Put away your post-its, here are the 10 best scrums tools for 2024

What are the best Scrum tools to adopt to manage your operations in line with this project management methodology?

Spoiler: the post-it note is one of them 🙂

While this fact may lend itself to a smile, it is far from anecdotal. Scrum is certainly based on the use of agile software, but it also relies on the use of 'physical' tools... and sometimes fun ones too!

Whether you're a product owner, Scrum master or any other member of a development team, find out what weapons you can use every day to run your projects with agility!

Everything you need to know about the Scrum method

The definition and 3 main roles of the Scrum method

Scrum is a project management method based on iterations and increments.

The players involved are :

• the product owner
• the Scrum master
• and the project team,

work closely together, in particular through regular meetings, the famous Scrum Ceremonies:

• sprint planning
• the daily scrum
• the sprint review
• and the retrospective.

As a result, Scrum tools have to meet two main needs:

• project management and task management (steering, monitoring and operations in general),
• collaboration, as the method requires regular exchanges, optimum communication and visibility of the progress of work in progress.

The 3 artefacts, or main roles, of the Scrum model

The three Scrum artefacts are essential for managing work and progress in a project. 📣

They include the product backlog, the sprint backlog and the increment, each playing a key role in the planning, execution and delivery of tasks.

• The product backlog: a prioritised list of all the features, improvements, and fixes desired for the product. It is constantly updated and maintained by the Product Owner.

• The Sprint Backlog: a selection of Product Backlog elements chosen for development during a Sprint, accompanied by a plan detailing the tasks required to complete them. It is a list of work specific to each Sprint.

• Increment: the result of all the Product Backlog elements completed during a Sprint, which must be in a usable and potentially deliverable state. Each Increment is added to the previous ones to form the final product.

The 5 main tools of the Scrum method

The scrum board or Scrum wall

This is undoubtedly the most important tool in Scrum project management: it makes it easier to track the progress of tasks and user stories during a sprint.

To create it, a simple whiteboard, or even a section of wall, is divided into several columns:

• tasks to do
• tasks in progress
• tasks to be tested,
• completed tasks.

These different tasks, or user stories, are represented by post-its on the scrum board according to their status, from their integration into the sprint through to completion and validation of the expected deliverables.

☝️ The scrum board is a highly strategic tool, enabling you to see at a glance how the project is progressing, whether there are any delays to be expected, and so on. That's why we recommend that you place it where everyone can see it, and that you use it as the basis for your dailies.

The burnup chart

The burnup chart is a graph used to display the amount of work completed on a project, compared with the total amount of work expected.

It is constructed as follows

• a vertical axis showing the workload, in units defined by the project team:
  • hours worked
  • working days
  • story points, etc.
• a horizontal axis representing the evolution over time, in sprints for example.

The burnup chart then shows two curves:

• curve A (in blue in the example below) showing the work already completed,
• curve B (in red in the example below) showing the scope of the project, in other words the estimated workload.

☝️ Agile teams particularly appreciate the burnup chart, as it takes into account the actual scope of the project. In other words, the B curve will clearly increase if an additional, initially unforeseen workload arises during the course of the project.

The burndown chart

Unlike the burnup chart, the burndown chart shows how much work remains to be done on a project in the time available.

It is constructed in much the same way as the burnup chart:

• a horizontal axis showing the workload, again according to the unit determined beforehand (hours, story points, etc.),
• a horizontal axis showing the timeline (sprints, days, etc.).

The two curves represent :

• the ideal amount of work remaining (in red in the example below),
• the actual amount of work remaining (in blue in the example below).

☝️ The burndown chart, unlike the burnup chart, does not take into account changes in scope (a customer requesting a new function to be developed during the course of the project, for example). The consequence of this? The team's (legitimate!) delay is perceived in a negative light, as it is unjustified.

Story points and poker planning

We have already mentioned story points several times. But what exactly are they?

This process consists of allocating effort points to the tasks to be carried out in order to best assess the end date of a project, or at least the production of a given deliverable.

What are the advantages compared with traditional man-day accounting? In fact, story points take into account the specific characteristics of each person; we don't all move at the same speed! What's more, they lead to relative ("in comparison with") rather than absolute estimates, the latter often proving unreliable.

💡 Planning poker is the perfect tool for estimating your story points. How does it work? The "game" takes place when the user stories are defined and requires a specific pack of cards. Each card contains a value from the Fibonacci sequence (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13) or another number/symbol.

When a user story is presented by the product owner, each team member chooses a card from their deck according to the value they feel is most appropriate (the higher the value, the greater the effort required). If the cards selected by the participants turn out to be different, a discussion is initiated, then a new estimate is made until a consensus is reached.

The mood board

The mood board: a classic in scrum retrospective facilitation! And with good reason: it gives everyone the opportunity to express their feelings about the past sprint... even the most timid!

