Scrum is a variant of the Agile Development methodology of efficient, collaborative, and quality-driven project management. Though it originated in Software Development, it has been adapted by teams in Research, Sales, Marketing, and the technology industry.
Scrum is important to learn about because its benefits extend beyond optimized project management. With one criteria being fixed time periods in which an iteration must be complete (called “sprints”), products can be released earlier and increase revenue. It also enables teams to reduce the risk of project failure due to these small increments, in addition to transparency between team members and stakeholders.
Foi comprovado que o Scrum agrega valor ao cliente final de 30 a 40% mais rápido que os métodos tradicionais. Essa é uma das razões pelas quais Scrum Masters, os facilitadores de uma equipe de Desenvolvimento Ágil, estão entre os 25 empregos com maior remuneração nos EUA, e estão em alta demanda à medida que as organizações adotam o Agile como prática padrão.
Além de Scrum Master, os aprendizes podem desempenhar funções na área de tecnologia onde o conhecimento do Scrum é útil. Essas funções incluem Arquiteto da Informação, Analista de Controle de Qualidade, Gerente de Projetos, Pesquisador de Usuários, Líder de Estratégia de Conteúdo, Desenvolvedor WordPress, Analista de Experiência do Cliente e outras como membros de equipe funcional que são essenciais para o sucesso do Agile.
Agile courses offered through Coursera cover Scrum. They equip learners with knowledge in creating an actionable, adaptive plan for a digital product team; applying skills that enable an Agile team to succeed; understanding the Scrum framework; participating effectively in Agile processes; and more.
Lessons on Scrum and Agile are taught by instructors from major universities, including University of Virginia, University of Minnesota, University of Alberta, and other institutions. Learners can enjoy exploring Scrum and Agile with instructors specializing in Business, Science and Engineering, and other disciplines. Course content on Scrum is delivered via video lectures, hands-on projects, readings, quizzes, and other types of assignments.
It's important to understand agile project management and agile frameworks before starting to learn Scrum. Having experience as a facilitator, project manager, or coach is also very helpful as you start to learn Scrum. Skills that will make learning Scrum easier for you include being able to follow through on complex projects, understanding what motivates people to be productive, communicating well with others, and managing team meetings. Also, having the ability to set goals and define the objectives that will help reach those goals are important skills to have before starting to learn Scrum.
People who have natural leadership skills and are positive thinkers are well suited for roles in Scrum. Having a role in Scrum usually means you're a Scrum master, which is a person who leads a small team of developers and one product owner through the process of solving a complex problem. Those best suited for roles in Scrum also appreciate and have the discipline to follow a step-by-step process to solve a problem or achieve a goal because leaving out aspects of Scrum or not following its rules limits the benefits of using Scrum. Someone who has a role in Scrum must be a team player and be skilled at working collaboratively with others to decide who does what, how it's done, and when it's done.
Learning Scrum may be right for you if you have a need in your current team or organization (or foresee a future need) to solve complex problems that would benefit from a structured framework. While Scrum was originally created for software product developers, learning Scrum may be right for you if you're a scientist, analyst, researcher, or another type of specialist as well. If you're interested in learning about project management, learning Scrum may be right for you.