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Introduction to Scrum Roles: A Concise Overview
Posted by SCRUMstudy® on March 16, 2023
Categories: SBOK® Guide
There are three roles in scrum: Product Owner, Team, and Scrum Master. Together they form the Scrum Team.
The Product Owner is tasked with optimizing return on investment (ROI) by analyzing various product aspects, translating them into a prioritized list, determining which items should take precedence for the next Sprint, and continually adjusting prioritization based on ongoing analysis. They bear accountability for the profit and loss of the product, particularly in the case of retail products. However, in internal operations, the Product Owner isn't directly responsible for ROI as in commercial product scenarios, but they still aim to maximize it. Sometimes, the Product Owner and the customer may be the same individual, especially in internal application contexts. Alternatively, the customer base could encompass millions of individuals with diverse needs. In such cases, the role of the Product Owner closely aligns with that of a Product Manager or Product Marketing Manager.
The Development Team creates the commodity that the Product Owner requires to go ahead. The Team in Scrum is “cross-functional” – so that they can contribute accordingly as per the increment which is required to come with the product. As the team is cross-functional, so they promote multiple learning. Each person in the team has some specialization and keep on learning other specialties as well as that might be required for the project.
The Team should be available throughout the project. They shouldn’t split their time to other projects while handling this project. Their responsibility is to self–organize themselves to achieve each goal and creating the product as per each sprint plan. Once the product owner makes a complete list of things to be done, the development team members foretell how much they can do in one sprint, and they further decide how they will accomplish it.
The role of the Scrum Master is crucial in facilitating the development team's adoption and mastery of Scrum principles to drive business value. They actively support the team, Product Owner, and the organization in enhancing their knowledge and skills to achieve greater success. Although the Scrum Master isn't a team leader, project manager, or representative, their primary focus is serving the team. They work to eliminate obstacles, shield the team from external distractions, and encourage the adoption of contemporary development methodologies.