Agile app development according to Scrum: The most efficient way to successful software development

Scrum is more than just a buzzword. It is an agile framework that has fundamentally changed the way we develop apps. But what actually makes this method so special?

The answer lies in its flexibility. App development is a living process. Requirements change, new insights are added, and suddenly the world looks completely different than it did two weeks ago. Instead of following a rigid plan for months on end, Scrum allows you to adjust your course again and again.

In app development, it is incredibly important to receive feedback early on and to be able to react quickly. That’s why the Scrum method has proven its worth for us over the years. We can react flexibly to customer requirements, while our devs focus solely on the current sprint goal within the sprint.

Scrum makes this possible by dividing development into short cycles (sprints). After each sprint, we have a working piece of software that can be tested and evaluated. This means you notice much earlier if something is going in the wrong direction.

You know when a concept sounds great on paper but somehow doesn’t work in practice? Scrum is different. The method is based on a few strong basic principles that have proven themselves in the real world.

Transparency is one of these principles. Everyone involved – from the developer to the client – always has an insight into the current progress. This may sound scary (especially if something goes wrong), but it creates trust and prevents nasty surprises at the end.

Another basic principle is the self-organization of the team. Instead of a boss dictating from above who has to do what and when, the team members themselves decide how best to tackle the tasks at hand. This makes use of the collective intelligence and experience of everyone involved.

Scrum is not a rigid set of rules, but a framework that can be adapted to your own needs. In our web and app consultancy, we help clients to find their own Scrum approach.

Sprints: Time-limited development cycles (usually 2-3 weeks)

Daily Scrum: Short daily meeting for synchronization

Sprint Planning: Planning the features to be implemented in the next sprint

Sprint Review: Presentation of the results at the end of the sprint

Sprint Retrospective: Reflection on the completed sprint

Product backlog: Prioritized list of all desired features

Sprint backlog: List of tasks to be implemented in the current sprint

Regular meetings (or events, as they are called in Scrum jargon) are at the heart of the agile framework. Although some people moan about “too many meetings”, the truth is that these structured gatherings are exactly what make Scrum so effective.

Sprint planning marks the start of every sprint. This is where the team determines what is to be implemented in the coming weeks. The team estimates the effort required for the individual tasks and decides how much it can manage. After 1-2 sprints, the team can estimate the effort better and better.

The daily scrum, often called a stand-up, is a short daily meeting in which everyone reports on what they have been working on, what they will do next and whether there are any problems. 15 minutes, no more! It’s not about detailed status reports, but about keeping everyone in sync and identifying obstacles at an early stage.

At the end of each sprint is the sprint review, where the finished features are presented to the stakeholders. Ideally, this provides direct feedback from those for whom the app is actually being created. This early feedback is particularly important for complex technology projects such as certain augmented reality projects.

The sprint retrospective is an opportunity for the team to reflect on its own process. What went well? What could we do better? Through this continuous improvement, the team becomes more effective with each sprint.

“The retrospective is my favorite meeting,” says Pius, our PO. “Here you can see how the team grows together and gets better and better through honest reflection.”

What distinguishes a good Scrum team from a great one? Often it is not the skills or experience of the individual members, but the shared values that they live by. The five Scrum values form the ethical foundation on which everything else is built.

Commitment means being fully committed to the common goals. The team commits to delivering what it has promised – no more, but also no less. “If we say that a function will be ready by the end of the sprint, then we do everything we can to keep this promise,” explains our long-standing software developer Ruben.

Focus is an invaluable asset, especially in this day and age of constant distractions. In Scrum, the team concentrates on a limited number of tasks instead of working on too many sites at the same time. This leads to better results and less stress.

Openness creates a culture in which problems can be addressed before they escalate. It’s okay to say: I’m not getting anywhere here. This transparency enables the team to take countermeasures in good time.

Respect for different skills, backgrounds and perspectives is what makes a team really strong. Everyone is heard, everyone is valued. Every time we develop an app, we realize once again how important it is for designers and developers to work together as equals.

It takes courage to speak uncomfortable truths, take risks and break new ground. “Sometimes you also have to tell customers that their favorite idea is not technically feasible,” says Pius. “That takes courage, but it pays off in the long term.” Collab UX methods such as the prioritization matrix are suitable for this, as they show exactly which features are not only business-relevant and feasible, but also bring value to the user.

These Scrum values are not empty phrases, but lived practice. They create an environment in which creative solutions can emerge and all team members want to give their best.

How long does a typical app development sprint last?

Most teams opt for sprints of two to three weeks. This is long enough to implement important functions, but short enough to remain flexible. For very complex projects, such as business intelligence and data engineering projects, longer sprints can be useful, while small teams sometimes prefer one-week sprints. There is no universal rule. The important thing is that the chosen rhythm suits the team and the project.

Can Scrum also be useful for small app projects?

Absolutely! We use Scrum in all software projects. The principles of Scrum (transparency, inspection, adaptation) also bring enormous benefits to smaller projects. However, you can often streamline the process. Perhaps a small team does not need 15-minute stand-ups, but can manage with 5 minutes. Or the roles of scrum master and developer can be taken on by the same person. The most important thing is to keep the spirit of Scrum: work iteratively, deliver regularly and be open to change.

How do you integrate UX/UI design into the Scrum process?

Traditionally, design and development are often separate phases, but in Scrum they should go hand in hand. A tried and tested method is for designers to work one sprint ahead; while the developers are working on sprint 1, the design team is already preparing the foundations for sprint 2. This gives the designers enough time for research and conception, and the developers still have clear guidelines. This approach has proven very successful in our UX/UI design projects.

How do you deal with unexpected requirements during a sprint?

This is a classic. Basically, once a sprint has been planned, it should not be changed, as this disrupts the team’s focus. Instead, new requirements go into the product backlog and are prioritized for future sprints. But there are of course exceptions: if a critical bug occurs or a business-critical function is urgently needed, the product owner can decide to cancel the sprint and reschedule it. However, this should remain the absolute exception and is extremely rare for us.

Which tools are particularly suitable for Scrum in app development?

There are numerous specialized tools such as Jira, Trello, Asana or Github that support Scrum processes. However, more important than the specific tool is that it suits the team and creates the necessary transparency. Some teams prefer to work with physical task boards and post-its, others prefer digital solutions. What counts is that all team members and stakeholders can see what is being worked on and what progress is being made at all times. Digital tools are of course indispensable for distributed teams working on innovation and digitalization processes. We keep our toolbox as lean as possible so that the tools speed up our work instead of slowing it down.