An Innovative Management System: Scrum

Syracuse University’s TEDCenter, in partnership with PMI Institute’s Syracuse Chapter, is offering a two-day Certified ScrumMaster workshop on March 11 and 12 at University College, 700 University Ave.

In today’s marketplace, where shifting market conditions and moving customer expectations are the norm, Scrum is an innovative approach to getting work done through collaborative teamwork. Based on an agile software development model, Scrum organizes small teams to work in an intensive and interdependent manner. This approach provides a small set of rules that creates just enough structure for cross-functional teams to focus their efforts on solving projects with changing requirements.

The term “scrum” is named for a formation in rugby, which is used to restart the game after an event that causes play to stop. In the same way, the Scrum approach keeps a project moving forward. The ScrumMaster keeps the team focused on its goal and applying the framework to help the company increase productivity and respond to changes in priorities.

Kate Chajka, an engineer at Lockheed Martin, is a certified ScrumMaster. She believes business people at all levels of an organization need to be aware of and understand Scrum in order to remain competitive. “As Scrum becomes the predominant methodology, it is critical for organizations to understand what Scrum truly is and what skills are required,” says Chajka.

“I believe that Syracuse is going to see a lot of momentum in the upcoming year as more companies in the area transition to Agile. As momentum is gained, my hope is to see more courses offered that focus on Agile and Lean principles methodologies,” says Chajka. “I see Scrum and Scrum Master certifications as critical tools in the Lean and Agile toolbox, and I am beyond thrilled to see this offered in Syracuse. It is an indication that businesses in the area are interested in staying innovative, competitive and on top of industry trends and best practices. I feel that having these skill sets locally is critical to keeping businesses competitive and able to remain in Syracuse.”

Participants who complete the workshop will be prepared to take the Scrum Alliance™ examination to become a certified ScrumMaster. For more information or to register for the workshop, contact SU’s TEDCenter at 315-443-5241, email TEDCtr@syr.edu, or visit http://TEDCenter.syr.edu/scrum.