Scrum Team Members: Roles, Responsibilities, Features and Benefits

Scrum has emerged as one of the most well-known new frameworks used by project management teams worldwide in recent years. Scrum teams have been successfully incorporated by many businesses into their project management methodology.  Its impressive framework aimed at streamlining the complexities of managing projects has impressed many organizations. As a result, you will find scrum team roles in almost all leading companies.  

In this post, we define scrum team members, discuss the advantages of adopting this strategy, and outline the many roles that make up a team. 

What is a Scrum Team? 

A scrum team is a team of collaborators, usually composed of five to nine people, who work together to develop products and complete projects. There is no hierarchy or rank in a scrum team. Instead, it is a group of obedient, cohesive people. Members of the scrum team agile consist of  

• A scrum master team member 
• A scrum product owner 
• Developers  

Want to get better at understanding the scrum team role? Check out Agile Management courses that will apprise you of the same! 

Each of these scrum team roles has a particular set of duties; only if they carry them out, closely collaborate, and work together can they complete a project. Also, a set of scrum team guidelines drive the concept to success.  

Scrum Team Characteristics

The following characteristics are constant in scrum teams - 

• Team members adhere to the same standards and guidelines 
• The delivery is under the responsibility of the entire Scrum team 
• It has complete authority for the task assigned. 
• Member of the scrum team operates independently 
• The Scrum team has a balance of skills 
• It consists of a small team of 7-9 members and there are no sub-teams  
• Collocated people 

The scrum ideology is slowly taking over the world. It is proven to be highly effective and simplifies complex procedures easily.  

What are Scrum Attributes? 

To complete the pre-assigned task, a scrum team heavily relies on excellent team management, which encourages the approach of the "we" mindset among team members. The scrum development team likely needs a few essential attributes. 

1. Self-motivated And Organized 

Scrum suggests improving team members' emergent qualities, such as self-organization and self-motivation. The team members must be held accountable for their performance and have the client's projection as if there were no junior-senior hierarchy. 

2. Teamwork 

Scrum always supports a team of five to nine people, who must be committed to and focused on the team's objective. The Scrum framework does not support large teams, and multitasking is not recommended because it causes the team to lose concentration and commitment to its objective. 

3. Communication That Is Transparent And Cohesive 

The product owner and scrum master appear to speak with the development team members. Thus the communication pattern needs to be quick, efficient, and open. 

4. Pair Programming Work   

The programmers must improve their ability to work in pairs at a single workstation, with one programmer writing the code and the other checking it for errors. Additionally, roles are interchangeable. 

5. Refactoring Of The Code Is Completed   

Refactoring refers to clarifying and simplifying existing code without altering its real properties. Scrum team members should assist with ongoing refactoring while maintaining the code from sprint to sprint. 

6. Regular Integration 

The construction of a clean build system is defined by Continuous Integration (CI). To assemble automated compilation, unit test execution, and source control integration, the development team creates CI.

Scrum Team Members and Size 

A scrum team size composed of 5-9 professionals who work collaboratively to complete a project. Members of the agile scrum team consist of –  

• A scrum master  
• A scrum product owner 
• Proxy product owner  
• The development team  

Let’s have a look at the roles in a scrum team -  

1. The Scrum Master  

A Scrum Master must monitor a Scrum team's efficiency and adherence to Scrum values to ensure proper operation. This calls for managing meetings, keeping the Team on track, and resolving any problems that may develop. Because they are a leader and a supporter who works in the background, they are frequently referred to as the "servant leader" of the Scrum team. 

Roles And Responsibilities  

The following are the roles and responsibilities of a scrum master -  

• Apply Project Management Techniques 

The Scrum Master is in charge of forming and onboarding project teams, integrating them into the company, and articulating a distinct product vision. The Scrum Master helps the project team and outside entities communicate and share information. Additionally, they keep an eye on how projects are doing, give prompt feedback, and promote a culture of adaptability and learning. 

• Teach The Principles And Practices Of Scrum 

To facilitate a seamless onboarding process for new team members and staff, the Scrum Master serves as a mentor. The Scrum Master keeps work moving forward and assists new team members in comprehending the goals and objectives of a product. 

• Coach Team Members 

The scrum master coaches the product owner and development team. One of their main duties is ensuring the team has received the necessary training to understand Agile processes. The Scrum Master oversees the self-management of the teams. They are always looking for ways to increase productivity and team performance. 

• Track Day-to-day Activities 

One of a scrum master's responsibilities is tracking the day-to-day activities and ensuring that the team is on the right track, among other things.  

• Get Rid Of The Obstacles  

The scrum master ensures that the team stays on track during each iteration. There may be obstacles coming in the way, but the scrum master helps remove them.  

2. The Product Owner 

The product owner in scrum team is responsible for leading the development team, directing them, and setting priorities for the projects that will be delivered on behalf of the company. In addition to working with consumers, the product owner also envisions the quality that the Team will provide to the client. It also considers the requirements of the company's other stakeholders.  

Roles And Responsibilities  

The following are the roles and responsibilities of the product owner -  

• Give Definition To The Team's Vision 

The product owner is responsible for ensuring the goals and visions get translated in a way their team members can grasp. Creating a roadmap for the team's vision is what they work towards.  

• Oversee Development Stages  

In Scrum methodology, the product manager oversees the product from stage one to the last stage. Some tasks include planning, refinement, sprinting, reviewing, etc.  

• Leading Communications 

Since they hail from a project management or marketing background, they are usually quite good at leading communications. As a result, they are the critical middle person between the customers and the Scrum team. 

• Understanding Client Requirements  

They are the face of the Scrum team, wherein they constantly work towards understanding the client requirements and translating them into plans for their Scrum team. 

3. Proxy Product Owner  

An intermediary between the decision-makers and the product's creators is a proxy product owner (Proxy PO). A Proxy PO typically carries out tasks typically performed by a Product Owner, such as gathering the customer's demands, establishing and prioritizing the Product Backlog, and more.  

Roles And Responsibilities 

The following are the roles and responsibilities of the proxy product owner -  

• Carry Out The Same Tasks As The Product Owner 

If the product owner is absent, the proxy product owner can take their place and carry out tasks such as planning how to implement the backlog with the team, determining the release date for the product increments to the customers, and more. 

• Support The Product Owner 

Be it defining, documenting, or maintaining requirements – the Proxy Product owner does it all intending to support the product owner.  

4. The Development team 

A development team in scrum is made up of specialists who carry out the actual tasks in a Scrum sprint. Therefore, members of the development team could be programmers, graphic designers, writers, data analysts, or any other professional necessary to complete the sprint's goals. To create, test, and deliver product increments every Sprint without outside assistance, the team is set up with all relevant skill sets in mind. The Team must, therefore, be independent and cross-functional. 

Roles And Responsibilities 

The following are the roles and responsibilities of the development team -  

• Carry Out Sprint Execution 

The development team carries out several functions during the process of sprint execution, including creating, designing, testing, and integrating aspects in the product backlog.  

• Review Products  

Since they are the product creators, they are the best people to review the products. Thus, the development team delivers shippable products within the allotted project period to the clients.  

• Polish Up The Product Backlog  

The development team continues to work towards creating newer products. At the same time, they are also responsible for polishing up the product backlog.  

• Adapt new processes  

They work collaboratively with other Scrum team members to adopt new processes for the project.  

Become a project management expert with PMP Certification Syllabus. Develop leadership skills to deliver successful projects.

Features Of A Successful Scrum Team

To become a successful scrum team, the team members should possess certain features listed below -  

1. Strong Collaboration

Team members should work closely together to produce high-quality items. No matter what their primary function is, team members should never be scared to voice their opinions. One of the fundamental qualities of a highly effective agile scrum team is the capacity to voluntarily assist one another in achieving the common goal. 

2. Problem Solvers

Scrum team members adopt an abrupt approach to solving complicated challenges. A highly effective scrum team requires excellent problem solvers. One of the key qualities every scrum team needs to have is the capacity to respond quickly to problems. 

3. Self-Motivated

One of the many characteristics of a highly effective scrum is the capacity to flourish in improving independently. Team members are not constrained by the duties they have been assigned. Instead, they are consistently encouraged to develop their skills. This quality establishes a strong foundation for each team member to play their part and effectively deliver the greatest results. 

4. Results Focused

When a team is motivated by results, they fully appreciate the significance of producing high-quality results. They make every effort to align their work with the team's common objective and put in their best effort to achieve it. 

Benefits of a Scrum Team 

Here are some of the most prominent benefits of a scrum team - 

• The scrum team's processes take place quickly and efficiently.  
• Time and resources are effectively utilized. 
• If the project is too large, it is divided into smaller portions to be easily manageable. 
• Codes are well-tested all throughout the development phase. 
• There is clear visibility and transparency in all phases.  
• Feedback from the clients and customers is effectively applied. 

KnowledgeHut’s Agile Management courses provide you with a complete overview of a scrum team. 

Final Word

Efficient planning and intelligent decision-making are at the forefront of a scrum team. It is such characteristics of the scrum methodology that help make projects successful. There is no compromise on the quality of outcomes. The projects don't slack, and each phase is optimally accomplished. If you plan to take your career to new heights as a scrum master, enroll in the world-class courses at KnowledgeHut now!