Building a Scrum Clock

What is a Scrum Clock? 

Completed Scrum Clock

Why Should I Build A Scrum Clock? 
How To Build A Scrum Clock?

Author: Neil A. Alan

What is a Scrum Clock?
A Scrum Clock is generally a wall clock that is displayed in the area where your Agile Teams will meet for daily scrum.  The clock marks the start time of the scrum meeting and warns participants if they are nearing the end of the meeting through colored sections on the clock face.  The daily scrum meeting is a standing meeting.  This term has two meanings in this case.  Standing in that it is a regular meeting: it occurs every day at a particular time.  Also: Standing in that all of the participants stand during the entire meeting.  The daily scrum meeting is not about comfort or chit-chat.  It is an opportunity for the scrum team to update team member and stake holders about their successes, failures and current status.  This meeting is time-bound, meaning that it begins at exactly the same time every day and ends no more than fifteen minutes after the start time.  The meeting will begin on-time no matter who has not arrived yet.  This means that if the President of the company is going to attend and he or she has not arrived, the meeting will begin without the President.  These rules are absolute.  There is no room for error or interpretation.  Scrum meetings can become lengthy and get in the way of the scum manifesto if they are not standing and time-bound.  

Why Should I Build A Scrum Clock?
The Scrum Clock makes all team members and stakeholders aware of the time of the meeting and its duration.  If team members are late, they'll understand why the meeting has started without them based on the status of the scrum clock.  The scrum clock also gives everyone a way to know how much time is left in the meeting.  Any clock would do for presenting the current time, but a scrum clock is colored to indicate the current time section of the meeting. The sections are colored to indicate that the meeting is going well, is nearing its end or must draw to its conclusion because its out of time.  A regular wall clock will display the current time, but it lacks the ability to give the users a way of clearly indicating the start and end time and current status of the time-bound meeting.

How To Build A Scrum Clock?
Even the most challenged artist can easily make a Scrum clock.  The first step is to go to Target or Walmart and buy a standard analog wall clock.  This one was purchased at Walmart for $19.97 + tax.

Original wall clock

The next step is to go to Staples or Office Max and purchase the markers that you are going to need.  These I purchased for $12.21.  If you already have nice markers, you may use the ones that you already have.  You will need a permanent highlighter to mark the yellow section of the clock.  Yellow markers don't seem to make the section yellow enough.  Your mileage may vary.

Markers that you'll need

Remove the bezel and lens from the clock.  In this case there were six screws that hold the bezel to the clock mechanics.  In some cases the lens is held to the mechanics with plastic clips.  

Bezel and Lens Removed from Mechanics

You are going to color one quartile of the clock face.  Which quartile will depend on what time your Scrum meet is supposed to start.  For this clock I have chosen to color the third quartile because my Scrum meeting will start everyday at 9:30 am and will end no later than 9:45 am.  You will need to vary the instructions slightly for meetings that start at different times.  I think you can do it though!!

Using a sharp edge (I used the edge of the colored markers package) and the green marker, draw a straight line from the center of the clock to the edge of the face through the number six at the bottom of the face.  Again using the green marker draw a straight line from the center of the clock to the edge of the face through the tick mark for the :39th minute.  Using the permanent highlighter, draw a straight line from the center of the clock through the tick mark for the :42nd minute.  Now using the red marker, draw a straight line from the center of the clock through the number nine to the edge of the face.

Guide Lines added to clock face

It's mostly coloring at this point.  Start coloring the sections of the clock so that you have a green section for the start of the meeting.  A yellow section as the meeting starts to get into the danger zone and a red section for the three minutes that need to end the meeting.

Now clean and return the lens and bezel to the clock.  

Completed Scrum Clock

The last steps are to set the time (use a source that is as accurate as possible) and hang your clock. I generally ask Google what time it is and I use that time to set my Scrum clock. If team member have a problem with Google time, they can take it up Google.

Now proudly hang your new scrum clock the wall in the area where you will have your Scrum or status meetings.  Keep your clock set to Google time.  It may need adjustment from time to time depending on the quality of clock that you purchased.  Keep your status meetings quick and timely and your project will have a better change at success.


©2014 Neil A. Alan - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED