Or is it blasphemy to tweak the „immutable“ framework to accommodate our teams’ and organizations’ needs?
TL; DR: Can We Or Should We Change Scrum?
Can we or should we change Scrum, or is it blasphemy to tweak the „immutable“ framework to accommodate our teams’ and organizations’ needs?
Not so fast; don’t just dismiss augmenting Scrum as leaving the path, contributing to the numerous Scrumbut mutations, giving Scrum a bad name. However, in our rapidly evolving business landscape, sticking rigidly to traditional Scrum by the book could be a straightjacket stifling innovation, user focus, and adaptability.
From ensuring cultural compatibility to facing technical debt challenges and emerging technologies, discover ten compelling reasons why augmenting Scrum isn’t just okay — it’s necessary for modern teams.
Read on to discover when and how to adapt Scrum responsibly without diluting its essence.Reasons for Changing Scrum
There are multiple legitimate reasons why you may consider to change Scrum:
Business Complexity: Modern business complexity often exceeds standard Scrum’s scope. Organizations often face interdependencies among departments and other entities, third-party vendors, or regulatory bodies. Enhancing Scrum to consider these elements allows for a more holistic approach to solving customer problems sustainably.
Compliance and Regulation: In highly regulated industries, additional checks and balances are needed. Scrum can be augmented to meet compliance needs, for example, by specialized Developer roles responsible for ensuring that regulatory requirements are met.
Integrating With Other Methodologies: Many organizations employ multiple agile frameworks or methodologies. Modifying Scrum to better integrate with, for example, Kanban in maintenance projects or Design Thinking in early-stage product development can create a more cohesive, effective process flow.
Innovation: Scrum is designed for incremental improvement but isn’t necessarily geared for groundbreaking innovation. Incorporating elements that promote innovation, like “innovation Sprints” or hackathons, can add a new dimension to what Scrum teams can achieve.
Resource Constraints: Smaller organizations or teams with limited resources might find it challenging to follow Scrum by the book. Simplifying or tweaking Scrum elements can help organizations adopt agile practices without being overwhelmed.
Product Discovery: Scrum is often criticized for lacking explicit guidance on product discovery. Adding a discovery phase or supporting the Product Owner to focus on this aspect can ensure that the Scrum team is building the right product, not just building the product right.
User Experience Focus: Traditional Scrum doesn’t explicitly emphasize user experience (UX). But as UX gains importance in software development, there is a growing need to incorporate it within the Scrum framework, which means integrating user testing and design into the Sprint flow.
Data-Informed Decisions: Scrum emphasizes stakeholder feedback but doesn’t necessarily prescribe data-informed decision-making. Integrating data analytics into Scrum can help teams be more objective and precise in planning and execution. (Scrum.org points the way with its Evidence-Based Management approach.)
Remote Work Challenges: The recent surge in remote work brings its own set of challenges. Changing Scrum to adapt to remote team dynamics, such as asynchronous communication or tools for remote collaboration, is almost necessary.
When examined critically, each of these reasons to change Scrum shows that the framework, while robust, might only partially cover the array of challenges and opportunities product teams encounter. Consequently, as long as changes are made thoughtfully and respectfully to the framework’s first principles, a solid argument must be made for its augmentation.Conditions for Changing Scrum
Let’s delve deeper into the conditions under which changing Scrum could be deemed acceptable:
Holistic View: No changes should not be made in isolation. We must consider how a change in one area might impact others. A holistic view ensures that modifications to Scrum are coherent and synergistic rather than disruptive or conflicting.
Complete Understanding of Scrum Principles: Before making any changes to Scrum, it’s crucial to thoroughly understand its core principles and practices. A solid grasp ensures that any adjustments made will not undermine the fundamental tenets of Scrum.
Organizational Alignment: The change should not only benefit the Scrum team but should also be in line with the larger organizational strategy. Disconnection between the Scrum team’s practices and organizational objectives can result in friction and hamper customer value creation.
