Capitalizing on Success
Successful projects equally can add to the repository of company knowledge. Where process improvements were identified during the Scrum and applied to the next Sprint, care must be taken that the knowledge gained is not lost when the Scrum closes down.
While this can be accomplished through other means, the Project Retrospective is a formal means of recording:-
- why the process needed improvement
- how it was improved, and
- the quantifiable benefits it brought to the project, such as reduced time to complete, reduction of defects or more effective teamwork, compared with earlier sprints.
There are other aspects of the project that could have been improved, such as :-
- accelerated team maturity and/or reduction of conflict through using specific tools and techniques.
- Improvements in the conduction of ceremonies (meetings) in Scrum, by adhering to the framework, as coached by the Scrum Master
- Improved knowledge transfer and how it was achieved, such as the Product Owner’s coaching all team members how to write relevant user stories.
- New tools and techniques that were tried that added to or detracted from project success.
All of these would have a direct benefit on projects going forward. The benefits could also extend way beyond agile development in the IT space, and provide valuable lessons for the rest of the organisation.
Recommended Further Reading
The following materials may assist you in order to get the most out of this course: