SWOT Analysis | SWOT Technique | Knowledge Train

Harnessing the power of SWOT analysis for effective strategies

Business analysis technique | SWOT

Instructor-ledScrum Master FAQsprojectsAgilePM Foundation course . For business organisations, justification for a project usually takes a commercial form i.e. evaluating how much money could be made from the investment. For example, investing money in developing a new software app to bring first to market, might be deemed to bring certain monetary benefits (in terms of sales) which exceeds the costs of investment.

£1,299 +vat For government organisations, justification is probably not a commercial one, but could be based upon giving value for money to achieve certain benefits. For example, a public health campaign extolling the benefits of flu-vaccinations for elderly people, might be judged as giving greater value for money than having no campaign, and instead relying on treating patients in hospital once they have contracted the virus.

With so many competing claims being made on scarce funds, organisations need the assurance that the decision they are taking is the right one. After all, there will not be enough funds to pay for all the ideas for projects which are floating around the organisation.See all datesAre Scrum Master jobs in demand?Who uses a business case?DSDM principles – the building blocks Business cases can be used by many different levels of management within an organisation. Not only are they used to justify the investment in an individual project, but also they are typically used by a

DSDM based upon principles portfolio management

Based upon 8 principles and an underlying agile philosophy, DSDM became a popular agile approach amongst software developers seeking an alternative to rapid application development (RAD) approaches in the years after 2000. RAD approaches did not scale well for people collaborating on a team however. DSDM thus became one of the first agile approaches to be used within the software development community.Are Scrum Masters worth it? office to help it decide which projects will contribute to the organisation’s strategic goals. That way, they can filter out the bad ideas for projects, and only fund projects which will contribute to strategic goals.

The 8 DSDM principles underpin the whole framework. Each principle must be adhered to by the project team, as ignoring any of the principles can increase the chance of project failure. A business case is also often used by a project sponsor or project executive to help it decide if they should invest in a specific project.

The graphic below was created to help you learn about DSDM. If you like it, please show your appreciation by linking back to this page. In all cases, the business case must be written and approved prior to any major commitment of resources.Now, let’s find out more about the Can a BA be a Scrum Master?What form does a business case take?DSDM principles Business cases can take many forms – digital or analogue. The tools you use to create one are also many and varied. Common business tools such as Microsoft Office might be used. Rather than being a document or slide deck however, it could equally be in the form of an email.

and how teams can ensure they stick to them. Equally, a business case could be written by hand on a whiteboard or flipchart, or on the back of a cigarette packet!

The 8 DSDM principlesCan a BA become a Scrum Master?What you should always remember is that a business case does not have to be a huge long document. In fact, it should be as short as possible, and only include the most important information. That way it cuts out the noise and provides decision-makers with just the right information to enable them to take sensible decisions.

1. Focus on the business need For those of you interested in

business caseCan a non-IT person become a Scrum Master?, the project management methodology known as must be established for the project and the team must understand project priorities. Every decision the team make during the project should help achieve the project goal and the team must ensure the project is delivered on time. PRINCE2

MoSCoW prioritisation focuses its decision-making on a project on having a viable business case.

To adhere to this principle, DSDM teams have several tools at their disposal. For example, the Can a Scrum Master be a PM?Business case examplesMoSCoW technique We will now give you 2 business case examples. The first example is one which you might find useful for taking decisions in your personal life. The 2nd business case example is more business focused project.

helps the team prioritise which of the business requirements Business case example 1: Moving home

ust be, ReasonS As you can see from the example, the first thing to be clear about in a business case is the reason for doing the project or activity. In this example, the couple has answered the question

hould be, Can I be a Scrum Master without a degree?Why?

C In fact, there are two problems here – the local school and John’s long commute.ould be or Options considered

WCan I become a Scrum Master with no experience?A business case should weigh up the competing options which have been considered. After all, there is usually more than one option. Perhaps an alternative option would have been for John to change his job to one nearer their current house. However, this wouldn’t solve the issue with the school.

The Foundation phase in DSDM also helps the team build focus. During this phase, team roles are established. The team then form the overall strategy, decide how risk/quality will be assessed, how technology will be used and how the project will be managed. The benefits of a project or activity are the positive things you’re going to get back in return for your investment of time and money. In this case, the kids will get a better education, and John will save time each day.2. Deliver on timeCan I self study for Scrum Master certification?Timescales

Fixed time periods It’s also important to understand how long the investment of resources will take. This is so that the organisation (or family in this case) knows when the resources will be freed up to work on other

DSDM is an agile framework that works plans work in fixed time periods (timeboxes), rather like sprints in projectsAgile ScrumCan I take a Scrum Master course online? or activities.

. The aim is to deliver a useable software product at the end of each timebox (iteration). DSDM is thus an incremental approach, as well as an iterative development approach to delivering software. There are usually 2 timescales to consider. First, the timescale of the project or activity – in this case 3 months to find a new house and move there. Second, the time over which the benefits shall be realized. In this case it’s 5 years until the kids leave school.

DSDM places a strong emphasis on prompt delivery, proposing that even projects without any need for a fixed deadline still benefit from one. This is because having deadlines is the best way to control changing requirements. To stick to this principle, DSDM teams should focus on priorities, hit deadlines and manage their time by using the Costs

MoSCoWCan I take the Scrum Master exam without a course?The costs of doing the project or activity is the next important bit of information. On this project, the costs of moving to a new house will be £5,000. These are the project costs. and timeboxing techniques.However, the couple will spend an additional £2,000/year for every year over which the business case is calculated. For a project in an organisation, this is usually referred to as the operational costs of maintaining and operating the projects outputs e.g. an IT system. At this point, the couple knows the total costs over the timescales when the benefits shall be realized. 3. CollaborateRisks

Team spirit and collaboration is highly important for DSDM teams. This is based on a rejection of having multiple departments that rarely interact. Teams should instead work as one unit and collaborate to encourage understanding, higher performance and shared ownership.For any activity or project, it’s also important to understand the major risks involved. Risks are the uncertain things which may or may not happen during the period of the investment. There is only one risk identified here, which is the risk that the couple might lose touch with friends who live close to them right now.Can you do Scrum without a Scrum Master?

Business and technical staff work togetherInvestment appraisal DSDM teams fulfil this principle by having business and technical staff together in the team, instead of separately. The team involve stakeholders throughout the project and ensure each team member feels empowered to make decisions. The team use ‘workshops’ to meet stakeholders and involve them in the project.The next section is where the costs and timescales and risks are weighed up. For this project, it’s a simple decision for the couple to decide if it’s worth spending money over the next 5 years to give their kids better schooling and to save John 2 hours a day commuting. Ensuring collaborationFor an organisation to decide if an investment is worthwhile, however, there are several different ways in which it can decide about the investment.Do I need a degree to be a Scrum Master?