Scrum principles help to apply the Scrum framework in software development and are based on agile development values and principles. In the Scrum framework, there are six principles.
Empirical process control – the first principle of Scrum. It means that decisions are based on transparency and inspection. When information flows freely and inspection is done thoroughly, they can reveal shortcomings or bottlenecks in the project. This, in turn, leads to adaptation that guides the project in the best direction.
Self-organisation – the team decides the way they do things and what tools to use for that. If they fail, they will choose another approach to succeed and the failure is taken as a lesson to be learned. The main principle is that everyone in the team commits to the project and takes responsibility. The main benefits of self-organisation are shared ownership and greater motivation, which raise the performance level of the team.
Collaboration – a team is a group of individuals that work together to achieve a common goal. The work is divided into smaller chunks among team members. These chunks are later integrated when they are ready. This means that each team member has to be aware of the other’s work.
Value-based prioritisation – deciding the order of executing the tasks based on the value they bring. When prioritising the tasks or projects, the value, risk of uncertainty, and dependencies are taken into account. The prioritisation aims to bring maximum business value in the least amount of time.
Time-boxing – this means that a certain amount of time is assigned to a task or a process of a Scrum project. This principle guarantees that team members take just the right amount of work for a certain time period.
Iterative development – dividing the process of developing a software product into smaller parts. Each part goes through an iteration, that is, a full development cycle. This means that developers get constant feedback during the product development and they can make changes in every iteration based on that feedback. With each cycle, a slice of functionality is added to the product until it’s fully ready. This saves time and money and makes it possible to change the scope of the development, should it be necessary.
