The Objectives and Backgrounds
Everyone is talking about Scrum at the moment: The probably best known agile process model originally comes from the area of software development, but is now also used in many other areas. Since we are convinced of the lean Scrum framework and its potential as a pioneer for agility, we have made it our mission to bring the advantages of Scrum to people outside the software industry as well.
Based on the idea of combining the cooking passion of our managing director Thomas Kalker with his Scrum expertise, the Interlink Innovation Digi Kitchen was finally born – and has enjoyed great popularity ever since.
The goal of the Digi Kitchen is to experience the process model Scrum and agile project management through the practical application in cooking. During a cooking event, the participants learn what agile methods and principles do in practice and how SCRUM actually works.
The Format
Last we carried out two Digi Kitchens with the employees of a medium-sized ERP consulting company. At a (corona-compliant) get-together in the courtyard of the kitchen we got the participants in the right mood for the day and divided them into teams. In addition, each team member was assigned a specific role with specific tasks and responsibilities for the individual cooking sessions.
In order to train the sensitivity for customer needs, the teams did not cook for themselves, but for a different team each time in the Digi Kitchen. According to the respective wishes of the team members, two dishes were prepared with great attention to detail, creativity and under the influence of positive stress: first a mixed salad as an appetizer, then a pasta dish.
All activities and processes in the kitchen were first planned on the kanban board and carried out in the form of sprints. After the preparation of each course, the participants ate together, exchanged ideas, reflected on the cooking process and looked for potential for improvement. Finally, the experiences and insights gained during the cooking process were integrated into the Scrum framework and it was shown how the application of Scrum can look like in the daily project routine.
The Outcome
By participating in the Digi Kitchen, the participants gained a feeling for the Scrum framework and gained first insights into the world of agile project management.
The principle of mutual cooking increases the sensitivity for customer needs and places the user or customer at the center of all activities.
The participants can then apply these experiences to their daily dealings with their customers. On top of that, the sense of community is strengthened, because the interaction of people from different backgrounds creates new ideas and perspectives. With the help of the Scrum Kitchen Playbook provided, the participants can recapitulate all elements of Scrum Kitchen and the Scrum Framework in retrospect and use it as a guideline in their daily project work.