In a collaborative environment, like working with a nearshore partner, information-sharing is critical and involves multiple levels of communication. Because of the high-level of collaboration, many partners choose to use the Agile methodology along with some sort of Scrum. The main idea behind using the Agile methodology is to optimize project completion and deliver consistent value to customers. Excel SoftSources’ team of nearshore software developers utilizes numerous Agile best practices and values for optimal project development and execution.Along with the Agile methodology, Scrum is used to rapidly and repeatedly examine the project while emphasizing accountability. Scrum works on the premise that requirements and needs are likely to change due to unknown variables at the start of a project. By leveraging Scrum and Agile together, projects are able to be completed in a timely, efficient manner while keeping options open for the project scope to change. We’ve outlined best practices when it comes to using both methods below. 

Set Up Workshops to Create Product Backlog and Vision

Considered as one of the most important Scrum factors, product backlog documents help to create a concrete backlog for stakeholders. Filling this backlog in with the stakeholder helps the team arrive at a mutual understanding and align their vision.Planning estimates in the presence of a stakeholder helps reduce the chances of conflict at a later stage.

Invite Stakeholders to Participate in Scrum Meetings

Inviting stakeholders to some or all Scrum meetings facilitates collaboration and feedback. It’s important to collect feedback from the team members driving the project on a regular basis while keeping alignment throughout the project.

Focus on Team Building 

When teams see success on projects, it’s important to recognize their contributions and review outcomes during the retrospective. While it may be tempting to keep team members working on familiar tasks, you’ll build a stronger team by encouraging developers to learn from each other. Building effective teams leads to quicker project turnaround time as well as happy employees and clients. 

Don’t Neglect Sprint Deadlines 

Stretching Sprint deadlines disrupts your pre-set sprint timeline and neglects time-frames. On the other hand, cutting sprint times – due to tasks being completed early is not advisable either. If your team manages to complete tasks early, adding small tasks to the sprint helps maintain the rhythm.Using Effective Techniques Can Help You Maximize the Value of Scrum Daily meetings are critical as team members are held accountable for their planning and execution. In addition, using updated project information, the ScrumMaster also creates burn-down charts that provide an updated – as well as graphical – view of the project release status. At the end of each sprint, not only do the team members demonstrate their work to the stakeholders, but also ask for valuable feedback.While Agile allows you to create long-term, sustainable work, Scrum allows you to consolidate more than one project release into a single product backlog. As nearshore outsourcing experts, Excel SoftSources is committed to helping you achieve your goals. Contact us for more information regarding skilled technical expertise and support for your project requirement.

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