Skip to content

Basic Scrum lifecycle diagram

Estimated time to read: 4 minutes

Why Scrum?

This diagram represents the Scrum lifecycle

erDiagram
  PRODUCT_BACKLOG ||--|{ SPRINT_PLANNING : feeds
  SPRINT_PLANNING ||--|| SPRINT_BACKLOG : generates
  SPRINT_BACKLOG ||--|| DAILY_STANDUP : informs
  SPRINT_BACKLOG ||--|{ DEVELOPMENT : tasks
  DEVELOPMENT ||--|| DAILY_STANDUP : updates
  DEVELOPMENT ||--|| SPRINT_REVIEW : presents
  SPRINT_REVIEW ||--|| SPRINT_RETROSPECTIVE : informs
  SPRINT_RETROSPECTIVE ||--|| PRODUCT_INCREMENT : results
  PRODUCT_INCREMENT ||--|| PRODUCT_BACKLOG : updates

More specifically, the different Scrum stages are:

  • Product Backlog The prioritised list of user stories or features to be developed.
  • Sprint Planning The team plans the work for the upcoming sprint.
  • Sprint Backlog The selected user stories or features for the current sprint.
  • Daily Standup The team syncs up every day to discuss progress and impediments.
  • Development The team works on developing the features in the sprint backlog.
  • Sprint Review The team demonstrates the completed work to stakeholders.
  • Sprint Retrospective The team reflects on the sprint and identifies improvements.
  • Release The team releases the potentially shippable increment of the product.
  • Product Increment The updated product includes all the features developed.

Metrics that you can and probably, should monitor during the Scrum process

These metrics can help you monitor the performance, productivity, and quality of your Scrum team and provide insights to guide improvements.

Sprint Burndown Chart Tracks the completion of tasks in the sprint backlog over time, helping the team understand their progress.

Velocity Measures the amount of work the team completes during a sprint, usually represented in story points. It's a useful tool to predict the team's future performance.

Cumulative Flow Diagram Shows the status of tasks over time, providing insights into bottlenecks and the overall flow of work.

Lead Time Represents the time it takes to complete a task from the moment it's added to the backlog until it's done.

Cycle Time The time it takes to complete a task from the moment work starts on it until it's done.

Work in Progress (WIP) The number of tasks actively being worked on at a given time.

Escaped Defects The number of defects found in the product after the release, indicating the quality of the development process.

Team Happiness A qualitative measure of the team's satisfaction with the work environment and the Scrum process, usually collected during the Sprint Retrospective.

How to write stories

Story writing is an art on its own and it takes time to perfect. However, a good suggestion is to write user stories from the perspective of the end-user and follow the INVEST criteria (Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable).

Also, consider adding acceptance criteria to user stories to provide clear expectations for what needs to be done for the story to be considered complete.

How to prioritise the backlog

There are several techniques to prioritise the product backlog, including:

MoSCoW (Must-have, Should-have, Could-have, Won't-have), where backlog items are classified based on their importance.

Value vs Effort Evaluate items based on their potential value and the effort required to complete them.

Kano Model Prioritize items based on their ability to satisfy user needs and generate delight.

Stack Ranking Order backlog items by importance, ensuring that the most crucial items are at the top.

How to structure backlog

To structure your product backlog, follow these steps:

  • Break down large features or epics into smaller, manageable user stories.
  • Group related user stories under the same feature or epic.
  • Use tags or labels to categorise items (e.g., by functionality, priority, or team).
  • Continuously refine and update the backlog based on feedback and changing priorities.

How to measure the team's capacity

To measure your team's capacity, consider these factors:

Team availability The number of team members and their working hours during the sprint.

Historical velocity The average amount of work the team has completed in previous sprints, usually measured in story points.

Planned time off or holidays Account for any time off, holidays, or planned absences that might affect the team's capacity.

Quality of work Consider the team's track record in delivering high-quality, complete work items.

Use these factors to estimate the amount of work your team can take on during a sprint and adjust the sprint backlog accordingly to ensure a sustainable pace and workload.