The Application of the Scrum Approach to Healthcare IT Analysis - Essay Example

The Scrum Approach The Scrum Approach Introduction The popularity of Object-Oriented approaches to systems design and analysis has increased recently. The software industry has promoted Object-Oriented approaches including agile system development, extreme programming, the scrum approach, the unified process, among other approaches. These approaches are preferred considering their differing advantages and disadvantages while others are suitable for the analysis and design of specific projects. The need to have an understanding of these varied approaches has never been greater owing to their augmented popularity to aid in making choices of the object-oriented approach for a given project. This study is an analysis of the Scrum Approach with the view of having a better understanding of the software development approach, knowing the strengths and weaknesses inherent in the method, and the application of the Scrum Approach to Healthcare IT analysis and design. The scrum Approach The Scrum Approach is an agile model of software development that emphasizes the use of multiple teams working in independent and intensive manner to ensure a common goal is achieved. Under the scrum approach, real-time decision-making is undertaken after analysis of actual events and information by multiple teams characterized by the need to be self-management, clear communication, and is empowered to make decisions benefiting the whole project. Main ideas in the Scrum Approach Scrum approach is one of the most preferred object-oriented systems analysis and design because of the possibility of managing a change in scope. The scrum approaches emphasizes on the need for collaboration, productivity, and focus on the scrum teams in delivering high-quality projects and adapt to changes quickly ensuring the software or any other project is delivered within the allocated time (Rech & Bogner, April 01, 2010). Large software development companies make use of the scrum approach owing to the high success rates associated with the scrum approach. The scrum approach makes use of object-oriented techniques and tools to ensure success, efficiency, and productivity of the product development phase. The basis of the scrum approach is project management containing processes with the name scrum arising from the tight formation of three rugby players allowing for unity in achieving a specific purpose. Scrum is a representation of the iterative and incremental processes with the aim of delivering objective oriented software. The scrum approach development allowed for the improvement and maintenance of existing systems or prototype. The main assumption made in the scrum approach is the presence of source code sequences and project, a common occurrence in the object-oriented software development because of class libraries (Rising & Janoff, 2000). There are certain considerations made in making scrum releases including: Owner requests: consideration for changes and improvements to the current system Time limitations: the timeframe for realizing a competitive advantage is considered and allocated for the project Quality: Considering the competition, time, and owner needs, the quality required is determined and effort made to meet the quality Competition: the scrum approach considers the action that can be undertaken by the competition and incorporate the measures to prevent them effectively making the development better and more efficient Resources: consideration of the financial and human resources is important in the scrum approach ensuring quality provision within the stipulated timeframe Vision entails the changes that have to be instituted for the realization of the desired system There are several phases within the scrum approach starting from establishment and planning. The sprint phase consists of the development, packing, reviewing, and adjusting with the last phase being closing. The scrum methodology has several features including the existence of defined processes and inputs in the planning and closing phases with clear knowledge of these processes. The sprint phase contains a number of processes that are uncontrollable and are treated as a black box, requiring no external control. Risk management and control during the sprint phase is undertaken in each iteration phase allowing for flexibility and minimization of chaos. The projects are open for developments before the closing stage under the planning to the sprint phases with adaptations being made in consideration of time, competition, quality, and finances. The scrum approach defines sprint as a range of development activities undertaken within a pre-set time frame of between one to four weeks. The time frame depends on the project complexity, skills and expertise required, and the risks associated with the project. There is an agreed period for each spring to be undertaken by the team members. Risks are assessed continuously with measures undertaken to overcome the risks. After each sprint, a review is conducted that has a number of characteristics allowing for its success including: 1. Participation by all team members including the management 2. The client/owner, sales team, and marketing teams may be represented in the review 3. The review may result in the change of the sprint implementation 4. The complexity of the project determines the next time the review is to be conducted There are different roles covered by different partners in the product development under the scrum approach. Scrum master: his/she is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring the self-sufficiency in the development team. The other roles of the scrum master are the removal of barriers to progress and act as a communicator to the external forces that could reduce productivity. The scrum master is also the leader of the daily meetings in the scrum approach acting as an overseer on how the team performs and meets the required needs of the project. Development team: the development team consists of cross-functional