Getting Started With Scrum Task Board

We recently covered how to get started with Kanban boards, and this post aims to help you if you decided to start using Scrum. The first step to getting started with Scrum is to do it with a pilot project. This pilot project will help you get the hang of how it is done and then roll it out to the wider organization. Before you rush out to start trying your hand on Scrum, it is good that you be aware of some organizational problems that may hold you back. Some of the most common issues with using Scrum include lack of training and infrastructure, adoption in silos, and overcomplicating the process. Once you have got these problems out of the way, you are good to start with the Scrum task board.="https:>

Below are three basic ideas to help you get your Scrum task board off the ground.

1. Choose the product owner 

Finding out if the product you intend working on has an owner is a great way to help you and your team get organized. Your team needs to determine at the earliest stage whose responsibility it is to make any form of changes to the product. It is also important to know who wrote the first business requirements and this will of course point you to the person who knows the product best and who is speaking from the customer’s point of view.

2. Get the product backlog organized

Now that the new product owner has been identified, it is time to get together with major business representatives. The purpose here is to plan a workshop that will educate and also help your team prioritize your product backlog. The project requirements should be rephrased into stories. If you are lucky, the product owner may already have the product backlog ready. In case your product owner does not have a story ready, start thinking of how to organize a second workshop to transfer their requirements into stories.  The stories should contain a detailed description of what your clients want and how it will benefit the product.

3. Get a task board

So far, you have succeeded in having your backlog ready and a motivated team to work with, the only thing left is a task board. You may consider a virtual task board, especially if some of your team is located offshore. Alternatively, you can use a magnetic whiteboard for this purpose, which allows most items to stick on it. Or, you can build your boards directly on the wall. To help you choose, we reviewed the pros and cons of virtual task boards previously on our blog.

Enter your vertical and horizontal lines with signs for name tags, columns, team pictures, and status tags and you are set with your Scrum task board. Good luck!