Companies and organizations usually have project management systems to accomplish specific tasks within a project. In most cases, these systems depend on the type of project and its urgency. One can use a Scrum board template for sprints that fall anywhere from one to four weeks long.
This article introduces you to the basics of a Scrum board and how your team can effectively create one.
What is a Scrum Board?
A Scrum board refers to a visual dashboard of work in a team. Essentially, this template is used for teams that plan their tasks in sprints. Most teams usually use a whiteboard or any blank space with several columns drawn and sticky notes to mark various items on the board.
You can also formulate your Scrum board template using special software. This means you do not need markers and whiteboards; instead, you'll just grant edit access to the team members so they can update the dashboard on the progress of the project sprint. During the sprint, the scrum master, scrum team, and product owner must work together to complete a particular product addition.
Components of Scrum board
The Scrum board template generally looks like a blank board with different colors of sticky notes. You can see that each column has corresponding labels, which are essential in project management.
Backlog column
The items in this column include the issues of your current project, which are grouped into sprints and backlogs. Under the Scrum backlog, an assigned team member can make and update issues. Remember that the backlog is not a to-do list. It's like a wish list of the desired features for a specific product. The Scrum team utilizes this column to understand which elements must be prioritized.
Story column
These items represent the user story of every sprint and must be developed by a specific development group based on the assignee. You can also place the backlogs of current sprints here, which you must break down into multiple tasks for either the next sprints or the existing ones.
To-do column
These are the assigned tasks that have yet to start. The tasks are generally placed on sticky notes with details like the nature of the task, the deadline, the assigner, and the assignee.
Doing column (In progress column)
When the tasks are already under this column, the assignee is working on it. Remember that the person responsible for completing the task must finish it before its due date.
Done column
This is where you'll see all the completed tasks of the sprint.
Benefits of using a Scrum board
Most people in the corporate industry trust a Scrum board template for any sprint projects they have. The template is a reliable tool for completing tasks accordingly. Here are other reasons why your department must use a Scrum board template.
● Promotes healthy interaction among team members. Since every member can access the Scrum board, they'll know the progress and who to go to when they need updates on specific tasks. Besides that, the template also promotes collaboration and better communication.
● Increases transparency. All the processes for the sprint are visible on the Scrum board; hence everyone can keep track of the progress for each task. The members must keep all information on the task board, further allowing the team to provide proactive problem-solving initiatives.
● Promotes accountability. The Scrum board sure is composed of members to complete the tasks for the sprint. However, each team member has assigned tasks to finish within a deadline. As a result, they are accountable for the task's progress -whether it's a success or there will be delays, the assignee must be responsible for it.
● It allows a quick setup and easy deployment. Formulating a Scrum board template online is similar to creating diagrams. You can draw columns using lines and provide digital sticky notes using different shapes and colors. You only need to drag and drop the items from one section to another. Special software today even allows you to generate charts and reports with an easy automation feature.
How to use the Scrum board template in Boardmix
Boardmix offers a straightforward setup process for your Scrum board template. Consider the steps below to use the board for your project development initiatives efficiently.
- Choose the Daily Scrum Meeting tab to start.
- You can use the draft Scrum board provided by Boardmix to create your template.
- Use special characters, shapes, lines, and images on your template. All these options are on the left side of the interface.
- Remember to share the link to the template after creating the Scrum board. You can let the other members edit the template by clicking the 'Share' button. This way, the team members can edit and view the board remotely.
FAQ about the Scrum board template
What can a Scrum board be used for?
Scrum board templates are widely used; hence you see them in various industries. Here are some industries or departments where the templates are necessary.
● Software development uses a Scrum board to monitor the project's progress. However, other project planning teams from different industries utilize the template to track specific task developments.
● The sales department tracks deliverables and meets targets in a short amount of time with a Scrum board template.
● A human resource department can use a Scrum board to streamline its recruitment process.
What is the difference between the Scrum board and the Kanban board?
While there might be similarities between a Scrum and a Kanban board, they have unique differences, even though the framework they use is relatively similar. A Scrum board template is an agile process that helps deliver the organization or business value quickly. The goal of the Scrum board is to provide new developments every two to four weeks.
Meanwhile, Kanban boards are visual systems for managing work. They visualize the processes and actual work which passes through that process. Its primary objective is to determine potential bottlenecks within the process and fix them. The workflow must function accordingly at optimal speeds.
