SMEs and VSEs: how to build the ideal website using the Scrum method

Entrusting the development of your website to an agency brings with it a host of questions. You need to be certain you are making the right choice and finding a partner who combines attentiveness, sound advice, and professionalism. To put your mind at ease and ensure a result that truly meets your expectations, the Scrum method enables genuine collaboration between you and your agency. Here is an explanation of this method and how it works, step by step…. Download the ebook "How to turn your website into a lead generator through educational content" for inspiration in your web communications strategy!

What is the Scrum method?

This is an "agile" project management methodology that involves first launching the simplest possible version of a product, then improving and completing it according to the client's needs and the results of testing phases. The client is at the heart of the project and is involved as much as possible from start to finish. This allows the team to respond more quickly to requests, while giving the client better visibility over project management and progress. The team consists of:

• a Product Owner, who places themselves in the shoes of the customers and end users of the product. They set the direction to follow.
• a Project Manager: their goal is to manage the project as a whole, ensuring it moves forward smoothly, and making sure every team member has the tools needed to carry out their tasks. They schedule meetings, ensure the work is done properly, and facilitate the planning of the next tasks.
• the doers: developers, testers, designers, etc.

In practice, how does one build a website using the Scrum method?

The client provides a Product Backlog. A simplified brief of sorts, this is a document describing the features they want on their website, without going into detail. It can be compared to a wish list: what the client wants to achieve, what would make their website perfect in their eyes.

For example: a responsive website, a certain number of pages, a News page, another page to present a particular service, a dominant colour, an integrated contact form, a clean design, work on organic search engine optimisation, tracking of visitor behaviour, etc.

The team reviews this list (Product Backlog) and "sorts" the information:

• Which features/requests/tasks can be completed at which point?
• Which ones need to be prioritised?
• And how long will each task take (with any overly large task broken down into several sub-tasks)?

The aim is to get an idea of the total time required. These tasks are then placed into work cycles (sprints). The idea is to have an intermediate objective for each cycle, with all the cycles together representing the finished website. A cycle lasts between 2 and 30 days at most.

A typical example in diagram form:

From here, the first cycle is launched (or sprint), the Functional Mockup cycle from the diagram above, for example: In this example, the client and the team base themselves on a first cycle (sprint) of 14 days. Day 0: the overall objective for the cycle is agreed with the client, based on the Product Backlog.

For example, here, completing the functional mockup of the site.

Day 1: the team defines the tasks to be completed during this first cycle. Each task is estimated in terms of time, or complexity, in order to adjust workload to the development capacity available during the cycle.

For example: it is estimated that 13 days will be needed to finalise a functional mockup of the site. To produce this mockup, the following will be required: creating the site architecture (the position of the menu, the number of pages, the themes each page will cover, etc.), defining the flow of information on each page (layout, general arrangement), creating the mockup and all its functional views.

Days 1 to 13: the team meets every day, for a maximum of 10 minutes, to check in: who did what yesterday, who will do what today, who is planning what tomorrow? Each member has one minute to give their update. Exchanges then continue in smaller groups, depending on the needs and issues each person is facing. Day 13: the client and the project manager rework the Product Backlog and define the objective for the next cycle.

For example: the functional mockup has been approved; the next step (the objective of the next cycle) will be to produce a design that meets the client's expectations.

Day 14: Demo. The team presents the results of the first cycle to the client; the demo is generally conducted in a pre-production environment (rather than locally). Day 14: the team defines the task list for the next cycle, based on the Product Backlog. We therefore start from the most basic version possible, then add the necessary features progressively, following a cycle to be repeated as many times as necessary:

1. Unit tests at each new addition (each new page of the functional mockup, for example)
2. Development
3. Integration
4. Code review and refinement

4 core values for understanding the Agile method:

• Collaboration: communication is at the heart of the project, even more so than tools or processes.
• The team: the team/client relationship takes precedence over contractual negotiation.
• The application: a well-built application is preferable to a vast theoretical document.
• Adaptability: accepting change and evolution based on needs, rather than rigidly adhering to a fixed plan.

Each day, a check-in is held with the team to:

• Share current facts
• Plan actions for the following day
• Review any obstacles encountered

Agile methods, and the Scrum method in particular, allow a project to be carried through to completion in a true spirit of collaboration between agency and client. They enable an evolving project and genuine attention to your objectives, delivering a result that is as close as possible to your expectations.

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