"As a requirements analyst I often hear 'Oh we don't do specifications, we do Scrum!' Although fewer specs are needed in a true Scrum environment with an experienced team, this doesn't mean specs can be eliminated altogether. A new balance needs to be found. This presentation elaborates on this discussion and gives you hands-on tips for working with specifications in a Scrum environment. Subjects covered: - What can we consider as specifications - Why is it important to specify in a Scrum environment? - How much should be specified? - When in the process do we make and use specs? - How to specify?"

2. The Strainof
Scrum& Specs
@Marionde Groot
marion@pickmybrain.eu
www.pickmybrain.eu

3. “We don’tdo Requirements, we do Scrum”

4. Theimportanceofthinkingbeforedoing
Scrum and Specs
The Strainof

5. Content
Who am I?
What are we talking about?
Why specs?
How much specs?
When to specify?
How to specify?

6. Marion de Groot
Pick my brain – Your ideainto IT
Requirements analyst
Functional designer
Scrum Product Owner
Who?

7. My resume
Industrial Design Engineering, TU Delft
Graduation project: A support tool for the
Chinese village doctor
Application Designer @ KSYOS TeleMedical Center
Functional Designer @ Up2 Technology
Requirements Analyst @ Pick my Brain
Who?
2000
2006
2010
2012
2014

8. My mission
“Happiercustomersanddevelopers throughclear,completeand
conciserequirements”
Who?

9. Are we talking about?
What

10. Waterfall
Define
Design
Develop
Test
Deploy
What?

11. The Agile Manifesto
We value
Individuals and Interactions
Working software
Customer collaboration
Responding to change
Over
Process and tools
Comprehensive documentation
Contract negotiation
Following a plan
What?

12. Agiledevelopment
What?
Define
Design
DevelopTest
Deploy
Iteration

13. Daily
Scrum
Sprint
1-4 weeks
Scrum
Product
Backlog
Sprint
Backlog
Working
incremental
piece of
software
What?

14. Specifications
 Describe the product
 Are recorded
Examples
 Documents
 Post-its
 Photos
 Drawings
What?

15. Waterfall extremist:
“Document everything!”
Agile extremist: “All
documents are waste!”
“Specifications should
serve a purpose.”
Documentation scale
What?

16. Dowe make requirements?
Why

17. Customers
Why?

18. Developers
Why?

19. Start of project
 Expectation management
 Cost estimate
 Risk management
 Prioritising
Why?

20. Duringproject
 Clear work instructions
 Avoid rework
Why?

21. End of project
 Guidelines for testing
 Avoid disagreement
 Reference
 Quality Assurance
Why?

22. Requirementsare for
 People
 Communication
Why?

23. Who makes them?
Specifications should be made by someone
who understands:
 Customer
 Product
 Technology
For example
 Product Owner
 Other team member
Why?

24. Involve stakeholders andteam members
 Use their expertise
 Sense of ownership
 Be on one line
 Approve
Why?

25. Keepit simple
 Images, tables, diagrams
 Drawings and sketches
 Avoid jargon
 Be concise
Why?

26. Shouldbe specified?
How much

27. Dependson
 Product
 Team
 Customer
How much?

28. Product
How much?
Complex
New
Unknown for team
Technology

29. Team
How much?
Distributed
Different culture /
background
New
Time
difference

30. Customer
How much?
Stubborn
Unfamiliar with IT
New

31. When can we plan a story?
What’s your definition of ready?
How much?

32. Shouldwe specify?
When

33. Solidbasis
Sprint 0
 Research, Analysis
 General requirements and structure
 Context, Goal, Vision
 Priorities
 Epics
When?

34. Bit by bit
During the project
 Define use cases, user stories
 Elaborate when needed
 Use online collaboration tools
When?

35. Staggered sprints
When?
ARequirements
Development
Sprint 0 Sprint 1 Sprint 2
B C
A B C
Sprint 3

36. Can we specify?
How

37. User Stories
As a Customer
I want to be able to approve the offer
So that I can get my product
How

44. Conclusion
Good requirements
 Save time, money and frustration
 Aren’t endless documents
 Are Agile

45. Questions?

46. @Marion de Groot
marion@pickmybrain.eu
www.pickmybrain.eu
Thank you!