At VAIOT, we strive to be as transparent and adaptable as possible, which is why we work with agile development methods. We find it important to ensure that our community can follow the development process. Thus, in this article, we break down what agile and scrum mean, why VAIOT uses this method, how it works, and how we communicate with the development team for smooth processes.
The agile way of working refers to an approach to product management and software development that supports frequent value delivery to their users. The main goal of the approach is to ensure the development team frequently delivers their work in potentially releasable chunks that contribute to the final product. The user-oriented pieces are called “user stories” and they describe all requirements from the user perspective so that the development team can focus on the delivery, always keeping the end-user in mind.
Scrum To Achieve Agile Development
Now that you’re aware of what Agile Development is, let’s have a look at Scrum and how the VAIOT team is divided. Scrum refers to a lightweight framework that supports teams, organizations, and the people within those, to generate value through the adoption of solutions for complex problems (as described literally in the Scrum Guide). Does that sound a bit vague? Yes, it does. However, in practice, it’s much clearer. In a nutshell, the Scrum method enables a circular-pattern workflow that adds real value to the product at every single revolution of a Scrum wheel. With clearly set scrum roles, ceremonies, and artifacts in the Scrum are a game of value creation. The game rules are easy to learn, but it’s the actual Scrum game, that can be hard to master in practice.
First, the Product Owner creates the work items. Next, the Product Owner assigns priorities to them and describes all the details needed to understand the desired output. The items are put in the Product Backlog; which can be seen as a to-do list, thus a set of all concepts for the Product development. Thereafter, the Product Owner introduces a plan for the next delivery to the team. In it, the goal of the next sprint and discusses with the team how each set goal will be achieved. To do so, the entire team ensures that the product backlog items serve the sprint goal and negotiate how much can be done. Once they all agree on how and what things can be done, the Sprint starts. The development team works on the delivery of value, while the Scrum Master takes care of the process facilitation. The Product Owner, at the same time, helps with any product-related questions or figures out what to do with the product if for some reason the team gets stuck on an unexpected problem.
Moreover, it is critical to note that the Product Owner is also the only one in direct communication with the developers. Meaning that whenever the marketing manager/product manager/HR manager would need something from the development team, they need to contact the Product Owner of the product they are interested in and present to him their request. The Product Owner can then directly go to the development team and discuss the topic.
VAIOT’s Development Process
At VAIOT, the main focus of our development process and the reason we use Scrum is that it allows for ideas to quickly be turned into value. Each sprint takes two weeks, and the goal remains the same throughout this period. The scope of each sprint is clarified and renegotiated with the Product Owner. VAIOT chose a period of two weeks as when a sprint horizon is too long, the sprint goal may become invalid, the risks may increase, and complexity may increase; shorter sprints, on the other hand, provide more clarity regarding the sprint goal. Shorter sprints can be used to generate more learning cycles while also limiting the risk of cost and effort to a shorter time frame.
It is important to note that the issues and ideas that will be addressed during the sprint are selected in the sprint planning, which on average takes about 4 hours. Once the sprint has begun, the VAIOT development team meets daily to discuss progress and check progress toward sprint goals to ensure the team is following the plan and making adjustments as needed.
Each sprint is followed by a sprint review in which all outcomes are discussed, and the next steps are narrowed down. Every stakeholder that may be interested in the Sprint outcome is invited to the Sprint Review. The review doesn’t just demo the completed work, but also ensures that the plan gets adjusted and rearranged according to the priorities if needed and while keeping an eye on the overall future. Afterward, sprint retrospectives ensure the effectiveness and quality of each sprint increase. The Retrospective goal is to identify what can be improved in order for the team to work more efficiently. During the meeting, the Scrum Team talks about obstacles they met during the sprint, processes that can be improved and virtually anything that affected their work. With properly run retros, the team gets more efficient every single sprint.
It’s good to mention that the VAIOT product owners have over a decade of experience working with the scrum methodology. For this article, we asked them what they find to be the biggest benefit of working with scrum. Their answer? Compared to other methodologies, scrum created predictability. When planning in a good manner, the outcomes have a higher chance of success, and right from the start, all hands are on deck.
Final Thoughts
It’s critical to note that the Scrum Process is an ongoing process in which developers continue to better themselves and learn more. That’s what makes this way of working so beneficial. To organize the sprints, VAIOT uses JIRA, a software tool especially created for Agile working. Furthermore, each of VAIOT’s products has its Product Owner who is responsible for all product-related activities that are mentioned above.
About VAIOT
VAIOT offers a portfolio of blockchain-based AI Assistants for businesses and consumers to supply automated services and transactions. Faster, easier, and affordable. Delivering full-stack technology solutions in AI and Blockchain.
For more information about VAIOT, visit our website, www.vaiot.ai, or have a look at the Twitter and Telegram Community.
