Concepts
Adhering to the philosophy and framework of Scrum is crucial to effective Scrum team performance. However, there are certain development practices that can enhance the productivity and performances of a Scrum team. If you’re preparing for the Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner (A-CSPO) exam and want to have a broader understanding of Scrum practice, let’s delve into three development practices that could help a Scrum team deliver higher quality outcomes.
1. Test-Driven Development (TDD)
Test-Driven Development (TDD) is a development practice where the developer writes a failing test case before writing the code. Once the test case is written, the developer then writes enough code for the test to pass. This practice is aimed at ensuring that all code is covered by at least one test, thus enhancing product quality.
For example, if a developer is working on a feature that calculates the total cost of goods in a shopping cart, the developer would first write a test that adds items to the cart and checks if the total cost matches the expected total cost. The developer then writes the code that calculates the total cost, and the test now passes.
| With TDD | Without TDD | |
|---|---|---|
| Code | Code is error-free and robust | Code could have hidden errors |
| Test | All code is covered by tests | Code coverage may be missing |
2. Continuous Integration (CI)
Continuous Integration (CI) is a practice where developers frequently integrate their work, usually multiple times daily. Each integration is then verified by an automated build and automatic tests to detect error quick and easy. This practice helps to detect and locate errors quickly and improve product quality.
For example, a Scrum team is working on an eCommerce website. Every time a developer commits code, it is integrated with the existing code base, and automatic tests run to ensure that the code plays well with all other code.
| With CI | Without CI | |
|---|---|---|
| Code | Every commit is tested | Code tested at unspecific intervals |
| Error Detection | Detect and fix errors promptly | May lead to accumulating errors |
3. Pair Programming
Pair Programming is a practice where two programmers share one workstation, writing code together. This method provides immediate peer review and allows for improvements to be made in real-time. Immediate peer review and knowledge sharing improves overall code quality.
For example, two developers in a Scrum team are assigned with developing a complex algorithm. Instead of splitting the task and working on it individually, they work together at a station, discussing, writing, verifying and refining the code simultaneously.
| With Pair Programming | Without Pair Programming | |
|---|---|---|
| Code | Two pairs of eyes on each code | Only one perspective on the code |
| Quality | Improved code quality | Potential for unnoticed errors |
The above techniques are proven methods that can improve software development performance in a Scrum team. Preparing for the A-CSPO exam involves a thorough understanding and application of these development practices. Through consistent use of these techniques, along with the Scrum framework, a Scrum team can expect to achieve a higher quality of software development in each sprint.
Answer the Questions in Comment Section
True or False: Continuous Integration is a development practice that can help Scrum Teams deliver a high-quality product.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Continuous Integration is the practice of merging all developers’ working copies to a shared mainline several times a day, which prevents integration problems and improves product quality.
Which of the following are development practices that could help Scrum Teams deliver a high-quality product?
- A) Pair Programming
- B) Frequent Documentation
- C) Test-Driven Development
- D) Daily Stand-Up Meetings
Answer: A, C, D
Explanation: Pair programming and Test-Driven Development are development practices that can increase the quality of the product. Daily Stand-Up Meetings are part of Scrum and they improve team communication and productivity which eventually helps in delivering a high-quality product.
True or False: Code duplication is an effective development practice for Scrum teams.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Code duplication is not a favorable development practice as it may lead to harder maintenance and bugs propagation. Scrum teams aim for efficient and streamlined coding practices.
Single Select Question: What is the primary advantage of using Continuous Deployment in a Scrum Team?
- A) Increase in Test Cases
- B) Quicker User Feedback
- C) Longer Sprints
- D) Less Meetings
Answer: B. Quicker User Feedback
Explanation: Continuous Deployment enables every change that passes the automated tests to be automatically deployed to production, allowing Scrum Teams to receive quicker user feedback.
True or False: The use of Test-Driven Development (TDD) slows down a Scrum Team’s development process and doesn’t impact the product quality.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: While implementing TDD might initially slow down the development process due to the need to write tests before writing the code, it usually results in high-quality code and fewer bugs eventually increasing the overall speed and efficiency of the team.
Single Select Question: Which of the following can be considered as a development practice that promotes high product quality in a Scrum Team?
- A) Frequent breaks
- B) Regular job rotation
- C) Kaizen
- D) Command and control management
Answer: C. Kaizen
Explanation: Kaizen, a practice implying continuous improvement, promotes a high quality of work among scrum team members, leading to higher product quality.
True or False: In Scrum, investing time in code refactoring can improve product quality.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Code refactoring is a process of restructuring existing computer code without changing its external behavior, which can increase code readability, reduce complexity, and create a more organized code structure, thus improving quality.
True or False: Conducting code reviews is not a necessary practice for Scrum teams in order to deliver a high-quality product.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Code reviews are essential practices to identify potential errors and improve code quality which ultimately leads to high-quality product delivery in Scrum teams.
In a Scrum Team, why would Automated Testing be considered a development practice that could lead to a high-quality product?
- A) It reduces testing time
- B) It can identify errors humans might miss
- C) It makes manual testing unnecessary
- D) Both A and B
Answer: D. Both A and B
Explanation: Automated Testing does reduce the testing time, and can also find errors that humans might miss, thus improving the overall quality of the product.
True or False: Holding regular retrospective meetings in a Scrum Team is an effective development practice leading to a high-quality product.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Regular retrospective meetings allow issues and challenges to be addressed, enabling improvement in the team’s processes, and ultimately leading to a high-quality product.
Great post! Implementing Test-Driven Development (TDD) within our Scrum team made a huge difference in deliverable quality.
Thanks! I found it very informative.
Can’t agree more. Continuous Integration (CI) has been a game-changer for my team.
Absolutely! CI helps in catching bugs early and keeps our codebase healthy.
We also integrated CI with our automated tests, which improved our coverage.
Automated testing is crucial. It ensures that each increment is tested thoroughly before delivery.
Automated testing really saved us time on repetitive tasks and allowed more focus on new features.
I appreciate the insights! Pair programming also helps in maintaining high code quality.
We were skeptical about pair programming at first but it’s definitely improved our code reviews and error catching.
Thanks for sharing this. We are considering adapting Code Reviews as a standard practice.
Given my experience, Code Reviews systematically improve the quality of the code delivered.
Couldn’t agree more. It brings fresh perspectives and catches minute errors.