Maturing – Agile Model
Short Tip: The stage of initial detailing of the solution.
What is it?
It is the stage of initial detailing of the solution within the “Building and Using” phase. The goal is to initially align the Scrum team and design the basic artifacts that provide an overview of what the solution will be, as well as its initial requirements.
By the end of the Maturing stage, the teams should have the technical, human and material conditions to execute the first Sprint.
Why use it?
Without this stage, part of the first Sprint’s time would be dedicated to designing some fundamental artifacts, such as the Product Backlog, in a disorganized manner.
Using a previous stage for the initial detailing allows the team to discuss the solution at a higher level, from the Story Map up to the Product Backlog’s refinement with detailed user stories for the initial Sprints.
How to use it?
The Product Owner, with the Scrum Master’s help:
- Prepares and holds the Kickoff meeting with the Developers to align the work carried out in the Conception phase;
- Creates with the Developers the product’s Story Map, based on the user’s journey. The discussion should allow identifying Epics and stories to be included in the Product Backlog;
- Defines the Backlog’s initial order based on the Story Map, and, along with the Developers, conducts the Backlog’s first refinement to detail the main user stories;
- In the second phase of Maturing, creates the product’s Roadmap with the Scrum team to be presented to the stakeholders;
- Throughout the process, the Scrum Master and the Developers make technical preparations in tandem to make sure all resources and configurations are available in Sprint 1.
The steps above are not unidirectional, but bidirectional. For example, as the Roadmap is being defined, something relevant may be identified which was not included in the Story Map or in the Product Backlog. This way of working is essential in the agile model.