Rational Scrum is about process improvement. Specifically, it’s about software process improvement using techniques based on Scrum. The idea for “Rational Scrum” was born out of Ken Schwaber and Mike Beedle’s original publication, Agile Software Development in Scrum, that originally described it as “a management and control process that cuts through complexity to focus on building software that meets business needs.”

Over the past few decades I’ve seen a number of methodologies emerge, but few have had as productive an impact as Scrum. It’s simplicity combined with its ability to improve other methodologies makes it a clear winner.

Welcome to Rational Scrum

Zacharias Beckman

I’ve been a technologist for well over two decades, over which I’ve acquired technical breadth and honed leadership skills. Throughout my career as Program Manager, Project Manager and Scrum Master I’ve led multimillion dollar, multinational projects in corporate and Government contexts. I’ve built and trained Enterprise engineering divisions for clients such as Siebel, Fios, Xerox, SeeBeyond, The Los Angeles Times and United Future. And I’ve compiled comprehensive training curricula for clients such as NASA, Bank of America, and the U.S. Navy.

I believe one of the most important things an organization can do is make an investment in its most valuable resource: The people that define it, that set it apart. That’s one reason I’ve developed Rational Scrum, and one of the reasons I enjoy my work at Hyrax International LLC: It gives me an opportunity to help organizations develop and prepare teams for success and teach what I’ve learned. Hyrax specializes in audit and assessment of program areas such as project management, quality assurance, risk management and customer satisfaction as well as in delivering focused initiatives to improve customer efficiency.

This site is my way of creating community around my coursework in Program Management, Project Management, Risk Analysis, Software Quality Assurance, and Scrum. I’m also working on a new book, “Navigating the Methodology Maze, a roadmap to successfully adopting process in your organization,” some of which you’ll see previewed here on Rational Scrum.

I hope you’ll come back often, and enjoy your stay. Let me know what you would like to see, too. Please sign up for an RSS or Email subscription! Just click the icon to the right.

Publications

Finding Your Way: Navigating The Methodology Maze, a roadmap to successfully adopting process within your organization, (textbook, pending publication).
Structured Software Testing and Continuous Quality Improvement, a guide to software testing, 2008.
Fundamentals of Software Program Management, managing ongoing interdependent projects, 2008.
Introduction to Scrum, Agile Methods and the Rational Unified Process, adopting Rational and Scrum throughout work and life, 2007.
Software Configuration Management Fundamentals, an introduction to configuration management principles, 2007 (contributing author).
Software Quality Assurance and Improvement, creating an effective quality assurance organization, 2007 (contributing author).
Scrum Workshop, a practical exercise applying Scrum, 2006.
Introduction to Agile Methods, understanding and applying Agile, 2006.
Building in Cyberspace (whitepaper), strategies for building scalable web enabled projects, 2000.