Scrum is a subsidiary of Agile methodologies. It differs from other Agile project management techniques by its concepts and practices. It is a lightweight process framework for agile development and it’s the most utilized agile method. Scrum relies on self-organizing, cross-functional teams instead of a traditional hierarchy with slow decision making. The scrum model of management involves a series of sprints where teams work to develop software in a limited amount of time then meet and reiterate repeatedly. Most of the sprints are limited to less than a month and are usually around 1-2 weeks.

Scrum differs from general Agile because it assumes the project requirements are rapidly changing. Scrum requires consistent, rapid feedback (almost daily) to the client to continually improve the product. This is different from general Agile because it the changes are monitored, not reported to the client. Scrum teams do not wait for front-end software or start-up software to be in place at the beginning of the project. They start with whatever resources are available at the current moment and start working on the project.

Additionally, the roles of teams in Scrum are different from Agile. In Agile, leadership is crucial because a project manager has to set guidelines and there’s more hierarchy than Scrum. Self-organization and being able to work between teams is a prerequisite for Scrum to work properly; it is more of a controlled chaos in comparison to general Agile management. This allows it to have more flexibility and adapt to the frequent changes that naturally come from leading a Scrum team. There is no designated leader in Scrum, while general Agile has a senior project manager who’s responsible for most of the project. If Scrum has a leader, it’s more like a coach not a manager who sets out defined roles for team members.  Usually the entire team addresses whatever the most pressing issue to product development is.

Implementing scrum is generally easier at the start than normal Agile. Agile sometimes deals with large projects that have prerequisite software to be developed prior to the project. Working software is a measure of progress for Agile development, while it is not for Scrum development. Working software is important for Agile development because it requires technical excellence while Scrum doesn’t require focus on technical details. To successfully implement Scrum, Scrum teams need complete autonomy to set goals and use any company resources available. Hurdles like legal or board approval for their objectives will hinder their process significantly and defeat the purpose of having a Scrum team in the first place. By utilizing Scrum teams for your company’s most pressing projects, you can identify and address your business’ biggest challenges much more efficiently than a traditional approach.