Sprint is a fundamental component in Scrum, a popular Agile methodology. It is a time-boxed period during which specific work has to be completed and made ready for review. In this context, an Increment is the sum of all the Product Backlog items completed during a Sprint and all previous Sprints. This Increment is a step toward a vision or a goal. The creation of multiple Increments during a Sprint allows teams to accommodate changes and regularly produce potentially releasable functionalities.

Creating multiple Increments during a Sprint involves work being split into smaller, manageable pieces that can be completed within the Sprint’s time frame. For example, if a project involves the development of a mobile application, each Increment could involve the development, testing, and integration of different features.

Table of Contents

Process of Creating Multiple Increments

  1. Refinement of Product Backlog: At the beginning of a Sprint, the product backlog, which contains features, bug fixes, technical work, and knowledge acquisition, is refined. This refinement process breaks down larger items into smaller, manageable work units that can be completed independently within the time-boxed sprint.
  2. Sprint Planning: During Sprint Planning, the Sprint Backlog is filled with a selection of items from the Product Backlog that the developers believe can be completed during the upcoming Sprint. These are the initial Increments expected.
  3. Daily Scrums: During the Sprint, the team meets daily in a quick stand-up meeting to discuss their progress, plans for the day, and any obstacles they are facing.
  4. Continuous Integration: As work on each Backlog Item is completed, it is integrated with the overall product. This practice of Continuous Integration ensures end-of-Sprint integration isn’t a tedious task and leads to several Increments being created during the Sprint.
  5. Sprint Review: At the end of the Sprint, all completed Increments are reviewed in the Sprint Review meeting. This is the stage at which the products, features, or developments from the Sprint are demonstrated to the stakeholders, and feedback is obtained to make the necessary adjustments.
  6. Sprint Retrospective: Finally, in the Sprint Retrospective, the team reviews its own process, tools, relationships, and effectiveness, identifying areas for improvements that they can take into the next Sprint.

Benefits of Multiple Increments

Completion of multiple Increments during a single Sprint offers various advantages. Firstly, it enables early discovery of potential issues or impediments, providing the opportunity to address them timely. Moreover, it increases the flexibility to adapt to changing business or customer requirements. Upon completing an Increment, the team can gather feedback before proceeding to the next Increment, ensuring that they are continuously delivering value and alignment with the stakeholders’ vision. Furthermore, producing more Increments resonates with the essence of Agile and Scrum, where teams emphasize on small, iteratively developed features, rather than waiting for a full-fledged product towards the end of the project.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the creation of multiple Increments is an inherent part of Scrum’s ethos. It enables effective collaboration, efficient problem-solving, improved productivity, and ensures the production of value at regular intervals. At its core, this practice is the embodiment of the Agile principle of delivering working software frequently, ranging from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.

Practice Test

True or False: More than one Increments can be created during a Sprint.

  • True
  • False

Answer: True

Explanation: In Scrum, one or more Increments can be created during a Sprint based on team’s capacity and the complexity of the product backlog items.

What does an Increment in Scrum represent?

  • A. A complete list of product backlog items
  • B. A potentially releasable working part of the product
  • C. The team’s Sprint backlog
  • D. All of the above

Answer: B. A potentially releasable working part of the product

Explanation: An Increment in Scrum is a potentially releasable part of the product resulting from a Sprint.

True or False: Each Increment must be a complete portion of the product.

  • True
  • False

Answer: True

Explanation: Each Increment is a potentially releasable part of the product, which means it should be in a usable condition and meeting the definition of “done”.

Which of the following conditions is necessary to create multiple Increments during a Sprint?

  • A. The team should have a defined definition of “Done”
  • B. The team should be capable of handling more than one product backlog item
  • C. The product owner should approve the creation of multiple Increments
  • D. All of the above

Answer: D. All of the above

Explanation: All the mentioned conditions are necessary for a team to create multiple Increments during a Sprint.

What is the main criterion for an Increment to be potentially releasable?

  • A. It should be fully tested
  • B. It should meet the team’s definition of “Done”
  • C. The product owner should approve it
  • D. None of the above

Answer: B. It should meet the team’s definition of “Done”

Explanation: An Increment is potentially releasable when it meets the team’s definition of “Done”, ensuring that it’s of sufficient quality.

