scrum

How are agile cells composed?

How are composed the agile cells


Recall that in the previous note we talked about agile work cells. This is a way of organizing work similar to that of a living cell, reflecting its dynamism. In this environment, interdisciplinary and collaborative work is promoted, where each member of the cell contributes to the achievement of the objectives, always focused on the customer. 

With respect to the roles that make up this type of cell, they generally represent different areas and disciplines, all of which are necessary to respond to the problems that led to the formation of the cell. In particular, a Product Owner is usually included, who maintains the vision of the final product and transmits it to all those involved, seeking to ensure that in each sprint the product is being adapted to the needs of the end user. He/she must also have interpersonal skills since he/she is in charge of interacting with all the actors involved in the project. 

The Scrum Master is another role present in agile cells and acts as a facilitator, accompanying the process and seeking to ensure that the principles of the agile methodology are followed. His mission is to ensure the availability of the development team, eliminating obstacles that may arise and potentially affect the delivery of the product under the agreed terms. His skills at a strategic level, his ability to manage teamwork, and above all his problem-solving skills are important. 

Of course, the Development Team, whose mission is fundamentally to develop the product, working in small teams where information is shared openly and a collaborative spirit reigns, cannot be missing. There may also be other roles, such as Front End Developer, Back End Developer, Machine Learning specialists, UX Designer, among others.

Despite the many advantages of agile work cells, there can also be certain drawbacks during their development. Some of them are mainly associated with the lack of experience of the team, when these cells are entirely made up of junior members. In this case, the creation of agile work cells mentored by a figure with a high level of seniority is a very interesting tool. In this way, even when the client hires a cell made up of junior profiles and the fees reflect this, having a senior profile in charge of acting as a mentor raises the quality of the deliverable product. This is because the mentor guides the group of junior members and also reviews their deliverables. 

Another disadvantage to be avoided when working in agile cells is the lack of quality controls. In this sense, the eagerness to reduce development times to a minimum can lead to quality failures and ultimately to problems with the client. The role of a mentor with a high level of seniority can also contribute to avoiding this type of problems by guiding and reviewing the work developed by the team. These mentors provide their knowledge, tools, training and coaching to make the most of the team’s potential, but the most important thing is the experience they bring to a group of junior professionals. Their skills include not only technical skills, which are fundamental, but also interpersonal skills such as empathy, communication, patience and problem solving. 

At Macrotest we have agile work cells and also mentored cells, where projects developed by junior professionals go to the next level thanks to the senior mentoring process, pursuing the highest quality standards. 

Contact us for more information! 

What does agile cell work consist of?

Working with agile cells

 

Nowadays, the development of projects through the organization in agile cells is widely spread. As its name suggests, this form of work organization seeks to resemble the behavior of a living cell, in constant change and dynamism. This model is in a way in opposition to the traditional model based on hierarchies, which no longer works successfully in a highly changing environment and with increasingly demanding end customers.

Following this living cell model, in an agile work cell each team member retains his or her autonomy but is in constant interrelation with the other members. In this sense, while each member has a very clear role, this role is complemented by the roles and tasks of the others.

This type of work cells are generally composed of a small number of interdisciplinary professionals who share certain characteristics. Among them, proactivity and creativity stand out, considering that these cells work in a self-managed manner and are free to find solutions in the process of responding to a specific need. It is also key to build good interpersonal relationships, seeking to make the work work work as a whole. Likewise, collaborative work is the essence of this type of cells, where each member contributes to the achievement of the objectives with a focus on the needs of the client, who is always in contact with the project. 

In short, it is about generating an environment of innovation and total openness, pursuing the ultimate goal that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. This way of working seeks to speed up software development times, recognizing the importance of human resources even above technologies.

When is it recommended to outsource by hiring an agile development team?

Agile cells are very useful when knowledge and experience are needed. There are different ways of working according to each project, and the cell can be managed by the client itself, by the company that provides the technology professionals or even jointly. Agile cells are also very useful when looking for an efficient end-to-end development, since they seek to minimize deviations from the initial estimate. 

Outsourcing by hiring agile cells of IT professionals, allows the client to focus on the core of their business, reducing the technical barriers of new projects, investing only in what is needed according to the different types of profiles required. 

In Macrotest we have work cells available for your projects, integrated by multidisciplinary and modular specialized teams that are integrated into the structure of your organizations to develop the technological solutions you require. If you want to know more about our agile cells service, please contact us and we will gladly provide you with all the necessary information. At your disposal you will find all our experience, highly qualified resources, the highest quality standards and our framework that has been evolving for years. All this expertise is at the service of our clients, seeking to optimize their business processes and ensure quality and efficiency in each of the projects entrusted to us.

In the next article we will tell you about a particular type of agile cell, which are the mentored cells. We look forward to sharing this next note with you!

 

Scrum… is it the best working methodology?

scrum, work, methodology

 

Is talking about agile methodologies the same as talking about Scrum?

It is common to hear this question because scrum is based on the principle of continuous improvement, in short, the essence of agile methodology. However, there is an important difference, but let’s start by first defining what we mean by Scrum.

Scrum is a framework that enables collaboration between teams for project management. It is a process in which a set of best practices are systematically applied to work collaboratively and achieve great results.

It is mainly used in the software industry, although there are currently many companies in other sectors that implement it, especially those inserted in a dynamic business environment. In this sense, with the use of this method, teams learn through experiences, adapt to changes (often unforeseen) self-organizing and reflecting through daily meetings where obstacles are analyzed. This methodology considerably improves control over the course of the project.

So the main difference with agile methodology is that agile is associated with a broader “mindset” or set of guiding principles, while Scrum uses a specific set of rules to get the job done. As a tool, Scrum establishes the steps to implement the application of agile methodology principles in the realization of projects.

What are the characteristics of the Scrum method?

As mentioned above, this method is the most suitable for projects immersed in highly dynamic and changing environments, which require a significant reduction in development times, but of course without neglecting quality. Its main characteristics are:

  • The development strategy is incremental (instead of complete product planning and execution, regular partial deliveries of the final product are made).
  • The quality of the result is based on the tacit knowledge of the people in the self-organized team (rather than on the quality of the processes used).
  • The different phases of development overlap (rather than being carried out one after the other in a sequential cycle).
  • It includes a series of meetings, tools and functions that, in a coordinated manner, help the team to structure and manage its work.
  • The teams are led by a Scrum expert (Scrum master) who helps to manage the processes, optimize their transparency and ensure delivery flows.

It is noted that Scrum is adaptive, iterative, incremental, fast, flexible and efficient, designed to deliver value quickly and throughout the project. It is very popular today because its principles are applicable to all types of teamwork.

At Macrotest we use this method to incrementally develop projects, substantially reducing risk, bureaucracy and working closely with the responsible users. We are waiting for you to develop your projects and bring out the full potential of our teams to provide you with perfectly functional and adaptable solutions.