CRM Glossary
Understand terminology used when discussing the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) programme
| Term | Alternative references | Description |
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Acceptance Criteria |
Criteria |
A set of conditions that must be met to be accepted by a customer or stakeholder. |
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Azure Dev Ops |
ADO |
Azure DevOps supports a collaborative culture and set of processes that bring together developers, |
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Agile |
Scrum Agile |
Agile is a methodology. A set of principles for software development under which requirements and solutions evolve through the collaborative effort of cross-functional teams. |
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Application |
Mobile Applications |
Applications can be categorised into different types based on their functionality and platform: Mobile Applications: designed to run on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Examples include social media apps, games, productivity tools and navigation apps. Desktop Applications: Software programs designed to run on desktop or laptop computers. Examples include word processors, web browsers, photo editing software. Web Applications: Accessed through a web browser over the internet and do not require installation on the user's device. Examples include email clients, online banking portals and social networking sites. Enterprise Applications: Designed to address specific needs of businesses and organisations. Examples include customer relationship management (CRM) systems, enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, and project management tools. Embedded Applications: Specialised embedded within hardware devices, such as smart applications, medical devices and automotive systems. Applications can be developed for various platforms using programming languages and development frameworks tailored to specific requirements of the target platform and intended functionality. |
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Artifacts |
Outputs |
Scrum’s artifacts are an output of work that represent value to the organisation. They are designed to maximise transparency of key information. Everyone inspecting them has the same basis for adaptation. Each artifact contains a commitment to ensure it provides information that enhances transparency and focus against which progress can be measured: |
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Backlog |
Product Backlog |
A long to do list! The Product Backlog is an emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product backlog / platform backlog. It is the single source of work to be undertaken by the Scrum Team. Items will be selected from the backlog, based on priority to be delivered within one sprint and repeats each sprint This is an ongoing activity to add details, such as a description, order, and size. Attributes often vary with the domain of work. |
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Backlog refinement |
Product Backlog refinement |
The refinement activity happens each Sprint through which the Product Owner and the Developers add detail to the Product Backlog. |
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Burn-down Chart |
Reporting |
A chart which shows the amount of work which is thought to remain in a sprint or backlog. A burndown chart shows the remaining work versus the time required to complete it, and helps teams track their progress and adjust their plans, for example the work thought to remain in a backlog. |
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Burn-up Chart |
Reporting |
A chart which shows the amount of work which has been completed in a backlog. |
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Business Change |
Business Change Manager |
The process of altering an organisations operations, processes or systems to achieve goals. It can involve a variety of changes, from minor adjustments to major restructuring. A Business Change manager role is closely aligned to overseeing and supporting people through the business change activities. |
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Continuous Improvement - Governance and delivery framework |
An approach to service delivery that promotes smaller more frequent improvements moving away from larger scale projects and programmes. The Oxford delivery blueprint has broken this into three sections - CI Discover, CI, Delivery and CI Release. |
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Daily Scrum |
Stand up |
A Scrum Event that is a 15-minute time-boxed event held each day for the Developers and immediate Scrum Team. The Daily Scrum is held every day of the sprint where Developers plan work for the next 24 hours. The Daily Scrum should be held at the same time and place each day to reduce complexity. The aim of a daily Scrum is to improve communications, identify impediments, promote quick decision-making, and consequently eliminate the need for other meetings. |
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Dashboard |
Scrum Dashboard |
A visual and summarised report collecting key information relating to the Scrum delivery team performance and tracking progress. There is likely to be dashboards at various levels; Portfolio, Service Stream and Delivery Team. |
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Done |
A formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. The moment a Product Backlog item meets the Definition of Done, an Increment is born. The Definition of Done creates transparency by providing everyone a shared understanding of what work was completed as part of the Increment. If a Product Backlog item does not meet the Definition of Done, it cannot be released or even presented at the Sprint Review. Also know as DoD. |
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Ready |
A checklist that ensures all necessary conditions are met before a task, user story, or feature is taken into development during a delivery sprint. It is a shared understanding amongst squad members to confirm that work is adequately prepared and can be started with a high chance of successful completion within the sprint duration. |
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Delivery Blueprint |
Blueprint |
The blueprint provides a comprehensive overview on how to implement, in this case the new delivery framework and the new ways of working . The blueprint shows an overall approach, plan and methodology to follow on how to implement and how to embed the new Continuous Improvement (CI) delivery squads from inception to maturity. |
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Delivery Framework |
Framework |
A set of guidelines, best practice and methodology that can be used to deliver effective services. |
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Delivery Team |
Service Delivery Team |
Delivery Team is part of Service Delivery teams which might include CI squads, Support team, Programme, Projects, Technical teams enabling delivery within a service stream. |
