WIMTACH’s Workshop Series: The Agile Methodology and Scrum Framework training session improves productivity and efficiency for industry professionals

Many Information Technology (IT) professionals employ the Agile Methodology approach in their day to day work. The Agile Manifesto, which forms the basis of the Agile Methodology, identifies four “core values” that guide the methodology. Prioritizing people and relationships over processes and tools, working software over detailed documentation, are only some of the main values Agile Methodology upholds. These values are the reason why the Agile Methodology is being used in hundreds of different industries and organizations to further improve their productivity and efficiency in tackling different software tasks. The Agile Methodology’s central tenet is dividing the work process into stages and the continuous delivery of value. Every other week of the month, WIMTACH Project Coordinator Andrea Cavalheiro leads the Agile Methodology and Scrum Framework workshop educating all participants curious to join on the benefits of the Agile Methodology. This workshop already attracted hundreds of Centennial College students and regular Software Engineers educating them on how much going Agile will help them.

In a recent workshop, as the workshop got underway, Andrea reviewed the fundamentals of the Agile Methodology. She lectured the audience on the 12 principles that define the Agile Methodology and the aforementioned “core values.” The large number of these principles shocked a few students during the presentation. A question was raised about whether all of them are crucial for Agile Methodology. Andrea replied, saying they won’t always use and apply all of these principles at once, but if you work on Agile projects, you should be familiar with them. “All principles will be important at some time,” Andrea added, “it’s best to know the principles thoroughly and apply them when appropriate because the key principles will facilitate the execution of the tasks your team is tackling in each iteration.”

In the following topic, Andrea said that creating a Scrum Framework is based on the Agile Methodology. The Scrum Framework is a unique method for finishing projects and reaching goals in a challenging environment. Andrea stated, “Scrum framework makes the process of completing multi-level tasks more approachable and simplifies even the most complicated of challenges.” According to the Scrum handbook, “Scrum is a lightweight framework that lets people, teams, and organizations build value through adaptive solutions for complex problems.” The Scrum framework is currently used in every respected IT organization around the globe as well as thousands of other non-IT ones like Deloitte, Bank of Ireland and even LEGO.

Main benefits the Scrum framework brings to an organization or a general professional looking to optimize their work are adaptation, value capture, and a focus on teamwork. Through adaptation, Scrum allows specialists to focus on their experience and act in the most efficient way possible, rather than following a plan that doesn’t accommodate for the real world. Also, by working in so called “Sprints”, Scrum enables specialists to work on smaller tasks at a time allowing to deliver value as quickly as possible while receiving constant and time adequate feedback from users. Lastly, Scrum was developed as a team oriented framework allowing specialisation on the current tasks for each team member improving their productivity. Initially, Scrum imitated the sport of rugby in the sense that rugby players determine their strategy on the field together, rather than the coach writing it on a whiteboard in the locker room

Participants were happy and prepared to apply Scrum to their next project when the presentation was concluded. Andrea said, “Agile methodology is designed to organize and simplify the problem-solving process while Scrum will allow you to practice Agile Methodology in your work and life.” She continued by saying that Scrum supports a lot of businesses and IT specialists globally, and for many, it is a crucial part of their success. As many more organizations in every possible industry start implementing Scrum and the value of knowing how to work in this system grows, we invite all those interested to attend the Agile Methodology and Scrum Framework workshop to be on the same page with the future.

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