Can the Product Owner and Scrum Master be the same person?
Product Owner and Scrum Master are two of the three roles identified in Scrum. Since these are roles and not people or job titles, some people might be wondering if they can be the same person. This article will discuss and answer that question, so you can decide if this is the right thing to […]
Continue readingRefactoring and technical debt
Importance of refactoring Refactoring and technical debt are important concepts, especially so in agile software development. What are they? Refactoring is modifying the internal structure of code without changing its behaviour. All functional tests should pass with the same results after the code has been refactored. But if it behaves the same, why do we need to do […]
Continue readingTheory of constraints in Agile
A concept from Management Theory called “theory of constraints” has become popular in Agile and Lean circles. The theory is quite simple, and relates to the constraints or bottlenecks in any process (manufacturing or knowledge work). This article will explain the theory of constraints and how it relates to agile software development, in a micro […]
Continue readingAre scrum masters project managers?
A common idea in software development is that scrum master are basically project managers. When an organisation implements Scrum, all the project managers do their training, put on a “scrum master hat”, and away they go. This article will explore this idea and answer the questions like can a scrum master be a project manager, […]
Continue readingA Manager’s Role in an Agile Process
“Agile development reflects a product lifecycle approach (continuous delivery of value), rather than a project approach (begin-end). While an individual release of a product can be managed as a project, an agile approach views a release as a single stage in a product’s ongoing evolution.” Jim Highsmith It may interest you to know that more […]
Continue readingCan agile be used for non-software projects?
Agile is a recent philosophy and approach to software development that has changed IT and software by promising frequent releases and a focus on value. But can it be used outside of the software domain? This article will explore this idea, and explain what makes agile work, why it can be effective outside software, and […]
Continue readingWhat is Backlog Refinement in agile
Backlog Refinement is an important but poorly understood part of Scrum. It deals with understanding and refining scope so that it can be ready to be put into a sprint for a development team to turn into a product increment. Good backlog refinement involves a regular team discussion, plus informal ad hoc discussions. The output […]
Continue readingWhat does a cross-functional Agile team look like?
Although not declared in the Agile Manifesto, pretty much any Agile advocate will tell you that you need cross functional teams in Agile. What does that mean exactly? How wide does the scope of the team’s skills need to be? This is an interesting question and touches on organisational design, DevOps, HR, and other topics. Caveat: […]
Continue readingCybersecurity in an Agile Environment
(This is a contributed post) When Agile first found its way into software development, it was recommended to not be used in high risk development for fear of its lack of security. Today, though, Agile can and should be used in the workplace to increase cybersecurity, not weaken it. At its core function, Agile promotes […]
Continue readingAgile versus traditional project management
You might be wondering about the difference between agile and traditional project management. These are very different approaches and should be used in different situations. This article will explain what these philosophies are, their pros and cons, and when you might want to use one or the other. So let’s find out about the difference […]
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