Definition of the Daily Scrum
The Daily Scrum is a short, daily meeting for the Developers of a Scrum Team. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss progress towards the Sprint Goal and adjust the Sprint Backlog as necessary.
The Daily Scrum helps Developers identify interdependencies, signal obstacles and coordinate the plan for the upcomming workday. It is an event of maximum 15 minutes (also known as the timebox) but it can be shorter. Ideally, takes place every workday at the same time and place.
The Developers often stand during this meeting. This contributes to promoting concise conversations and prevents the meeting from lasting too long. However, be aware that the Scrum framework does not mention this. Developers choose the structure and technique they want. As long as their Daily Scrum focuses on progressing towards the Sprint Goal and generating an actionable plan for the upcoming workday.
This way Daily Scrums improve team communication and help identify issues. They also assist in making decisions quickly. This eliminates the need for other meetings.
A daily ritual like this also gives a sense of unity and responsibility within the team. It allows the team to quickly respond to changes and adapt to new information. It is ultimately one of the four formal events for inspection and adaptation within the Sprint.
It is also good to know that the Daily Scrum is not the only time Developers may adjust their plan for the day. Throughout the workday, they may meet as often as needed for more detailed discussions about the work in the Sprint and make adjustments.
Be aware that the Daily Scrum is intended only for the Developers. So not for the Product Owner, Scrum Master or other stakeholders.
Note: Sometimes you might also hear the term “Daily Standup” being used for this meeting. This term originates from Extreme Programming and is actually something different. Therefore, it is not the name that the Scrum framework gives to this meeting.