members allowing for necessary skills to be incorporated into the delivery of the final product (Rising & Janoff, 2000). The scrum approach ensures there is no multitasking of the development team members on different projects rather focussing on one project at a time. Planning on the part of the project to be completed within set times is done by the development team after information from the product owner on the project. Product Owner: He/she brings the interests of the customer into consideration and makes a determination of the priority tasks for undertaking by the development team resulting in the creation of utmost value. The main role of the product owner is the provision of guidance to the development team providing the required input for success of the project and meet his/her needs. To ensure the success of the Scrum approach, there are a number of core values that have to be possessed by all the team members. These core values anchor the members together and allow for the achievement of the set goals. The five core values are: 1. Openness: The creation of the best possible product under the Scrum approach is anchored on collaboration under the scrum approach. Openness is achieved through transparency and teamwork allowing for knowledge of the team progress and roadblocks encountered. 2. Courage: the scrum approach calls for tenacity in committing to conduct ambitious work in each sprint to meet the strict deadlines and the frequent changes that may arise. Scrum masters have to be courageous enough to stand the stakeholders who could be pulling in different directions and provide the required guidelines with the product owner having to authoritatively provide guidance. 3. Focus: under the Scrum approach, multitasking is not allowed, and there is an avoidance of divided attention within the sprint allowing for highest productivity. Concentration on the current task ensures the best quality provision within a short time. 4. Respect: team members receive equal measure of respect with no consideration of seniority, status, and job description under the scrum approach. The effect is that the spirit of collaboration and transparency in roles and responsibilities is upheld by all the team members. Respect for the authority of the product owner to determine the project to be done while he/she respects the work process that suits the development team directed by the scrum master. 5. Commitment: Achieving the strict deadlines and lack amount of work undertaken under the scrum approach requires the members to agree on tasks and complete them within the stipulated time. Achieving the highest value of the product is anchored in the commitment by all the members on their specific tasks and final products have to meet the team’s quality standards and be functional. Application of the Scrum Approach to Healthcare IT analysis and design The scrum approach can be successfully applied to the healthcare IT analysis and design. This part of the study will make an analysis of the ways through which the scrum approach can be applied to healthcare IT analysis and design. To start the scrum approach in meeting the needs of healthcare IT analysis and design, a project owner, in this case, will be a product manager. The product manager will be responsible for ensuring the needs of the client and the users of the healthcare software or device. The product manager is tasked with the responsibility for communicating the priority needs of the client to the development team and the priority features. The cross-functional development team in a healthcare design setting will consist of industrial, chemical, software, materials and planning, operations, mechanical, and electrical personnel among other relevant personnel. The reason is to ensure the device/software/ system being designed is functional and meets the features stated by the product manager. Considering the complexity of the project, the team can consist of 7 to 10 members but not more than ten members to allow for effective team management (Rising & Janoff, 2000). The other important role in Scrum approach is the scrum master ensuring the team is protected from external interference. In the development of healthcare design and analysis, the scrum master is chosen by the members of the team tasked with the project from within the team. The scrum master aids the team in facilitating the scrum process and is not tasked with the assignment of tasks that are undertaken by the members. The scrum master assists the team in resolving roadblocks and issues that may limit the success of the team in achieving its goals. After the product manager assigned by the company contracted to make the healthcare design collects the wish list from the health care institution on the needs of the client, stakeholders, regulators, patients, users, and the executives, he/she meets the team. The product manager reveals to the team what the client needs and the priority list (Product backlog). Updates to these needs are made considering stakeholder and client needs, as the project continues. The team is then tasked with the creation of a Sprint backlog, which entails the priority items the team aims at completing within the stipulated time of between a week and 30 days. The team then makes a breakdown of the items in the Sprint backlog to the priority items to be completed by the members. Choosing the time scale on their own, and the work to complete allows for focus and work ownership by the team. Progress is monitored every day in a team meeting lasting for fifteen minutes or less. After the end of the sprint time, the team presents the result of the sprint to the management, users, stakeholders, product manager/owner, and the client allowing for dialogue among stakeholders, the team, and the product manager/owner. Update of the product to reflect changes, insights, priorities, and recommendations improving collaborative and engaged culture in a company. After the review, a sprint retrospective is convened, which is a meeting aimed at discussing the challenges and improvements for