Pros and Cons of Scrum Methodology

Decision makers in every industry look for new ways to increase their profits, through strategies that make internal teams more productive. Today, agile software development is one such methodology, one that's taken the IT world by storm due to its many time-saving benefits.

As a subset of agile development, scrum methodology can allow your team to self-organize and make changes quickly, as per the agile principles. By managing the process of information exchange, a scrum master handles internal operations in the best possible manner. Quite often, the results you can achieve through scrum methodology can help you save more time, and more money, than other practices. Recruiting professionals with a demonstrated history of scrum success is a great way to introduce scrum into your organization.

An effective scrum master can change the way your entire organization operates, and can help refresh the efficiency of your workplace environment.

The advantages of Scrum methodology

Consider some of the major advantages to scrum technology below:

• Removing or resolving mistakes without compromising your current workflow
• Achieve transparency into all stages of the project development process
• Cope with customer-requested changes while maintaining Scrum sprints
• Transition development steps at any stage, thanks to the improved flexibility that Scrum offers
• Earn better end results while saving time in implementing Scrum
• Allow for success in businesses where data-driven documentation is often hard to achieve
• Implement simple testing procedures for better output and work quality
• Incorporate daily meetings, which help in identifying and resolving challenges
• Provide client access to a transparent process which allows them to trace the entire procedure and measure productivity
• Motivate team members to employ a team-first methodology
• Achieve on-time project completion dates
• Leverage a budget-friendly methodology

A certified Scrum Master is widely considered to be one of the most valuable team members across any organization, given their capacity to improve operations and scale company output.

The disadvantages of Scrum methodology

Despite its many benefits, Scrum methodology is also characterized by some disadvantages:

• Overreaching Scrum masters can prevent the team autonomy necessary for success
• Absent team members, or employees who leave the team during the Scrum process, can negative impact project development
• In the absence of strict project completion deadlines, scope creep and demanding managers can lower morale
• Scrum is often implemented without predicted time limits or cost valuations, which can further affect scope
• The process requires strong commitment from all team members, and can cause roadblocks if there's a lack of Scrum adoption
• Larger teams often experience difficulties in implementing all Scrum elements and intricacies
• New teams, or teams with inexperienced members, face an uphill battle in understanding and implementing Scrum strategies
• There is a greater pressure on team members and they have to spend a large amount of time on project development

Although Scrum methodology presents challenges for some teams, its benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. Already widely deployed in software development fields, Scrum is slowly gaining traction across other industries as well. Hiring a qualified candidate in the Scrum master role can allow your team the freedom to perform their core roles, while maximizing efficiency across the entire organization.

Challenges in finding the right candidates

Scrum masters need to have the right credentials, personality, work ethic and attitude to carry out daily tasks for their organization. The right training is also very important for a Scrum master in developing and maintaining skillsets that improve team output. By hiring individuals who have completed Scrum master training from recognized institutes like QuickStart, you can ensure that your business continues to operate at the highest possible level. 

Talk to our experts for further guidance on the best Scrum training course, and how QuickStart can help you prepare for, and pass, your certification exams.