Working Solutions over Comprehensive Documentation
Changing a single word ’software‘ to ’solution‘ elevates this value statement from the narrow context of delivering a software product into the broader context of business change.
The main message behind this value is to break the illusion of security and stability that comes from document- driven, predictive processes. Specification of every detail of requirements, solution design, plans etc. in documents that get ‘signed off ’ by stakeholders before work is allowed to progress, is now widely accepted to be both wasteful in terms of time and effort, and ineffective as the basis of governance and control.
High-level versions of the aforementioned artefacts in the early phases of a project should be created where they help frame development and delivery of the solution and support governance. It is essential, however, to avoid getting into detail that more often than not proves to be a burden rather than an asset to the project concerned. Scrum employs collaborative techniques with active business engagement to explore detail at the right time and ensure that the right solution is delivered.
True to the spirit of transparency, it is vital that any documents that are created are visible and understood by all. Failure to achieve clarity and shared understanding is likely to lead to poor decisions being made.
