Methodologies: Is X better than Y?
Is Scrum better than RUP?
Yes.
No.
That’s an incorrect question. We can’t say that Scrum is better than RUP because we can’t compare them reliably. In fact a process is a multidimensional essence. As you know from math we can’t compare two vectors – only their norm. And norm can vary depending on the space. The same is true for processes – to compare them we need single value to work with and context.
Success rate? It depends heavily on project size, executive involvement, whether requirements are stable or not, etc.
Any process has some ideal context in which it is the most useful. We can’t say that one process fails more often – this process may have been applied in a wrong environment. For instance, if one is going to apply pure Scrum in development of new Boeing – he’d better think again. And if one is going to use full-blown process in accordance to government military agencies’ norms for developing small web-site s/he will have tough time trying to get profit.
It makes sense to bear in mind while choosing, designing or adjusting a process:
- Project’s context
- Industry experience
- Needed level of flexibility and reliability