The Iteration Review, often called the Sprint Review in Scrum, is a formal checkpoint in the continuous development cycle of an agile team. This structured meeting occurs at the conclusion of a fixed time period, known as an iteration or sprint. It serves as the primary mechanism for stakeholders to engage with the developing product and ensures the development effort remains aligned with customer needs. By focusing on the tangible results of the recent iteration, the review establishes a feedback loop that confirms the team is proceeding in the correct direction.
Defining the Iteration Review
The Iteration Review is a time-boxed event where the Development Team showcases the usable software increment completed during the most recent cycle. Positioned at the end of the iteration, it provides a definitive boundary before the next planning session begins. This event typically lasts no more than one hour per week of iteration length and acts as the formal acceptance point for the work produced, focusing entirely on demonstrable product functionality.
The meeting is dedicated to inspecting the outcome of the team’s efforts against the goals set at the start of the iteration. The focus is strictly on the functional product increment that has been built, tested, and integrated into the overall solution. The goal is to present a tangible, working piece of software, not just documents or presentations about what was accomplished. The review ensures that all parties share a current understanding of the product’s status and capabilities.
The Primary Purpose of the Iteration Review
The objective of the Iteration Review is to maximize the value delivered by the Development Team through inspection and adaptation. This is achieved by inspecting the increment, gathering stakeholder feedback, and adapting the Product Backlog. Demonstrating the working product provides transparency, allowing stakeholders to see exactly what was completed and how it functions. This inspection is an opportunity to validate or challenge the assumptions made during development.
Gathering direct stakeholder feedback is the mechanism for empirical process control. Stakeholders, including users, customers, and business sponsors, provide insights based on their interaction with the demonstrated functionality. This input reflects current market conditions, evolving user expectations, and shifting business priorities. The feedback moves product development away from relying solely on initial requirements and toward responsive, experience-based adjustments.
The final step involves adapting the Product Backlog based on the information and feedback received during the inspection. The Product Owner uses this new data to revise priorities, refine existing items, or introduce new requirements. If the demonstrated increment did not meet expectations, or if the market has changed, the backlog is immediately adjusted to reflect the most valuable path forward. This continuous refinement ensures the Development Team works on features that provide the highest return on investment.
Key Participants and Roles
Attendance at the Iteration Review is structured to ensure effective inspection and decision-making regarding the product’s future. The Development Team prepares and conducts the demonstration of the completed increment. They explain what they built, highlight any technical challenges encountered, and answer questions about the implementation details of the new features. Their role is to present the facts of the work completed during the timebox.
The Product Owner serves as the primary facilitator of the meeting and the ultimate decision-maker regarding the Product Backlog. They begin the review by reminding participants of the iteration’s goals and what was planned versus what was completed. Throughout the meeting, the Product Owner collects all feedback and is solely responsible for incorporating those insights into the Product Backlog immediately following the review.
Stakeholders represent the broader business, customer, and end-user community. Their role is to inspect the increment and provide actionable feedback. These individuals are expected to actively engage with the demonstrated features, offering their perspective on usability, completeness, and business value. Their presence ensures the team remains connected to the organizational context and the success metrics of the product.
Structure and Flow of the Review
The Iteration Review follows a sequence that moves from reporting on the past to planning for the future. The Product Owner initiates the meeting by summarizing the overall progress toward the product goal and reiterating which items were targeted for completion in the iteration. This provides context for the subsequent demonstration by setting expectations for what is about to be shown. They also review the current state of the Product Backlog, including any high-level changes since the last review.
Following the initial overview, the Development Team conducts a live demonstration of the working software increment. This is not a passive presentation; the team highlights the newly added features and often invites stakeholders to interact directly with the software. The demonstration is kept focused on the functionality achieved, avoiding excessive discussion of internal technical processes.
Stakeholders then provide feedback on the demonstrated features, engaging in a dialogue with the team about potential improvements or necessary adjustments. After the functionality is reviewed, the team collectively reviews the overall project timeline, budget, potential capabilities for the next iteration, and expected release dates. This holistic discussion helps the group anticipate future scope adjustments and synchronize expectations across all involved parties.
Distinguishing the Review from the Retrospective
The Iteration Review is sometimes confused with the Retrospective because both meetings occur at the end of the iteration, but their scopes are fundamentally different. The Iteration Review focuses entirely on the product, specifically inspecting the artifact created and adapting the what of the product. Its audience includes external stakeholders who are primarily interested in the resulting functionality and business value.
In contrast, the Retrospective is solely focused on the process used to create the product, adapting the how of the work. This meeting is internal, involving only the Development Team and the Product Owner, and sometimes the Scrum Master. Participants discuss people, relationships, tools, and practices to identify opportunities for continuous improvement in their collaboration and efficiency. While the Review looks outward at the product, the Retrospective looks inward at the team’s performance.
Both events are designed to drive adaptation and continuous improvement, but they address different domains of the development effort. The Review ensures the team is building the right product by validating the output with customers. The Retrospective ensures the team is building the product in the right way by optimizing their internal workflow and communication processes.