Scrum metaprocess: a process line approach for customizing Scrum

Scrum is currently the most widely used agile methodology. However, it is regarded as a framework rather than a concrete process. Unfortunately, the resources available on Scrum do not explicitly define its variable parts and do not offer proper guidance on how to resolve those variabilities. Process (re)configuration is thus left to Scrum Retrospective sessions; this can delay the vital decisions that can significantly improve the process before problems arise. This paper aims to address the problems associated with configuring/reconfiguring Scrum by identifying all the variabilities (variation points) in the Scrum framework, along with the situations where a variation point can be resolved by one or more specific variants. We propose a Software Process Line (SPrL) approach for achieving this: we have represented the process variabilities of Scrum as a Scrum metaprocess , which acts as the core process of a generic SPrL for Scrum. The situations in which each variation point of the metaprocess can be resolved by a specific variant have been identified. The metaprocess has been implemented in the Medini-QVT tool, along with transformation rules that provide the means for automatic resolution of the variabilities. The validity of the metaprocess has been evaluated through an industrial case study, the results of which show that the metaprocess is applicable in real situations. Furthermore, the results indicate that the processes instantiated from the metaprocess can improve the existing processes by proposing specific practices for addressing their shortcomings.