Software development has continuously improved throughout the years. Various IT organisations have created various methodologies to make development more efficient. 

One of the best methodologies software development companies use is Agile project management methodology. One example is Scrum –which is a type of agile process. It is an approach where the team breaks down the project into smaller cycles to provide a working feature through sprint cycles. 

Switching to Agile can be the competitive advantage of a software company in the digital age since the team can produce working iterations of the project.

It’s like producing working parts of a bigger machine. This approach to development helps organisations to improve product quality. It can also accelerate the production of the software, and cultivate better customer experience.

Who are the members of an Agile development team? In this article, we will explore the members and their roles in the development process.

Product Owner

Typically, the product owner is the person responsible for the business decisions about the project, often the executive or a higher-level business decision-maker.

In this case, the product owner represents the voice of the customer and has the responsibility to deliver the overall promise or “solution” to the customers. 

Some other responsibilities of the product owner is to prioritise the backlog of tasks to be completed, the documentation requirements and user stories. Additionally, the role also includes maximising the ROI for the project.

Scrum Master

If the agile development team uses Scrum as its approach, there’s a need for the Scrum master. This role is acting like the coach who manages the team, guiding and leading the team to build the best product they can with the given timeline.

This person is responsible for facilitating the workflow of the team, procuring needed resources, and removing roadblocks. The scrum master’s role also includes guiding the team in the right direction.

More than the technical skills and certifications of a scrum master, their soft skills are also vital. Skills like project management, communication, negotiation, and decision-making are important in making the project a success.

Developers and Testers

The team members are the people behind the software, the people who make the solution into fruition. Team members are the software developers and quality testers who ensure that the product functions and is of the best quality. 

These people fulfil the bulk work of an agile team. Some of their  core responsibilities include the project planning, design, development, creation, testing, debugging, and delivery. The team members provide the solution of the customer promise made by the company and product owners.

Stakeholders

The stakeholders are the people who will make use of the solution the agile development team is making. This is depending on the kind of project or product being worked on by the team.

Moreover, stakeholders may include users, managers of users, operation and support personnel, teams with dependencies and cross-functional products or work. Stakeholders could also be the project managers,  executive team members, investors, and etc.

In some instances, the agile team also incorporates technical or domain specialists to provide some insights that are not available within the organisation or within the agile team. 

Agile development process works with the combined efforts of every team member. The product will not achieve its quality without the work of developers, testers, project managers, product owners, and stakeholders.

What are your insights on members of an agile development team? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!