True or False: The creation of multiple Increments can reduce the risk of failed Sprint.

  • True
  • False

Answer: True

Explanation: When multiple Increments are created, even if one part fails, the rest of the product still has the chance to be completed successfully. It reduces overall sprint failure risk.

How many Increments should be completed in one Sprint according to Scrum?

  • A. Only one
  • B. Two or more
  • C. As per team’s decision
  • D. None of the above

Answer: C. As per team’s decision

Explanation: Scrum does not limit the number of Increments a team can complete in a single Sprint; it is based on the team’s working capability and complexity of the product backlog.

True or False: All Increments produced during a Sprint must be integrated.

  • True
  • False

Answer: True

Explanation: All Increments created during a Sprint should be integrated to ensure a working version of the product by the end of the Sprint.

Which of the following benefits the creation of multiple Increments in one Sprint?

  • A. Reduces risk of Sprint failure
  • B. Facilitates early feedback
  • C. Allows more flexibility for changes
  • D. All of the above

Answer: D. All of the above

Explanation: Multiple Increments can yield many benefits such as reducing risk, getting early feedback, and accommodating changes more smoothly.

Can an Increment contain parts of the product that is not “Done”?

  • A. Yes
  • B. No

Answer: B. No

Explanation: An Increment must always meet the definition of “Done” and therefore, cannot contain parts of the product that are not in a done state.

Interview Questions

What does the term “increment” refer to in Scrum?

An increment in Scrum refers to a piece or step in the ongoing development process, which results in a usable, potentially releasable outcome of the product or service that the team is working on.

Can more than one increment be created during a Sprint in Scrum?

Yes, multiple increments can be created during a single sprint. The number of increments is not limited to one per sprint, and the team could potentially create several increments if the development allows.

Do all increments need to be fully developed by the end of the Sprint?

All increments resulting from a sprint should be potentially releasable, meaning that they fulfill the Definition of Done, are fully tested, and deliver value.

What is the benefit of creating multiple increments in a sprint?

Having multiple increments in one sprint gives you a more granular level of progress tracking. It also allows for the possibility of releasing value to the customers more frequently.

What guides the creation of an increment within a sprint?

The creation of an increment is directed by the product backlog items selected for that sprint. The chosen items should be broken down into tasks, with each task potentially resulting in an increment.

When should increments be delivered?

Each increment should be potentially deliverable at the end of a sprint. However, the decision to actually release it is up to the Product Owner.

Can increments be carried over to the next sprint?

In the event an increment is not completed by the end of a sprint, the associated product backlog items are usually re-estimated and put back on the product backlog. The team may then choose to pull them back into the next sprint.

Is there a specific size an increment should be?

Not necessarily, the size of an increment, or the value it delivers, can vary. However, it should be potentially releasable, which means it must be a substantive piece of work.

How can a team manage to deliver multiple increments in a sprint?

The team can do this by constant communication, collaboration, effective planning, and by breaking down backlog items into smaller, manageable tasks.

What factors influence the number of increments that can be created during a Sprint?

The number of increments created during a sprint can be influenced by various factors such as the team’s velocity, the complexity of the chosen backlog items, and the length of the sprint.

What role does the daily Scrum play in creating increments?

The daily Scrum is a key event for inspecting progress toward the Sprint Goal and for inspecting how progress is trending toward completing the work in the Sprint Backlog. It gives the team a chance to synchronize activities and create a plan for the next 24 hours, which can positively influence the creation of increments.

Are increments related to the sprint goal?

Yes, each increment is a step towards achieving the sprint goal. The sum of these increments at the end of a sprint should result in the sprint goal being met.

What does ‘Potentially Releasable’ mean in relation to increments?

‘Potentially releasable’ means that the increment is of enough quality that, in theory, it could be released to the customer. This does not mean that it must be released, but rather indicates that it meets the standards of a finished, useable, and valuable product.

Who determines what’s included in an increment?

The development team is responsible for developing the increments based on the product backlog items selected for the sprint. However, the Product Owner ultimately decides what items make it into the product backlog.

How does the Scrum Guide describe increments?

According to the Scrum Guide, “The Increment is the sum of all the Product Backlog items completed during a Sprint and the value of the increments of all previous Sprints”.

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