What is a sprint review and how to run a great sprint (2023)

Agile software developmentIt has been an efficient way to develop digital products in recent years and it is a mandatory pillar of your digital transformation for your company to become a great digital product company. ThatADAPT® methodologyis a unique digital product development framework to ensure the success of leaders in the digital age.

Society has changed and leaders need support in the way they lead and shape their digital product organizationsADAPT® methodologywas created, but now let's dive into the sprint review meeting.

The sprint review meeting takes place after the completion of the sprint. It is planned to check the increment and adjust the product backlog if necessary. When the Sprint Review Meeting takes place, the Scrum Team and stakeholders review what was done during the Sprint.

The review is for information sharing, not a status meeting. This is done solely to receive feedback and ensure collaboration.

during onehustle, a regular sprint review meeting is scheduled to demonstrate and determine the usability of the product. Teams are expected to deliver shippable product during each increment or sprint.

To ensure success, a sprint review meeting is held at the end of each sprint. During the review, the Scrum Team shows the stakeholders what they have accomplished by demonstrating the redesigned features.

Sprint review meetings are intentionally informal. Programs such as PowerPoint are prohibited and a maximum preparation time of 2 hours is set. These meetings are not, and should not be viewed as, a major distraction or distraction for the team. Instead, they should be a natural transition and the result of the sprint session.

Typically theScrum-Master, members of the management team, the product owner, customers, developers of other projects, and the scrum team attend the sprint review meeting.

At the sprint planning meeting, a goal is set for the software. Achieving this Sprint Goal is very important. To ensure this, the delivered project is evaluated during the sprint review and compared to the goal. Each product backlog is also included in the review to ensure the goal has been met.

Sprint-Review-Meeting

In a sprint review meeting, the Scrum Team and stakeholders discuss the work done during the sprint. After evaluating the work done along with the changes made to theproduct backlog, the group is working on what steps should be taken next to optimize the value of the software. These meetings are always intentionally informal to keep the group focused and encourage feedback and collaboration.

For month-long sprints, review meetings should last a maximum of four hours; so-called time-limited sessions. When the sprint sessions are shorter, the review meetings are also shorter.

ThatScrum-Masteris responsible for scheduling the meeting and informing all participants of the purpose of the review. ThatScrum-MasterThey are also responsible for keeping the meeting on schedule.

The sprint review meeting should include:

• Presence and participation of the Scrum Team, the Product Owner and the invited key stakeholders.
• Thatproduct ownermust report the items in the Product Backlog; which backlog items have been completed and which have not.
• Thatdevelopment teamdiscuss what went well and what problems arose. They should also tell the group what they did to solve the problems.
• The development team demonstrates their completed work and answers questions about their increment.
• The Product Owner leads the discussion of the Product Backlog in its current state. They set projected completion dates based on the progress of the sprint session.
• To make a valuable contributionSprintplanung,The whole group determines the next steps during the Sprint Review meeting.
• This is a time to review possible changes in the market, the valuation of the project, and the areas considered most valuable. The next steps should also be outlined.
• Review the timeline, budget, potential capabilities, and market to determine the next expected product release.

At the end of the sprint review meeting, product backlog reviews should be conducted to further define potential backlog items for the next sprint session. The Product Backlog can be fully customized to introduce new opportunities.

Focus on the end user

Businesses may be reluctant to engage end-users for a number of reasons: some fear expanding reach, others believe they shouldn't ask end-users to engage, while others don't know who their end-user is. End users are an important part of the session. Never find an excuse not to include them!

Involve the product owner

Too often many companies organize their Sprint Reviews as a team presentation for the Product Owner to evaluate or judge their work. This format is complete nonsense! Sprint Reviews are not inquisitions or courts of law, but rather informal gatherings to collect customer feedback.

Rather than presenting their data to a judge-like product owner, teams should work with the product owner to review each full story.

At the beginning of the Sprint Review, the Product Owner should be the first to greet everyone and give an overview of the project. The owner can then discuss the sprint goals: what has been achieved and what has not.

It's also a good time to talk about product quality, software release, and product exhaustion. The owner can point out what reviewers should look out for and tell the team how to provide feedback.

After they finish their introductory explanations, the Product Owner can turn the meeting over to the Scrum Team to demonstrate the functional capabilities of the software.

Understand group dynamics

group dynamicsThey are transformed significantly when the focus of the meeting changes from a single Product Owner to a collaborative group that includes the Scrum Team, stakeholders, and end users.

When the product owner becomes part of the release team, the previous roles change. Here's a look at how each group is affected.

product owner

The role of the product owner changes to that of the actual owner of the product. As a key member of the team, the owner takes more responsibility for the product. You are responsible for decision making and presenting the results to end users and prospects. He stands up and introduces the product increment and gives an insight into the status of the project.

By changing the role, the owner understands that they become more disciplined in maintaining product design, eliminating burnout, and setting a quality level for work.

Another notable by-product of this change is that deviations are immediately visible. When owner-perceived revisions to end-user requirements do not match actual requirements, this becomes immediately apparent.

Scrum-Team

The Scrum Team has a greater sense of pride and accomplishment and is better positioned to demonstrate their work to the group. They are given end-user time and, at best, meet end-users face-to-face.

Knowing the end user is the best way to develop quality software that provides the greatest benefit to the end user. By learning to accept feedback in every sprint session, the team gains more appreciation for the product owners and customers.

The team will also feel less judged or qualified by the product owner. You will leave the meeting more energetic and motivated for the next sprint.

Company executives / prospects

When leaders and stakeholders are part of the review meeting, they can see the teamwork while engaging in a real review of the work done and actions taken. In addition, end users can personally inform executives/stakeholders about their needs.

Above all, they learn to behave appropriately. The dynamics of these meetings differ significantly when customers are part of the session.

When end users are present, executives and stakeholders spend less time arguing and criticizing each other. Instead, everyone shows their best behavior and ensures that the review is more motivated and productive.

End users/customers/partners

Without a doubt, end users are the stars of review meetings because they spend valuable face-to-face time with software developers. You spend so much time with the development group that end users feel a sense of ownership.

Because they put so much time and dedication into developing the project, the users become the biggest supporters of the company. This knowledge gained is valuable in reducing the flood of support calls that are common after a release.

Scrum-Master

ThatScrum-Masterfacilitates the Sprint Review Meeting. This person creates an environment among all members so that great achievements and goal achievement can arise. For this to happen, theScrum-MasterYou need to make sure the right people are present at the meeting. He/she must also ensure that the right space and materials are available.

Other little things like ordering food and drinks are also the responsibility of theScrum-Master. While this may seem like little to some, food is the fuel teams need to keep their hard work going during meetings. Personally, I had a lot of great conversations with the teams over lunch.

One thing to note, this is not the caseScrum-Master's show - you're not the star. ThatScrum-MasterHe is there to support the team. They also welcome end users and make sure they're onboard, have a chance to be heard, and be behind the scenes.

Be brave

To master the art of feedback, you must first create an environment that allows open feedback. Involving end users in sprint review meetings can be daunting, but remember: Hearing feedback early gives you time to make necessary adjustments.

Waiting until the end to find out you went the wrong way is a waste of precious time and resources. So if you're still worried about the scope drifting, don't be. During the review, the product owner first decides what rewards will be given after each Sprint Review.

You can take this opportunity to learn more about what end users need and don't need; This helps reduce and eliminate the overproduction of some features that are never used.

By focusing on the end user and building energy and enthusiasm, create a sprint review meeting that customers want to attend. It's easy to do; Just set up a patch that provides direct value to the end user. Once that's done, just sit back and listen. You'll be surprised at what you learn.

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