By definition, Scrum is a framework for developing, delivering and maintaining complex products, within which people can treat and solve complex and adaptive problems, while productively and creatively delivering products with the highest possible value, and can employ various processes or techniques.
Within this methodology, there are sprints. The sprint is a predetermined period of time, within which tasks must be accomplished, being ordered according to their level of difficulty or priorities, and the Fibonacci sequence can be used for this.
In adapting Scrum to our Competition Team, we must not forget the three pillars necessary for its implementation: transparency, inspection and adaptation. For this, we use Trello as a scrum artifact, the product Backlog, and constant changes can occur throughout the process.
In the context of UFRJ Nautilus, we made changes to each area of the team, working as follows:
Electronics: Twice a week, members are asked about the progress of individual tasks, in addition to the weekly area meeting, in which tasks are delegated and members can report possible problems, which are discussed in groups. In addition, if any difficulty persists, the coordination organizes more meetings in order to help solve the problem, often with former members who have more experience.
Management and Marketing: During the week, in each area, two meetings are held with their respective members. In them, activities are planned, aiming to collaborate for the image of the team and its management, both internally, for members, and externally, for sponsors, teachers and students, with management members responsible for facilitating communication between the others. areas, reporting relevant updates on team progress at their meetings.
Hydrodynamics and Mechanics: In this area, they hold 3 weekly meetings, two of which are divided between their sub-areas in order to inspect the works in greater detail and to be able to make improvements and adaptations if necessary, with the purpose of increasing productivity, in addition to meeting with all members to look back at what happened over the week.
Software: Every two days, the coordinator checks the task list completed by the members. There is a weekly meeting, where there is a review of what has been done and the division of future tasks, taking into account possible delays and problems encountered, together with a “work meeting” where members can count on support, both motivational, as a environment to present doubts.
In parallel, 3 projects of the robot actuators are being carried out. In each of these, there is a scrum master, responsible for facilitating communication, dividing tasks, optimizing working time and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the team as a whole, and a technical scrum master, responsible for knowing all technical functioning and answer questions. Together they assist teams in their self-management and interdisciplinarity. And, in this way, their joint efforts contain members from all areas, generating engagement between different areas that together are able to deliver results.
Thus, it is possible to adapt the traditional scrum model for a competition team, through organization and planning, as a form of adaptation or current circumstance during the quarantine period, keeping the team motivated and seeking results in this technological race in which we live in.
Written by Giovana Veiga and Wenya Li.