How does it work?

Each member of the team has an avatar representing them, on a post-it note for example. Then they position it according to their mood of the day on the lines of a table, numbered from 1 to 5 for example:

• 5 for "I'm very satisfied" ;
• 1 for "I'm not satisfied at all".

You can also use smileys to gauge the mood of the scrum team.

Finally, note that this operation must be carried out regularly and, of course, lead to the implementation of concrete actions.

💡 It's also possible to use anonymous avatars if some team members don't want to show their emotions in public!

The 5 essential types of software

Of course, the scrum method also relies on the use of software.

Here's a quick overview of the main tools available to meet your company's needs.

Agile project management software

Project management software, such as Trello, is the ultimate management tool, with a host of essential functions, such as the Gantt chart.

These include :

• plan a project
• ensure that it runs smoothly, within the constraints of resources, time and budget,
• facilitate communication and collaboration
• automate certain tasks.

☝️ There is a plethora of project management software, free or not, some of which is better suited to certain methodologies.

So make sure you choose a Scrum-oriented solution. For example :

• monday.com. This intuitive, ultra-customisable project management platform offers relevant, fun Scrum planning features: roadmaps, sprint planning and dashboards to support you throughout your project. The agile method has never been easier, and the software analyses your past performance so you can keep improving!
  
  
• Wrike. This project management software, renowned for its ease of use, has a range of features perfectly suited to Scrum teams. In particular, you can plan your projects and develop your workflows using an Agile work model, directly integrated into the tool. Prioritising tasks, managing sprints, tracking progress... everything is managed centrally from Wrike.
  

Task management software

Task management software, a precious ally of scrum teams, differs from project management tools. While they do not offer a macro view of the project, they focus on the tasks themselves, i.e. :

• defining them
• prioritising them
• assigning them to a person in charge
• planning them with a precise deadline.

This type of software helps to organise day-to-day work, by focusing on the execution of tasks and team productivity.

Collaborative platforms

Collaborative platforms are essential tools for Agile methods: unlike other systems such as Waterfall, Agile implies unfailing communication and collaboration.... even in a context where teleworking is becoming widespread!

Document sharing, instant messaging, meeting facilitation, knowledge management and videoconferencing are all key features offered by these software packages.

Ideas and innovation management software

Idea and innovation management software supports teams working on the continuous improvement of their products and/or services.

How does it work? To bring together ideas (from teams or resulting from user feedback) in a single space so that they can be easily found and, above all, processed.

Software for employee well-being

Employee well-being software fits in perfectly with scrum tools, particularly mood trackers. As we mentioned with the example of the mood board, this project management method involves sounding out team morale, because if it's low... so are productivity and overall performance!

You have just discovered the main scrum tools that support the product owner, the scrum master and the whole team throughout their missions. While some of them seem essential, such as the scrum board or project management software, your choice will obviously depend on your objectives and the nature of your business. A marketing department will not have the same needs as an R&D department, for example.

Feedback-gathering software

Feedback software is an essential asset for the scrum method. Let's not forget that rapid product delivery is highly valued by your users. Software is used to optimise feedback loops in order to obtain positive or negative opinions.

The aim? To use this feedback wisely to improve your product and ensure that it meets your customers' expectations. Yes, negative reviews are often difficult to swallow, but they will help you in the long term to target specific issues and offer a quality product.

We answer your questions!

What is agile project management software?

Agile project management software is a platform or tool used by project managers for software development. It allows tasks to be divided into several sub-tasks and linked to incremental phases known as sprints.

What is the difference between Scrum and Agile?

While the two methods are related, they are not exactly the same. ☝️

👉 Agile is a general framework for software development that focuses on :

• iterative development cycles,
• close collaboration between teams
• rapid adaptation to change,
• and frequent delivery of small improvements to the product.

The method is based on a set of principles and values defined in the Agile Manifesto, such as the importance of people and interactions, functional software, collaboration with the customer and responding to change.

👉 S crum is a specific methodology within the Agile framework. It offers a defined structure with :

• roles (Product Owner, Scrum Master, development team),
• events (Sprints, planning meetings, daily scrum, Sprint reviews and retrospectives),
• and artefacts for organising teamwork.

It is a concrete application of Agile principles, providing a structured method for software development.

What are the popular agile methods?

The most popular agile methods are Scrum and SAFe. Find out in detail how to put them into practice in this article.

Why agile project management?

Project management in agile mode is useful for providing more secure, more regular control by the project manager. It is often used in contrast to the Waterfall method, which is a predictive "cascade" method.

What agile methods exist?

The Scrum and Kanban methods are frequently used and compared. A sprint backlog only belongs to one team at a time. In comparison, Kanban boards can be shared by several teams.

Which open source agile project management tools?

Check out our selection of open source project management software to find the right solution for your needs.

Scrum tools at a glance