The Sprint Review Meeting

By Pragati Bidkar

The Sprint Review meeting is a time boxed event in Scrum. The maximum duration is four hours for a four week sprint, and proportionately less for smaller Sprints. The Sprint Review is held at the end of the Sprint or iteration and is used to demonstrate the work that was done during the Sprint.

The Sprint Review is conducted by any team member. People that may be present include the Scrum team and any other external customers, stakeholders or interested people that the Product Owner might invite. The Sprint Review generally consists of a demonstration of the work done. The ‘demo’ though, is not the sole or main purpose of the review.

The atmosphere for a Sprint Review is one of collaboration. The Product Owner identifies which features were completed. The team reviews how much work it was able to handle, whether the Sprint backlog was cleared, and what is remaining. The team discusses any pending items and these go back to the product backlog to be reprioritized. The team answers any questions regarding the work done.

This is an important time for the team members to interact with the Product Owner and understand what is happening with the product. Part of the Sprint Review may also be used for reordering the Product Backlog and discussing current business priorities with the Product Owner. Items on the Product Backlog are discussed and the team considers what it could take on in the next Sprint. This lays some groundwork for the next planning meeting.

Unique Aspect

The work done in the Sprint is showcased as a group effort. Any accolades or praise are given to the whole team and not to any individual. Similarly, this is not used as a finger pointing opportunity in case of any remaining backlog items. The team assumes collective responsibility for the outcome of the Sprint and any lessons learnt are for everyone.

The Sprint Review provides a valuable opportunity to the team to self-organize and realize their potential. If the team could fulfil the Sprint backlog easily with time left at the end of the Sprint, it realizes it can take on some more hours in the next Sprint. If the team is not able to finish the items on the backlog, it considers taking up less items the next time, or adding some more buffer for contingencies.

Is it ‘done’?

An important part the Scrum Master plays is ensuring that the team and the Product Owner understand the success criteria for each product backlog item. Any item that does not adhere to the definition of ‘done’ decided earlier is not included in the Sprint review. This item has to go back to the product backlog to be reprioritized. A typical example would be an item that is coded but not tested or an item with open defects.

Inspect and Adapt

While the daily standup is used to inspect a day’s work, the Sprint Review is an important time to ‘inspect’ the steps taken during the whole Sprint period. The team adjusts its workload and ‘adapts’ its velocity. After experimenting for a few iterations, the team gets a good idea of its velocity and can then be more accurate in their planning.

The team does not spend more than thirty minutes to prepare for the Sprint Review. The Scrum Master facilitates as needed ensuring that the Sprint Review meeting is completed in the stipulated time.