How I see the role of Product

Management working in a Scrum

product development environment
By
Derek Morrison
 Agenda
1. Scope & responsibility of the Product
Manager’s role in Scrum
2. Typical Product Management activities in
Scrum
3. A typical day in the life of a Scrum Product
Manager
4. Agile Product Management Framework
5. The benefits (A case study)
 Agenda
1. Scope & responsibility of the Product
Manager’s role in Scrum
2. Typical Product Management activities in
Scrum
3. A typical day in the life of a Scrum Product
Manager
4. Agile Product Management Framework
5. The benefits (A case study)
 The Scrum Product Manager
• In Scrum terms the Product Manager is the
Product Owner or part of a team of Product
Owners.
• Responsible for shaping/or taking the product
vision and turning it into a winning product.
• The Product Manager owns the product from
idea through to launch and retirement or
replacement.
• Articulate the vision across the company.
• Relentlessly drives the vision through all stages to
successful completion.
 Agenda
1. Scope & responsibility of the Product
Manager’s role in Scrum
2. Typical Product Management activities in
Scrum
3. A typical day in the life of a Scrum Product
Manager
4. Agile Product Management Framework
5. The benefits (A case study)
Typical Product Management activities in Scrum

• Creating & maintaining product roadmap

• Documenting product requirements
• Creating & maintaining release plan
• Stocking & grooming the product backlog
• Describing and prioritizing requirements
• Tracking & reporting on project progress
• Managing the sprint budget & stakeholders
The Product Manager is involved in each aspect
of the scrum cycle
Collaborates with
development teams:
 Run project estimation
work shops
 Sprint planning meetings
 Explaining sprint goals &
backlog items
 Sprint review meeting
 Sprint retrospective
meetings
 Track team velocity
 Keep the team updated on
commercial activities
The Product Manager Bridges & Aligns
• Bridges the gap
between the customer
needs and the product
development process.
• Alignment of all
functions around the
product vision.
• Bridges the gap
between business and
technical teams.
Product Manager needs to collaborate
across the company
• The product manager
collaborates with various
stakeholders across the
company & the customer in
order to ensure the
development of a successful
product.

• The product manager

introduces stakeholders to
various aspects of the scrum
cycle as and when required.
 Agenda
1. Scope & responsibility of the Product
Manager’s role in Scrum
2. Typical Product Management activities in
Scrum
3. A typical day in the life of a Scrum Product
Manager
4. Agile Product Management Framework
5. The benefits (A case study)
 Aim to balance the day with strategic
and tactical activities
Time Activity
08.00 to 09.00 Reviewing & grooming the product backlog.
09.00 to 11.00 Attend daily scrum meeting (s) - follow up by clarifying any queries
– interim review /testing of any completed items
11.00 to 01.00 Creating user-stories & product requirements for a future sprint
01.00 to 02.00 Lunch break & check for urgent email.
02.00 to 03.00 Discussion with Head of Product regarding release plans, road map
and product vision.
03.00 to 04.00 Meet with marketing and sales to discuss release plans and future
functionality .
04.00 to 05.00 E-mail

Note: the above is a typical day and

does not include all Product
Management activities e.g. customer
visits.
 Agenda
1. Scope & responsibility of the Product
Manager’s role in Scrum
2. Typical Product Management activities in
Scrum
3. A typical day in the life of a Scrum Product
Manager
4. Agile Product Management Framework
5. The benefits (A case study)
 Agile Product Management Framework

Communication Vision
Vision doc & Sprint
Market research Idea Generation
Innovation X + 15
Backlog

Product Road-mapping
Roadmap & Sprint
Translating Theme X + 10
MRD Brain storming
strategy/vision Identification

Requirements Management
Sprint
Backlog & PRD
Requirements gathering Shaping-up backlog items X+8

Release Planning
Sprint
Release Plan
Sizing backlog Defining Sprint Goals X+5

Scrum
Release notes Sprint
Pre- Planning Planning Daily Stand-ups X
 Agenda
1. Scope & responsibility of the Product
Manager’s role in Scrum
2. Typical Product Management activities in
Scrum
3. A typical day in the life of a Scrum Product
Manager
4. Agile Product Management Framework
5. The benefits (A case study)
Benefits of Scrum & Scrum Product Management working in an
agile orientated company
CatererSearch.com (Launched March 07)
Waterfall – (1 ½ - 2 years experience with RBI)
2 x Developers
1x shared Test Analyst
1 x Product Manager
Man days = 280
Elapsed days = 140
Minor bugs when launched = 100+
Benefits of Scrum & Scrum Product Management working in an
agile orientated company
CatererSearch.com (Launched March 07)
Waterfall – (1 ½ - 2 years experience with RBI)
2 x Developers
1x shared Test Analyst
1 x Product Manager
Man days = 280
Elapsed days = 140
Minor bugs when launched = 100+

Computerweekly.com (Launched Nov 07)

Agile/Scrum – (6 months experience with RBI)
3.5 x Developers
1 x dedicated Test Analyst
1 x Product Manager
Man days = 185
Elapsed days = 53
Minor bugs when launched = 4
Benefits of Scrum & Scrum Product Management working in an
agile orientated company
1. Improvement in product quality
2. Improved speed to market
3. Ability to adapt to changing
conditions
4. Greater customer satisfaction
5. Better ROI
CatererSearch.com (Launched March 07)
Waterfall – (1 ½ - 2 years experience with RBI)
2 x Developers
1x shared Test Analyst
1 x Product Manager
Man days = 280
Elapsed days = 140
Minor bugs when launched = 100+
Computerweekly.com (Launched Nov 07)
Agile/Scrum – (6 months experience with RBI)
3.5 x Developers
1 x dedicated Test Analyst
1 x Product Manager
Man days = 185
Elapsed days = 53
Minor bugs when launched = 4
The End
 Efficient execution OR Innovation

Execution is difficult to sustain – not because people get tired

of working hard, but because the managerial mindset-set
that enables efficient execution inhibits employees’ ability to
learn and innovate. A focus on getting things done, and done
right, crowds out the experimentation and reflection vital to
sustainable success. Harvard Business Review July – Aug 08
 Project Management (scrum master) or Product
Management

You will need product managers to represent the

needs of your target users and lead the product
discovery effort. You probably already have
project managers (aka Scrum masters) , but if not, you’ll
need product managers too, just don’t make the
mistake of trying to hire one person to cover
project management and product management.

Silicon Valley Product Group - article entitled “Moving from an IT to a Product Organization”
 Balancing tactical distractions & strategic
activities
Product Managers need to focus on the strategic inbound
tasks instead of being distracted by too many tactical
demands… companies need to hire or cultivate product
managers who have the skills and experiences necessary to
produce high-quality product management deliverables – not
something that anyone can do with out training . Companies
that make these product management reforms will be more
competitive and better able to use product management
deliverables to make better strategic decisions.

Tom Grant
 Balancing tactical distractions & strategic
activities
Product Managers need to focus on the strategic inbound
tasks instead of being distracted by too many tactical
demands… companies need to hire or cultivate product
managers who have the skills and experiences necessary to
produce high-quality product management deliverables – not
something that anyone can do with out training. Companies
that make these product management reforms will be more
competitive and better able to use product management
deliverables to make better strategic decisions.

Tom Grant