Sprint review : presenting the work completed during a Scrum project management cycle

At the end of the Scrum sprint, a meeting to present the work completed

The Scrum methodology is an agile project management model based on an iterative process that includes key team meetings. Each successive development cycle is known as a “sprint”. Good results depend on the team being in sync with the objectives set at every stage.
At which point in the development cycle does the Sprint review take place? What does it involve? Why and how should the Klaxoon template be used for this agile Scrum ceremony? Find all the answers to your questions about the Sprint review below.

Sprint review: one of the 4 agile Scrum ceremonies

The sprint review is one of the key meetings in a Scrum project, also referred to as agile ceremonies, each having a specific objective. They are listed below in chronological order:

• The Sprint Planning meeting is when the development cycle is first prepared. This essential meeting in Scrum project management takes place at the beginning of each sprint. The whole Scrum team takes part, i.e. the development team, the product owner (project manager) and the scrum master (the development team’s coach), as well as the stakeholders. The aim of this agile ceremony is to determine which of the product’s features are to be developed first and which of them can be postponed until the next sprint. For further information and to run your sprint planning meeting as a team, go to Klaxoon’s Sprint planning template page.
• The Daily Scrum, as the name suggests, is a recurring event, unlike other agile ceremonies that take place only once during the sprint. It takes place every morning during the sprint: the scrum master and the development team sync for 15 minutes to determine the day’s work plan and identify any sticking points together. The scrum master clears any problems to help the development team, so that it can achieve the sprint’s objective as effectively as possible and perform the tasks laid out during the Sprint planning meeting. One of the purposes of the daily scrum is also to update the Burndown chart, which tracks the progress of the sprint’s tasks.
• The Sprint review, a.k.a. iteration review, described below, takes place at the end of the sprint. This is when the Scrum team (product owner, scrum master and development team) presents the work done during the last sprint to the project stakeholders. The team presents the product increment and everyone can provide feedback. The team showcases its successes, the tasks completed for the iteration and collects immediate feedback from the project stakeholders. With the sprint review conducted at the end of each iteration, stakeholders can follow the product’s design process and fine-tune it if necessary.
• This is followed by the sprint Retrospective, which allows the development team to take a step back and analyze the work done during the previous sprint. The aim is to identify areas for improvement for upcoming sprints, and to prepare an action plan on how to take them on board. More information about this agile ceremony and a template are available in the Klaxoon library.

What are the ideal conditions for the sprint review?

The right time to organize a sprint review is at the end of a sprint, once the development team has completed some of the tasks. The tasks in question must be fully presentable, meaning that they must meet a number of quality criteria determined by the team: they are then considered to be clear for review.

It’s important for the development team to feel ready to present its work: it is not there to answer criticism or to defend its choices. The scrum team and stakeholders must be prepared to interact and give feedback. Agile methods are primarily designed to help the team adapt and change strategy as they go along.

An agile Scrum ceremony usually lasts about one hour for a week-long sprint, and two hours for a two-week sprint. The Klaxoon Board template, with its synchronized digital white-board features, is designed to help you reduce the time you spend on your sprint reviews.

Who is involved in the Scrum Sprint review?

• The entire scrum team is involved:
• The development team of course! All those who have contributed to the sprint tasks are expected to present them.
• The scrum master, as the development team’s “coach” and the scrum project coordinator. He/She will prepare, facilitate and plan the agile ceremonies and invite all those involved to take part.
• The product owner, as the person responsible for the product’s functional quality and for making sure it meets end-user and client expectations. He/She will take part in the sprint review and prioritize the features, accepting or rejecting product deliveries.

• The Scrum project stakeholders, who can get a good overview of the ongoing product’s progress, and can then monitor any adjustments or changes required.
• Some Managers can also be invited to the sprint review depending on the context.

Managing a sprint review in 3 stages with the Klaxoon template

The scrum master launches and prepares the template. Everything is detailed step by step for a smooth process. He/she then invites all those involved to join the Board via a login code. Those attending remotely can use Live, Board’s built-in videoconferencing tool, to take part just as if they were on site. With Board’s Synchro feature, everyone can view exactly the same content at the same time for seamless meeting participation. The agile ceremony is broken down into three parts.

• Presentation: the product owner and scrum master review the Product Backlog (the prioritized list of features to be produced), present completed items on the green Ideas, and pending ones in red. The color code helps everyone to see the project’s state of play at a glance. They then present the items prepared in advance on the previous sprint’s key indicators.
• Demonstration: the development team gets the stakeholders present to test the product. They can share a link, an image or a video in the dedicated space. Everyone can see the product and send feedback. The more feedback, the better: the aim is to collect as much as possible to improve the product. The development team then answers any questions about the product.
• Update: the Product backlog is updated with the feedback and the exchanges that have taken place during the sprint review. Items can be either added or removed, but be careful… If the feedback calls for significant changes, don’t implement the changes before analyzing them with the development team.

With Klaxoon’s “Sprint review” template, no need for detailed reporting! Even more time saved! All the conversations are in one place and saved automatically on the Board. That way, everyone has a record of what has been said and can refer back to the Board whenever necessary.
Klaxoon’s Sprint review is completely hassle-free! Whether you’re an agile management expert or beginner, just follow the detailed instructions. Now it’s over to you!