Scrum, as we know, is a very important part of Agile software development practices. But it has many other applications that a lot of aspiring project managers are not aware of. These scrum apps can be used in various production settings ranging from construction processes to marketing endeavors.
In the project management paradigm, all of the software facilitating the PM projects have a lot of functionality to follow a Scrum framework including sprint planning and backlogging features.
In this article, we will discuss the 6 Scrum Tools that would increase your team’s productivity. We will discuss the price comparisons and all of the key features those applications offer so that you can make an informed decision about the software you require for yourself and your team.
What is a Scrum Tool and what does it do?
Scrum, in general, is a set of rules or a dedicated framework to develop any type of product whether it is a software, email campaign or a consumer product your company is developing. All of the Scrum tools on the market nowadays are based on a similar framework having the same features.
As there are so many similarities between the scrum and the agile methodologies, both of their software are often described as one or the other. However, in reality, a general agile PM software has a lot of different functionalities apart from the scrum related ones.
A traditional scrum software facilitates the Scrum framework through processes like transparency, collaboration among the team members and increases in efficiency among the squad. These software can help almost any type of company.
Scrum Methodology and Software
One thing that is an essential entity in any Scrum PM software is backlogging. Like using sticky notes or a whiteboard to list things, backlogging is a digital alternative to those practices, which is used to list all of the final requirements and tasks related to the project.
Another key element of the scrum apps is the Product Owner. This is the actor in the whole development process that decides all of the functional and business expectations related to the project.
Sprints are also a big part of the Scrum paradigm. These are predetermined chunks of time specifically dedicated to complete essential milestones related to the project’s development. Many scrum tools offer burndown charts that are graphical presentations of these sprints.
Let us now discuss the best scrum tools on the market right now.
6 Scrum Tools to Increase Productivity
1. nTask
Starting off with the best in the market, nTask is the remedy for all your problems Project Management. This is one of the most versatile scrum tools that are available on the market right now.
nTask is essentially a PM software but the application features a lot of amazing features that would make the implementation of Scrum methodologies in your project a lot easier. There are no add-ons which means that you can enjoy the entire myriad of features from day one.
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The application provides an amazing solution for the transfer of information among the team members through a powerful meeting management feature. This will let the team have regular scrum meetings which would let the managers’ transfer information to their armies easily making them more productive.
Key Features
Here is a feature list of nTask’s features:
- Project Portfolio
- Issue Tracking
- Tasks Management
- Risk Management
- Team Collaboration
- Team Management
- Advanced-Data Sorting
- Time Management
- Gantt Charts
- Multiple Board Views
- Activity Management
- Risk Matrix
- Outstanding Customer Support
- Approval Process Control
Pricing
- Basic: Free (Unlimited Workspaces, Unlimited tasks, Scrum Meetings with Timesheet Reporting)
- Premium: $2.99
- Business: $7.99
2. Monday.com
Monday.com is also a good choice if you want to manage projects and their respective teams. The application features some incredible features like customizable notifications and automation that help you focus on just the right tasks you need to be accomplished, to get your project finished.
It also has amazing tracking capabilities that help you track the progress of all of the tasks related to your project. You can also create a visual representation of all of these tasks and share that roadmap with your team that will keep them in the loop at all times.
Using this software, creating backlogs is very easy and you have a lot of sorting options at hand to view them in the order of your choosing.
One drawback of using Monday.com is that you will not be able to create a dedic ated burndown chart to track the progression of the sprints, but it offers simple charts and reports that can give you an overview of the whole sprint situation.
Key Features
Monday.com contains the following features:
- Seamless process of Workload Management
- Efficient Collaboration
- Product Backlog
- Sprint Planning
- Task Dependencies
- Prioritized Project Management
- Intuitive User Interface
- Excellent Customer Support
Pricing
- Free Trial
- Basic: $39/month
- Standard: $49/month
- Pro: $79/month
3. Jira
You would’ve probably heard of Jira because it’s one of the top software that is used to implement the scrum methodologies in projects throughout the world.
The software comes packed with features like custom filters for backlogs, visual representations of project reports and customizable Scrum boards that make the whole process of Scrum implementation quite seamless.
The software is quite ripe with functionalities which makes it a lot harder to understand fully on the first day. If you are new to scrum, it can take you a lot of time to get the full hang of it, so our recommendation is to test it out before you spend your money on it.
