What's The Difference Between A Product Owner And A Scrum Master?

The growth of technology and fast-paced development of new software solutions has resulted in the use of a number of project management techniques. Most organizations are trying to maximize their potential by employing management methodologies that are conducive to their specific environment as well as their products and services. Agile methodology is an impressive management approach that has been widely recognized for its flexibility. It allows clients to make small changes to their objectives without adding massively to their infrastructure costs and overall budget. Every Agile methodology consists of four main roles: product owner, Scrum master, Scrum team and stakeholder.

The importance of Agile methodology and a Scrum master can be gauged from the high acceptance of this methodology in various industries. According to a survey conducted by Version One 2016, more than 58% of teams are utilizing Scrum, and 75% of teams are making use of hybrid Agile approaches for project management tasks. This is a clear testament to the importance of Agile methodology in the world of project management.

Product Owner vs. Scrum Master

The product owner and the Scrum master both have the same objective of adding value to project management. However, these two roles are defined very differently from each other. While product owner looks at the project from the customer’s perspective, Scrum masters solely focus on the team and its operations. A Scrum master’s role is to motivate the team when the going gets tough and maintain efficiency in operations for timely completion of the project. On the other hand, product owners are responsible for managing product backlogs (the priority list of user requirements) and ensuring its visibility at all times. They make sure the business values of the product (as per the client) are not compromised at any time.

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Vital Skills for Product Owners and Scrum Masters

Product owners should have a good grasp of business concepts, as they have to look at the project from the client’s business perspective. They should have a strong personality and good communication skills for laying down the law. Problem solving is an attribute that all individuals who want to become product owners should have.

Scrum masters need to have leadership and problem-solving skills. As they have the responsibility for all processes, they should know how to conduct team members for the timely achievement of goals. You can go through certified Scrum product owner online training to become an efficient and effective product owner.

Product Owner Duties

Here’s what a product owner does:

• Ranks the product features so that development team can comprehend them
• Attends sprint planning meetings, which are vital for achieving successful Agile implementation
• Informs the team about priorities and requirements of the project
• Makes the decision on deadline for the project
• Determines the release date and contents
• Define epics/user stories to Agile development team
• Prioritizes or grooms the user stories with a few team members and spends some quality time with them before the beginning of the project

Enroll in QuickStart’s Scrum product owner training today to get a better understanding.

Scrum Master Duties

Here’s what a Scrum master does:

• Responsible for looking after the entire process and proper coordination of the Scrum team
• Removes obstacles in the path of achieving goals for the Scrum team
• Facilitates the team for better creativity and enhances efficiency of team members
• Works with the product owner and ensures product backlog remains in good shape
• Presides over retrospective meeting
• Conducts sprint planning meeting for the entire team

Enroll in QuickStart’s today to get a better understanding of every aspect of Scrum masters.

Empowering Your Workforce with Agile Methodology

Businesses are finding it hard to sustain themselves with rudimentary techniques for project management. The Agile methodology is a proven approach that can be used to empower the workforce. Without changing a lot in your company’s operations and hiring from outside, it is possible to integrate the Agile methodology in project management operations by providing certified Scrum product owner training to employees.

Connect with our experts to learn more about Scrum master training.