All the secrets of the ideal Scrum team for an effective sprint

What is a Scrum team? The definition is simple: it's an organised group of people who work together on a project, following the principles of the Scrum framework.

But is it really that "simple" in practice? Running such a team requires very specific knowledge of the Scrum model, and in particular of the distribution of roles and responsibilities.

Do you work in project mode and want to find out more about applying the Scrum methodology within your team? Whatever your level of agility or expertise, it's essential to be able to clarify everyone's roles in order to improve efficiency.

That's precisely the role of this article: to untangle the interactions within the team, in order to better understand " who does what " in the Scrum project universe!

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Composition and functioning of a Scrum team

Who's on the Scrum team?

You've decided to run your project using the Scrum framework, to make it more flexible and responsive.

This involves respecting a certain number of rules defined in the Scrum guide, which contains all the key principles for applying the method effectively. The composition of the team is one of them.

A Scrum team comprises a Product Owner, a Development Team and a Scrum Master. Scrum Teams are self-organised and multi-disciplinary. Self-organised teams choose the best way to get their work done, rather than being directed by people from outside the team.

© Scrum Guide

Any Scrum team must have 3 distinct players, who are embodied by one or more people:

• 👤 a product owner
• 👥 a development team,
• 👤 a Scrum master.

💡 Multidisciplinarity means that all skills are present within the team, and that other people outside the team do not have to be called upon to complete the project.

How the Scrum Team works

To get the job done, the team must be self-organised, i.e. it must be able to carry out its project completely independently. To make this possible, the team :

• does not depend on other external players
• empowers each of its members
• is very well organised to optimise the synergy between its members,
• has all the skills and expertise required for the project,
• manages the functional, organisational and technical aspects.

A Scrum team's ability to organise and complement each other are the two main ingredients of its success.

💫 The team is the driving force behind the project, around which other elements revolve:

• Scrum artefacts,
• the Scrum Ceremonies,
• Scrum tools.

Ideal size of a Scrum team

As the Scrum guide indicates, the team should have between 3 and 9 members to remain effective and responsive (not including the Product Owner and Scrum Master). Beyond that, the team could experience coordination and communication difficulties, which would impact on its speed and agility.

The team model therefore varies slightly in size, but 3 key roles are still essential components for getting the project off to a good start. Let's take a closer look.

What are the Scrum roles?

The role of the Product Owner

The role of the Product Owner (PO) in Scrum is to develop a product that meets the customer's expectations as closely as possible, within the budget and time constraints imposed. The PO has a decisive role to play in the success of the project, at the crossroads between :

• the company's vision
• customer demand
• user expectations
• and the technical realisation of the product.

As the person with the product vision, he/she ensures that the product is of the highest possible quality.

✓ Activities and responsibilities include:

• writing and prioritising the backlog for which he/she has exclusive management,
• receiving and understanding customer requirements,
• identifying appropriate functionalities and translating them to the technical team,
• monitoring the product development stages,
• oversee the progress of the sprint,
• ensuring that the stakeholders are properly aligned with the product being developed.

The role of the development team

The role of this multi-skilled team is to develop the best possible product. Depending on the organisation, it may be made up of profiles such as :

• developers
• architects
• business analysts
• testers
• UX designers, etc.

All these operational profiles are complementary and contribute to the project according to their specialisation. The development team is also responsible for the quality of the product delivered.

✓ Its activities and responsibilities include:

• studying requirements,
• estimating User Stories to assess their cost,
• developing the product,
• carrying out tests,
• determining its own organisation in complete autonomy,
• Be part of a continuous improvement process.

The role of the Scrum master

The role of the Scrum master is to facilitate exchanges and strive for greater efficiency. As an expert in the Scrum model, they ensure that it is applied correctly. Depending on the organisation and the context, he or she may be an integral part of the development team or hold this position in its own right.

✔ Activities and responsibilities include:

• coordinating the development team and guiding them towards success,
• writing reports and indicators,
• helping the Product Owner to manage the backlog and make decisions, sharing product direction,
• Ensuring that scrum ceremonies run smoothly,
• ensuring that developers understand expectations,
• remove obstacles and mediate in the event of conflict.

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Tips for an effective Scrum project team

Properly followed and applied, the Scrum framework has everything you need to ensure the success of your project.

To go further and stay effective in your project management, here are our latest tips for optimal functioning within your Scrum team:

• learn the principles of the Scrum methodology so that you know how to apply them and segment each person's role more effectively;
  
  
• check that the team is the right size for the scope of the project and that it contains all the essential skills;
  
  
• Make sure that all team members understand the project challenges and the product vision, to encourage continuous improvement;
  
  
• Equip yourself with the right tools, such as project management software that is perfectly suited to applying Scrum principles and constraints, so that you can better coordinate the team and remain effective in the agile management of the project;
  
  
• Encourage collaboration and solidarity: all the members of the team will benefit from helping each other and taking joint responsibility for the quality of the product.

Ultimately, the whole Scrum team is working towards a common goal: to work together to develop the best possible product capable of satisfying user expectations.