ScrumDesk

ScrumDesk is an online scrum and kanban project management tool designed to support agile teams. According to the vendor, it is specifically tailored for companies of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises. Professionals and industries such as software development, IT services, project management, agile coaching, and product management are said to benefit from using ScrumDesk to streamline their agile practices and enhance collaboration.

Key Features

Backlog Management: ScrumDesk offers a set of features to manage the product backlog effectively. According to the vendor, users can create an ordered list of backlog items, prioritize them through drag and drop functionality, and group and sort them based on various attributes. The tool also allows printing colored cards for onsite planning sessions and exporting the backlog into Microsoft Excel for further analysis.

Backlog Items: ScrumDesk provides the ability to create and manage different types of backlog items such as epics, features, user stories, defects, and research tasks. The vendor claims that the tool ensures consistency through story templates and the definition of done. Users can break down backlog items into subtasks, estimate time for each subtask, and quickly create new items from story templates.

Planning: ScrumDesk offers release planning and sprint planning capabilities. Users can define start and end dates, goals, and descriptions for sprints, and track their status and progress using the Burndown chart. The tool allows planning multiple iterations at once, prioritizing backlog items by drag and drop, and assigning them to releases or sprints. Capacity indicators are claimed to assist in effective planning.

Kanban Boards: ScrumDesk provides a Scrumban style board for visualizing and managing work. Users can easily change the status of tasks by drag and drop, move tasks between backlog items, and add new tasks with a single click. The tool allows grouping rows into swimlanes for better organization and managing and viewing the sprint backlog even before it starts. Users can export tasks into Microsoft Excel and utilize touch devices for easy use on LCD screens.

Checklists: ScrumDesk allows the creation of multiple checklists to track readiness or quality indicators. Users can easily check the completion status of each item and use checklists for epics, features, backlog items, and subtasks. The tool supports checklists in templates for consistency and faster creation, and users can change the order of checklist items by drag and drop.

Scrum Roles: With ScrumDesk, users can assign different roles to team members. According to the vendor, the company account administrator manages accounts and configurations, the project administrator handles project-related tasks, the ScrumMaster role tracks and optimizes processes, and the Product Owner manages the product backlog and priorities. Team members can break down backlog items, estimate and track tasks, and a free Guest account provides read-only access.

Agile Reports: ScrumDesk offers a range of agile reports to track progress and measure team performance. Users can utilize the Sprint Burn Down chart to track progress and effort, the Release Burn Down chart to predict release end, and the Cumulative Flow Chart to uncover bottlenecks. The tool also provides Velocity, Value, Complexity charts, and lead and cycle time metrics for process improvement. Additionally, users can generate printable documents for sprint reports and timesheets.

Project Documentation with Spaces: ScrumDesk includes spaces for organizing and accessing team documents. Users can create a hierarchical structure with cover images, rich text, and AI integration. The tool offers templates for creating consistent documentation, a WYSIWYG editor with formatting and collaboration features, and a spaces navigator for easy navigation and search. AI-powered features enhance documents, and customization options allow for visual styles and node descriptions.

Root Cause Analysis: ScrumDesk enables users to identify and analyze root causes of problems. According to the vendor, users can break down problems into smaller components, track dependencies between nodes, and customize diagrams with visual styles and node descriptions. The tool supports file attachments and collaboration on analysis sessions, and tracks changes and comments for transparency. It aims to help users find the real reasons for impediments and improve processes.

Slack and ScrumDesk Integration: ScrumDesk integrates seamlessly with Slack, allowing users to track work from Slack using chatbot integration. According to the vendor, users can link ScrumDesk projects and user identities with Slack channels, add new backlog items and subtasks, and track progress directly from Slack. The integration also enables users to track time spent and complete subtasks without leaving Slack.