The tech landscape is forever evolving. Not only are tools becoming more sophisticated, the teams that manage and monitor those tools are also changing. New positions are being created and responsibilities are becoming more closely aligned to emerging tech capabilities. In short, both people and products are developing.
But with this dynamic landscape can come confusion. Who has what duty? What are the differences between roles? And who do tech teams turn to when there’s a code meltdown?
Two of the most commonly associated positions are the Scrum Master and Project Manager. Each is seen as a leader, yet there are nuances between them, and the resources they should leverage to see the most success. Here’s a quick breakdown of the scrum master vs project manager dilemma, and how low code can help.
Scrum Master and Project Manager: What Are They?
A Scrum Master is responsible for facilitating Agile development among tech teams. The Agile framework intends to streamline team processes, foster collaboration, and empower stronger team communication for quick, effective changes in workflows. The Scrum Master therefore leads meetings, including daily standups, sprint planning sessions, and retrospectives. They also address issues that can hinder a team member’s capacity to work.
A Project Manager, on the other hand, is responsible for the planning, execution, and completion of a project, as well as handling all of the resources involved in the project. Likewise, they have to ensure that the project stays within the set budget, and ultimately, measure how successful the project was. Like Scrum Masters, Project Managers will use Agile processes to manage projects.
The tricky thing with Scrum Masters and Project Managers is that they can both take on qualities of the other’s role: Scrum Masters conduct some Project Manager tasks, and Project Managers carry out some Scrum Master responsibilities; but they’re not the same position.
Similarities and Differences
OK, so where do the parallels lie and what are the distinguishing features between Scrum Masters and Project Managers?
Both roles know how to communicate, gather feedback, and mitigate risks. Yet neither of them are the top authority in teams – Scrum Masters report to the Product Owner, clients, and stakeholders. Project Managers report to clients and stakeholders.
A Project Manager has to oversee the entire technical project, whereas a Scrum Master may only be in charge of a specific portion of the project. Scrum Masters also exclusively work with Scrum projects and Scrum teams – Project Managers have a far broader scope, including Waterfall projects.
While Scrum Masters generally focus on making sure a select portion of the project is functioning well, Project Managers have to look at overall logistics like budgeting and risk management.
Quality assurance comes into play too. Product Managers certainly know the importance of QA but don’t necessarily know how to achieve it. Scrum Masters, however, know how to meet and maintain technical quality.
How Low Code/No Code Can Help
Low code/no code platforms empower citizen developers to drag and drop applications, and connect them to form mobile and web applications. Essentially, these platforms enable non-tech people to build products and services, and are increasingly used to grow tech teams and return on investment.
If Project Managers or Scrum Masters are using low code/no code platforms in their project(s), there are a number of benefits they can reap. Iterations can be done more easily on low code/no code platforms, meaning that the Agile framework is in full motion, and Scrum Masters and Project Managers can oversee fast, impactful code changes.
At the same time, low code/no code platforms can accelerate development time, as engineers can visualize their progress and make iterations swiftly, so both Project Managers and Scrum Masters can review work within quicker cycles. These platforms also give both roles greater visibility across moving parts of the project, paving the way for more informed decision-making, reporting, and retrospectives.
On a wider scale, low code/no code platforms back Project Managers and Scrum Masters in prioritizing product objectives, reducing dependency on third-party bottlenecks, and showcase opportunities to implement automation. Not to mention, the platforms can reduce the time to market for new products and features, and boost communication between team members and company executives.
In fact, more than 70% of organizations using citizen development say that their application development sped up by at least 50%, and nearly 30% of companies saw delivery time reduced by up to half.
It’s important that Project Managers and Scrum Masters don’t dive into low code/no code without first recognizing which platform best suits their teams’ and business’ needs. TrackVia has repeatedly been acknowledged as one of the most user-friendly application development platforms available. Start a free 30-day trial with us and discover how your Project Managers and Scrum Masters can optimize their systems and success.