the team ensuring improvement goals are made. The process repeats from the sprint until all the sprints are completed and reviewed to the closing of the project and presentation of the financial product to the client. Strengths of the Scrum Approach The Scrum approach is designed in a manner that ensures it derives benefits to the users. These strengths are some of the reasons the approach is one of the most used methodologies of project management and software development. One of the main strengths of the scrum approach is that it allows for flexibility all through the project period through the presence of control measures on planning and managing of project variables. These control measures allow for modifications and changes to the project to provide the most appropriate release (Ionel, 437). The scrum approach offers a better way of coping with changes by the project team because they are aware and ready to make changes any time in the scrum approach making them prepared psychologically for any change compared to other methodologies. The scrum approach allows for free time by the developers to engage in innovative solutions for the project under consideration providing them with humble time to come up with the best and use their creative skills optimally. Working as a team allows for all the members within and among teams to learn from each other resulting in the development of a better-skilled workforce compared to individuals working alone for the completion of a project (Rech & Bogner, April 01, 2010). Strength inherent in the scrum approach is also that it is based on the object-oriented system design basis allowing for discrete and easy environment management. The effect is that all the teams and individual members have a good platform to work together for better duty performance. Presence of daily meetings allows for the members of teams in the scrum approach develop professional and human relationships and ensures they are fully involved in the project resulting in better output. Adherence to strict iteration rules by all the team members increases the quality of work produced at the completion of the project period in the scrum approach. The delivery of quality work ensures the high satisfaction of the customers served by the company allowing for customer loyalty offering strength to the scrum approach. The scrum approach allows for short iterations allowing for problems to be noted easily and corrected early avoiding mistakes in the project that could result in delays and affect customer satisfaction (Rech & Bogner, April 01, 2010). The project owner is allowed to be involved in the development phase in the scrum approach allowing for the incorporation of changes and modifications to meet his/her needs ensuring the final product is excellent and allows for sprint reviews in the presence of the owner. Weaknesses of the Scrum Approach The scrum approach of software development or project methodology has a number of limitations including the absence of structured working process because of the different functions undertaken by different teams (Morampudi & Raj, March 2013). Other weaknesses of the scrum approach include the lack of a phase for problem-solving and that it is only suitable for small organizations of projects that are not very large. The fact that the Scrum approach is not architecture based is the other weakness. The scrum approach lacks accurate documentation, as part of its process, and the lack of prototype building reduces the chances of testing the success of the software being developed (Morampudi & Raj, March 2013). The scrum master has difficulties in planning, structuring, and organizing projects that have no clear definition. There is an intense project life cycle for all the members involved in the scrum approach owing to the frequency of changes and product delivery and lack of a certain nature of the final product. The scrum approach calls for frequent reviews and daily meetings resulting in the use of a substantial amount of resources. The other weakness of the scrum approach is that it bases the success of the project on the ability of the participants to effectively communicate consistently, be mature and dedicated from the start to the completion of the project (Morampudi & Raj, March 2013). Conclusion It is evident that the scrum approach has certain considerations and characteristics that make it a successful method in project delivery or software development. These characteristics include division of tasks into sprints and phases, having teams, and division of roles and responsibilities. Achieving ambitious tasks is not an easy feat, but having core values including focus, respect, commitment, courage, and openness ensures that the Scrum approach meets an ambitious task in a limited time. It is evident from the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the scrum approach that it offers more benefits than the costs to the participants and company. Despite the strict adherence to certain measures and controls in the development stage of the project, the benefit of delivering the best outweigh these costs. The scrum approach is superior in that it allows for a more productive workforce and enables all the members involved including the owner to have their needs met fully. The consistency of the scrum approach could be the reason for the high instances of its use in many design and analysis settings in recent years. References Morampudi, N. & Raj, G. (March 2013). Evaluating Strengths and Weaknesses of Agile Scrum Framework using Knowledge Management. International Journal of Computer Applications, 65, (23), 1-6. Ionel, N. CRITICAL ANALYSYS OF THE SCRUM PROJECTMANAGEMENT METHODOLOGY. The Academy of Economic Studies, 435-441. Rech, J., & Bogner, C. (April 01, 2010). Qualitative Analysis of Semantically Enabled Knowledge Management Systems in Agile Software Engineering. International Journal of Knowledge Management, 6, 2, 66-85. Rising, L., & Janoff, N. S. (2000). The SCRUM software development process for small teams. IEEE Software , 26-32. Read More