Key Features
- Real-time reporting
- Time tracking
- Customizable Scrum boards
- Powerful progress reports
- Backlog management
- Bug and issues tracker
- Numerous third-party application integrations
- Customizable dashboard
- User stories mapping
- Sprints management
- Custom filters
Pricing
- $10 monthly – If you have you have up to 10 users
- $7 monthly/user – If you have 11-100 users
- If you have more than 100 users, you have to request the company to make you an offer
4. Clarizen
Clarizen is an amazing software that takes care of your team as well as the whole enterprise. It is an automation software for all of your professional service processes. Using this software, you can integrate your work in such a way that the whole process promotes productivity.
The whole idea of this software is to make all of the projects develop quickly with the help of timesaving workflows. If you have a lot of recurring projects that require repeatable strategies, Clarizen is the best option for you in the market.
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If you work with a lot of other third-party applications, then you’re in luck because Clarizen has an amazing arsenal of powerful integration options that would help you a lot. You can connect the software with powerful software like Jira, Tableau, SharePoint, and Salesforce, to name a few.
Key Features
- Time tracking
- Multi-tiered network security
- Timesheet management
- Billable & non-billable work items
- Budget tracking
- Dashboards
- SSP & LDAP integration
- Estimation
- Social collaboration
- Progress management
- Scope management
- Data encryption
- Activity tracking
- Document review
- Real-time team updates
- Financial management
- Gantt Chart
- Issue tracking
- Projects
- Financial indicators
- Real-time analytics
- Real-time data
- Request routing
- Third-party integration
- Drag & drop interface
- Resource management
- Risk assessment
- Security & encryption
- Real-time updates
- Task planning
- Centralized document repository
Pricing
- Free Trial is available
- Subscription prices start from $45/user/month
5. Yodiz
One of the most comprehensive scrum tools on the market right now is Yodiz. The application is loaded with an amazing feature set that would make the whole scrum implementation process quite seamless making your team more productive.
Yodiz’s toolkit will help you properly manage the epics, releases, backlogs, and sprints related to your product or project. There is an amazing management module this lets you track all of your featured requests quite easily.
You can also set the required priorities of all of the tasks so that your team will know what to focus on and what to do on a later date. This software will also let you track your releases and manage all of the sprints accordingly.
Key Features
- Swimlane diagrams for viewing user-stories
- Burndown charts for monitoring the workflow
- Sprint management
- Android and iOS apps
- The issue tracker for timely issue management
- Product Backlog management
- Due dates and custom fields
- Comments and tagging
- Third-party application integrations
Pricing
- Starter: This pack is useful if you have up to 3 users and you want them to enjoy unlimited project creation and other core features this software offers
- Issue Tracker: This feature available at $3 per user and will be charged monthly which is perfect for small teams
- Agile Tool: At $5 per user being charged monthly, you get the full agile solution for all of your teams
- Self-hosted: If you want the self-hosted plan than you have to contact the company and get a custom plan created which will give you access to all of the premium features offered by the software
6. Scrumwise
The next tool on the list is Scrumwise and it is one of the very best tools mentioned in this article. It is an easy-to-use software that comes packed with dedicated Scrum features to make your team more productive.
The software has a simple interface that makes the scrum implementation process quite easy for the user. You can easily create backlogs and set custom filters on lists to access the required content at any place at any time.
This software also helps you to break down your work activities into smaller subtasks and focusses checklists that help you manage all of the activities related to your project, quite easier. You can also track the time taken by the team members to perform individual tasks.
Key Features
- Drag and drop interface
- Product backlog management
- Autosaving of updates
- Third-party application access
- Comments and file attachments
- Tasks and subtasks management
- Native time tracking
- Kanban boards to visualize workflow
- Burnup and burndown charts
- Team chat functionality
Pricing
Scrumwise gives you two options for payment:
- Monthly: $9 per user being charged monthly
- Yearly: $7 per user being charged monthly
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a lot of options for you when it comes to Scrum tools in the market. All of them have quite a lot of the same features but there are always variations whenever it comes to software. Whether the changes are in the features or in the pricing.
So, before making a final decision on spending your money on any software, check if they offer a trial version. Test the whole software and if it falls under your budget and possesses the required functionality to fulfill your needs and requirements, then and only then acquire their paid plan.
The post 6 Scrum Tools to Increase Your Team’s Productivity appeared first on Productivity Land .