Last Updated on February 27, 2024
For any company that is interested in – or is using – the agile development path, it is important to understand that there are certain roles involved. Agile is about cross-border information sharing and blue sky brainstorming, and more than anything, it is about getting your development and product teams organized where priority is to deliver the highest business value first and advance more quickly.
Because it is so different from traditional waterfall development, Agile development can be tricky to implement if you are not familiar with its basic premise. Not because Agile is complex, it is not, but rather than the poor implementation of it does not typically result in any positive and noticeable difference.
One factor that will need to be overcome is the reluctance in people to change the way they do things. This is perfectly natural, as nobody wants to be told they are doing something in a way that is perhaps not the most effective or efficient method, especially if they have been doing so for a while. The excuse that ‘we always do things this way here’ will be one that is much-heard when you implement Agile development.
It’s also vital that the influence and effectiveness of Scrum are also understood. Scrum is the most popular Agile framework and is the one used by most companies when moving towards Agile development. For the best results, it is essential to get the right person for the Scrum product owner role as it is instrumental to making sure the team is working on items that deem the highest business value and ROI.
To help you source product owners check out the certification process offered by Scrum, as there is no better way to learn what is required. Let’s talk now about what a Scrum Product Owner is, and what their role requires.
What is a Scrum Product Owner?
The Scrum Product Owner is an essential part of the team and in fact a pivotal one. Their role is multifaceted, as we shall see. The product owner is, in effect, the vice between the customer and the team doing the development, yet they also have an involvement in the direct development of the product.
A product owner needs – as the name suggests – to take ownership from day one and to understand what the interaction between the different elements of the team consists of. To this end, they need to be someone who is adaptable – remember what we said about reluctance to change – as well as being able to put their own ideas into the mix.
The variability of the role is the reason it is advised that the individuals chosen for the product owner role take the certified Scrum Product Owner course, as it includes all the elements needed to be able to settle down and get on with the job! This is a fast-paced role that needs someone who is willing to get involved on all levels, from taking on board the ideas of the end-user, translating them to the development team, and also keeping up with management decisions on the go.
It’s also worth knowing that the course in question is also essential for those who are involved in coaching and preparing a Scrum Product Owner in the upcoming aspects of the job at hand, so let’s have a quick look at what you will learn on the course – this being a snapshot of the role of a Scrum Product Owner.
What Will I Learn?
The Scrum course is designed to teach you everything you need to know about being a Scrum Product Owner. Much will be new to anyone who has been involved in development but not using Agile, but there will be plenty that the individual is likely to have experience in. The course is run using the Agile framework, so is directly relevant, and you will be learning the following:
- What Scrum is and how it works
- What a Product Owner does within the Scrum framework
- What the individual needs to be able to do to perform the role
- The concept and delivery of shared vision in Agile development
- Creating the Product Backlog, the communication, and time-scale of the project
- How to deliver the final release using Agile successfully
If some or all of the above is alien to you, don’t be concerned, for the course is comprehensive – and also intensive – and will prepare those involved for the role to come.
The Product Owner’s role is one that is involving, engaging and also rewarding, but it does need a certain type of person to perform it to the full. The course will highlight whether the chosen individual is the one for the job.
Whether you are implementing Scrum for Agile development right now or considering it as a possible route forward, there’s every reason to learn more about the role of the Product Owner in the process, as it is a central one. You should check out more information on Scrum now and see how it can help you as the most popular Agile framework with business, and see what you need to learn to move forward.