Scrum boards: what they are, how to create them, and what benefits they offer?

Scrum boards are a tool that allows you to optimize time and resources when carrying out a project. Do you want to know what scrum boards are and how they are revolutionizing the way teams work?

This methodology began to be used in software development and today it is used across all types of industries. Multinationals such as Honda, Canon and Fuji-Xerox began producing new products using the Scrum methodology, a system based on team management to develop products that proposes a scalable, step-by-step approach. Work is structured into different tasks, these into stages or phases, and as progress is made and each one is completed, advancement continues in order until reaching the final result. Today, this scrum boards approach has become more widespread: it was originally used in the IT and technology sector for software development, and is currently applied in other sectors.

Large companies are building work networks with their professionals in which they already know what scrum boards are, and they have become an essential tool in the brand’s R&D, to design other solutions that connect with customers and respond to their needs. Progressively, software programs and applications have been created to automate and digitize these boards, and there are scrum taskboard solutions for all tastes, needs and budgets.

Scrum board: what is it?

The goal of every company is to satisfy the customer, reach them and build loyalty. To do so, it is essential to improve processes and, along the way, streamline activity while always aiming for higher quality and cost and time optimization, and this is where scrum boards come into play. To better understand what they are and how they work, here are the key points that define them:

• They are part of the so-called ‘agile methodologies’. Scrum boards are part of systems implemented across different departments of an organization to improve workflow.
• They are physical and/or virtual boards that organize workflow. We could say that a scrum board is a visual snapshot or diagram of the tasks to be carried out by a team.
• They include the different goals to be achieved, the tasks needed to reach them, and the planning of time and resources to be allocated—sprints, a term used to define delivery deadlines.
• Time blocks—sprints—are defined, and tasks are assigned and broken down into steps.

Broadly speaking, the items that make up this example scrum board are the following: project name and team members, project definition, overall objectives, division into development phases/tasks, a chart showing progress and estimated time spent, and a calendar of key dates and events.

Work progress is continuously reviewed to move toward the final goal, and a Scrum Manager is assigned. This person is responsible for supervising and streamlining processes.

Benefits of using a Scrum Taskboard

Task boards, which are the essence of the Scrum system, generate significant advantages for any team and, therefore, for the company. Below we highlight five of the most important benefits of incorporating a scrum taskboard when developing a new product/service or even when improving existing ones to offer higher quality to the end consumer.

1. Speeds up workflow: the different production phases are outlined, and professionals always know what tasks they need to complete. Deadlines are set and must be met.
2. Unifies team collaboration: a single platform brings together the different work streams that form a whole.
3. Facilitates control and optimizes team performance. As a shared tool that everyone can access, it allows issues or errors to be detected quickly.
4. Better project tracking: the Agile methodology is the foundation of scrum taskboards and enables maximum resource optimization, managing project progress in real time.
5. Maximum resource management: it helps make the most of the professionals and resources available to the company to achieve the goals set in the scrum board.

Integrating the Scrum Board into a team Sprint

Scrum boards must be integrated into the team’s workflow in a natural way. In other words, since this is a methodology designed to maximize collaborative teamwork, scrum boards are seen by professionals as a system that structures the flow of tasks and clearly shows what needs to be progressed.

Regarding how to integrate it intuitively, there are two approaches:

• Using specific software platforms and programs for the Scrum system, as we will see below.
• Printing a task board or keeping it always visible. A board or even a whiteboard in the office can be used so that everyone involved in the project can consult it and track progress toward the goal.

Examples of Scrum Boards

There are countless examples of Scrum boards available online. The ideal approach is to use leading software developers that have refined their tools and allow this agile methodology to be used effectively and efficiently. Users will find both free scrum boards and paid ones. Commercial tools are quite affordable, with premium options available if more advanced features are needed.

• Free resources: free scrum boards such as Trello and Airtable. Both can be used for free, with specific plans available if the team requires additional features.

There are also Apia and Bitrix24—this latter is free up to a certain number of users—among others, and even platforms like Slideteam, where Scrum board examples can be downloaded for free and customized.

• Paid tools, usually with free trial periods to check suitability, include Jira, Asana, and Monday.com.

Scrum Board systems as well as other Agile methodologies can be adopted in all types of industries and departments. They are team-working dynamics that are specifically studied in project management and leadership training programs. At EAE Business School Barcelona, great importance is given to these programs, and what a scrum board is is regularly explained.

They are studied in depth in programs such as the Master in Supply Chain Management & Logistics and especially in the Master in Project Management. These are highly practical modules, designed so that professionals enter the job market familiar with software such as those mentioned above, which allow complex projects to be managed and business intelligence to be maximized in order to improve processes and launch new products and services for customers.