steady pace indefinitely
9. Constant attention to high technical quality and good design promotes agility
10. Simplicity – the art of maximizing the amount of work not done – is essential
11. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams
12. Periodically, the team reflects on how it can become more effective and adjusts its behavior accordingly

Additional Scrum principles

These 12 scrum principles can be complemented by three additional principles for agile project management:

1. Resist Formalities
   • You should always ask yourself first if there isn’t an easier way to get what you need. The team should concentrate all the time on productive work and avoid unnecessary tasks.
   • If you work agile, discussions are ion and you should only document the most necessary information to keep the documentation effort as low as possible.
   • To make this realizable, you can use the following points:
     • Reduce hierarchies, for example by dispensing with titles for the team members.
     • Avoid detailed minutes of meetings and keep presentations rather simple.
2. Act as a Team
   • Each member should make sure that the team as a whole can be most productive. In an agile environment, the team should be aware of its goals and work independently.
   • Examples:
     • To improve product quality, the following should be developed in pairs.
     • Introduce uniform designations as product developers and clarify all tasks in this area.
     • Reporting at a project team level.
     • Replace individual performance metrics with key performance indicators.
3. Visualize
   • You can visualize content through simple diagrams or with the help of a computer. Because content is easier to understand through pictures or diagrams.
   • Even if it is only a quick sketch, it is an efficient communication tool and helps to create a common understanding. Visualization includes the following:
     • Providing pens and paper in the working environment.
     • Use diagrams or models instead of text.
     • Display the project status in the form of diagrams or graphics.

Benefits of Using the Scrum Principles

Scrum teams continuously create the highest priority functionalities of a software product. With the Scrum way of working you have the following advantages:

• Fast innovations 
• The implementation of ideas goes faster 
• More satisfaction of the customers 
• Increase of the motivation of the employees 

If you want to motivate your employees additionally, have a look at our blog post 7 effective ways to motivate your team. 

Final Thoughts 

In conclusion, when you have to decide whether to work with the agile method or the classic one, you should consider that not every method is suitable for every project. In other words, you should know about the advantages and disadvantages of both, classic software development and agile software development. Also, the customer plays an important role in the selection.

For the optimization of processes and tools and the implementation of improvements, there are a few metrics that can be helpful. Find 10 scrum metrics, you need to know here.