Daily Scrum

Daily Scrum Definition

Also known as the Daily Standup or Daily Stand-up Meeting, is a short, daily meeting in Scrum, a framework for Agile software development. It is a collaborative event where the development team synchronizes activities, discusses progress, and identifies potential obstacles to achieving sprint goals.

What is Daily Scrum?

The Daily Scrum is a fundamental ceremony in Scrum that promotes transparency, communication, and alignment among team members. It occurs during a sprint every day, typically lasting 15 minutes or less. During this brief but focused meeting, team members stand together (hence the term “standup”) and answer three key questions:

1. What did you do yesterday?: Each team member shares their accomplishments from the previous day, highlighting their completed tasks.
2. What will you do today?: Team members outline their planned activities for the current day, detailing the work they intend to undertake to advance the sprint goals.
3. Are there any impediments or blockers?: Team members identify any obstacles or challenges that might hinder their progress. This question helps uncover issues that need immediate attention and resolution.

The Daily Scrum allows team members to collaborate, synchronize their efforts, and ensure everyone is on the same page. It fosters a shared responsibility for achieving sprint goals and allows for early detection and resolution of impediments.

Daily Scrum Examples

Here are some detailed examples and insights into the Daily Scrum meeting:

1. Scrum Call or Meeting: The Daily Scrum is often called a “Scrum call” or “Scrum meeting.” This terminology emphasizes its importance within the Scrum framework and its role in maintaining project momentum.
2. Who Starts the Daily Scrum: The Scrum Master, a key role in Scrum, typically starts the Daily Scrum by calling the team together. However, it is not the Scrum Master’s meeting; they act as a facilitator, ensuring the meeting runs smoothly.
3. Who is Required to Attend the Daily Scrum: In the Daily Scrum, only members of the Scrum Team are required to attend. This includes the Development Team, Scrum Master, and Product Owner. Other stakeholders may be present as observers but should not actively participate unless invited by the team.
4. What is the Difference Between Daily Scrum and Standup?: “Daily Scrum” and “Standup” are often used interchangeably, but they refer to the same meeting. The “standup” aspect emphasizes the practice of standing to keep the meeting short and focused. Both terms describe the daily synchronization meeting in Scrum.
5. What is the Rule of Daily Scrum?: The key rule of the Daily Scrum is that it should be time-boxed to 15 minutes or less. This time constraint encourages brevity and ensures that the meeting remains focused on the essential discussions. They can be scheduled separately after the Daily Scrum if in-depth discussions are needed.

Wrap Up

In summary, the Daily Scrum is a critical practice in the Scrum framework for Agile software development. It is a short, daily meeting where team members stand up to discuss what they accomplished the previous day, what they plan to do today, and any obstacles they encounter. This practice promotes collaboration, transparency, and the early identification of impediments, all essential for achieving sprint goals and delivering high-quality software. The Daily Scrum is vital in keeping the Scrum team aligned and focused throughout the sprint.