Increment
Increment | Scrum Increment
According to the Scrum Guide, an increment is a collection of completed functionalities within a sprint that meet the Definition of Done. In other words, the increment consists of product backlog items that the team has developed while adhering to quality standards. Similarly, the Scrum team and stakeholders inspect the completed functionalities during the sprint review to ensure they are on the right track. Whenever necessary, the team adjusts the backlog to incorporate feedback from the increment.
Following the Scrum approach, the team selects product backlog items they believe they can complete during the sprint. Before concluding the sprint, they deliver one or more increments. Since Scrum is an empirical approach, the work must be inspectable. Therefore, the team can only add product backlog items to the increment when they are truly complete. At the same time, any unfinished product backlog items return to the backlog if the product owner deems it necessary.
When is the Increment Showed?
At the end of the sprint, the developers and product owner demonstrate the increment to stakeholders, allowing them to provide feedback. Basically, this process aligns with the Scrum framework’s principle of “failing fast and failing early.” In other words, if change is inevitable, the sooner the team can adjust the product, the better. For this reason, the increment must be in an inspectable state; otherwise, collecting feedback becomes impossible.
Each increment builds upon the previous ones, ensuring continuous product evolution. This iterative approach enhances flexibility, as teams can incorporate user insights, as well as, market changes efficiently. Additionally, maintaining high-quality increments fosters a sustainable development pace, reducing the likelihood of accumulating technical debt.
Finally, a release consolidates functionalities from multiple sprints and delivers them to end users. By releasing well-structured increments regularly, organizations can provide continuous value while adapting to shifting requirements and business goals.