Scrum Events — Sprint Review
Quick Reminder: What is Scrum?
Scrum (n): A framework within which people can address complex adaptive problems, while productively and creatively delivering products of the highest possible value.
— The Scrum Guide —
The Scrum framework consists of roles, events, artifacts and rules. Each part of the Scrum framework serves a specific purpose and is of vital importance to Scrum’s success and usage. Scrum is a lightweight framework, consisting only of 3 Roles, 3 Artifacts and 5 Events:
- Scrum Roles: Product Owner, Scrum Master and Development Team;
- Scrum Artifacts: Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, Product Increment;
- Scrum Events: the Sprint, the Sprint Planing, the Daily Scrum, the Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective.
Besides the official Scrum Events, there is also an activity that many Scrum Teams do, which is called Product Backlog Refinement (used to be called Grooming).
All the Scrum Events, including Product Backlog Refinment happen during the Sprint. A Sprint is the heart of Scrum, and is time-boxed period of one month or less, in which a “Done”, useable, and potentially releasable product Increment is created. Sprints have consistent durations throughout a development effort. A new Sprint starts immediately after the conclusion of the previous Sprint.
Introduction to the Sprint Review
The Sprint Review meeting is the before-last Event of the Sprint and should take place every Sprint. Only the Retrospective follows (right after) the Sprint Review, and after the Retrospective, a new Sprint begins.
A Sprint Review is held at the end of the Sprint to inspect the Increment and adapt the Product Backlog if needed. During the Sprint Review, the Scrum Team and stakeholders collaborate about what was done in the Sprint. Based on that and any changes to the Product Backlog during the Sprint, attendees collaborate on the next things that could be done to optimize value. This is an informal meeting, not a status meeting, and the presentation of the Increment is intended to elicit feedback and foster collaboration.
This is at most a four-hour meeting for one-month Sprints. For shorter Sprints, the event is usually shorter. The Scrum Master ensures that the event takes place and that attendees understand its purpose. The Scrum Master teaches everyone involved to keep it within the time-box.
The Purpose of the Sprint Review
The purpose of the Sprint Review is to inspect the Product Increment delivered in the Sprint and to adapt the Product Backlog (if needed). During the Sprint Review a demonstration of the Product Increment and Product Backlog is given to the stakeholders. The Sprint Review is an informal, collaborative working session, in which the Scrum Team collaborates with stakeholders in order to optimize the value of the Product.
The time-box of the Sprint Review
The time-box for the Sprint Review is 4 hours, for a Sprint of 4 weeks. For shorter Sprints, the time-box is usually shorter.
Who should attend the Sprint Review
The participants of the Sprint Planning Event are the Scrum Team members, meaning the Product Owner, Scrum Master and Development Team. The Product Owner is in the lead of the Sprint Review and he or she invites the (key) stakeholders to the Sprint Review.
What is Inspected during the Sprint Review
During the Sprint Review, the following is being Inspected:
- The Product Increment that was delivered in the Sprint — The Product Owner explains what Product Backlog items have been “Done” and what has not been “Done”. The Development Team demonstrates the work that it has “Done” and answers questions about the Increment;
- The Sprints’ flow (What went well? What problems did the team ran into? How were they solved?) — The Development Team discusses what went well during the Sprint, what problems it ran into, and how those problems were solved;;
- The actual Product Backlog, including targets, goals and likely completion dates — The Product Owner discusses the Product Backlog as it stands. He or she projects likely target and delivery dates based on progress to date (if needed);
- The current market conditions (such as new technologies, competitors, etc.) — Review of how the marketplace or potential use of the product might have changed what is the most valuable thing to do next; and,
- Timelines, budgets, potential capabilities and other market conditions — Review of the timeline, budget, potential capabilities, and marketplace for the next anticipated releases of functionality or capability of the product.;
- The next steps to be taken in order to maximize the value of the Product — The entire group collaborates on what to do next, so that the Sprint Review provides valuable input to subsequent Sprint Planning;;
What is Adapted during the Sprint Review
The result of the Sprint Review is an adapted Product Backlog, which may for example include an updated ordering, new Product Backlog Items, changed Product Backlog Items, removed Product Backlog Items, etc.
What is the Meeting Flow for the Sprint Review
There are many ways for conducting the Sprint Review. In order to help you in getting started, I’ve created a flowchart (see image below). This flowchart offers insights into what the Events’ flow could look like.
Please: Pay attention to the could look like!
This flowchart is just an example. It may appear that the Sprint Review is a very linear process, in which the Scrum Team presents to the stakeholders. In practice though, the Sprint Review should be an interactive meeting, in which people ask questions to each other, but also where stakeholders could maybe use and play around with the features that were build.
There are for example also successful Sprint Review being held in a ‘market place setting’, where Scrum Teams have a market stall, where stakeholders can use the product, have direct interaction with the Scrum Team and exchange feedback and ideas.
Sprint Review vs Retrospective
Some questions that come up during our Professional Scrum courses quite often, are: “What is the difference between the Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective?” and “Which occurs first in the Sprint, the Sprint Review or the Sprint Retrospective?”. Let’s take a look at the answer to these questions:
Let’s start with a short answer to the second question, being: The Sprint Review happens before the Sprint Retrospective. Okay, but why then?
Well, that’s basically the answer to the first question. The Sprint Review is a Scrum Event or meeting, in which we inspect the work that was done during the Sprint, the Product Increment, together with our stakeholders. The idea is that this moment of inspection and adaptation offers us new insights, but also some feedback. The Retrospective on the other hand, is a Scrum Event in which we evaluate the entire Sprint. It’s a meeting which helps us to continuously improve; our way-of-working, collaboration, processes, tools, etc. And so, it makes sense that the Sprint Retrospective happens after the Sprint Review, and therefore being the last event of the Sprint, so that we can also evaluate and improve the way we do Sprint Reviews over time. In addition, doing the Sprint Retrospective after the Sprint Review offers you the opportunity to inspect the feedback you just received and decide how to deal with it in the next Sprint.
Learn more about the Scrum Events
Hopefully this article about the Sprint Review was valuable to you. If you want to learn more about the other Scrum Events, check out the links below, or join us in a Professional Scrum Product Owner course!
Originally published at www.robbinschuurman.nl on May 22, 2017.