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Developers |
Development Team |
A group of professionals who work together to deliver the product increment at the end of each sprint. |
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Digital Governance Unit |
DGU |
A new Unit to be established to provide support for Portfolio Committees across a range of areas, but also direct to committees, and assurance to IDC that activities are being conducted with best practice in mind. A key function of the DGU will be to provide the cross cutting oversight of activities across all portfolios. |
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Digital Governance Framework |
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A new digital governance framework with the Information and Digital Committee (IDC) overseeing five Portfolio Committees (Education, Research, Administration, Engagement and Dissemination, and Technology). This includes mechanisms for financial reporting and risk management support activities. |
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Hub |
A central point for all things related to Digital Services at Oxford where you can find valuable insights into how we govern and deliver our digital services. |
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Digital Services Catalogue |
Catalogue |
The Digital Service Catalogue provides a user centric view of structured information about all the services and products offered centrally by the University. It details how to obtain support and training together with who the services are provided for and how they are funded. Roles and responsibilities are articulated. |
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Service |
A digital service is a business construct, defined by a set of processes and flows that combine in a way that allows users to engage with some entity like a business or part of a business. Design whole services from end to end: from when the user starts trying to achieve a goal to when they finish. From front to back: the user-facing service and internal processes. In every channel: digital: phone, post, face-to-face and physical elements. For example: A digital service could be created around the Student Information System (SITS), the application itself, the support service website with service level and user information, as well as supporting documentation available, all elements make up the overall digital service. |
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Digital Transformation |
Transformation |
The process of adoption and implementation of digital technology by an organisation in order to create new or modify existing products, services and operations by means of translating business proccesses into a digital format. |
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Discovery |
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An essential first step in the process for any service review, project start-up or CI squad, to serve as a foundation for all subsequent phases. It involves extensive research, gathering relevant information, and identifying necessary resources to achieve the desired outcome and to be able to start the delivery phase. |
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Epic |
Epic |
A large body of work that can be broken down into smaller parts. These are called features, user stories and tasks. This enables the development team to manage the work effectively. |
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User experience |
Service design by User experience i.e student experience, spanning multiple service streams or multiple portfolios. |
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Formation meeting |
Kick off meeting |
A dedicated meeting with key roles to ensure resources are mapped out, business change support, change management support and everything is in place to facilitate a smooth start for a CI Squad. |
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Information and Digital Committee |
IDC |
The most senior University strategic committee that oversees ‘digital’. Portfolio Committees report to IDC, and IDC reports to Council. It replaced IT Committee on 1 August 2023. |
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A Scrum Artifact that defines the complete and valuable work produced by the Developers during a Sprint. The sum of all Increments form a product. An Increment is a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal, a block of work and would be indicated on a product roadmap. |
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A framework that assesses the level of maturity of an organisations proccesses and practices. |
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Organisational Change |
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Organizational change refers to the process by which an organization alters its structure, strategies, operational methods, technologies, or organizational culture to adapt to internal and external factors |
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Delivery model |
Our internal product management and CI model explains how the process for building a product / platform works, from intake of user and business needs to testing and launch. It works with the Lean/Agile methodology which many of our technology teams are familiar with. Instead of a project plan, teams work in two week sprints to build, test and release new features to unlock value. |
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The Portfolio Lead is responsible for ensuring the strategic development of the services within their portfolio and that they meet the needs of the University. |
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The Portfolio Manager is responsible for ensuring the delivery of the digital services strategy within the Portfolio. |
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PO |
The person, from the business, responsible for defining the features of the product and prioritising the product backlog based on business value. The Product Owner may represent the needs of many stakeholders in the Product Backlog. |
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An initial small scale implementation of the new ways of working the main goal is to test the effectiveness of the new approach before rolling out on a larger scale. |
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Platforms provide the foundational services that software assets (products) run on. |
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Playbook |
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A comprehensive guide that outlines best practices, strategies and processes to follow for anyone wishing to adopt the new way of working. Essentially a manual. In our context the playbook forms part of the methodology of the overall delivery blueprint. |
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Portfolio |
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We have five portfolios Education, Research, Technology, Administration, and Engagement & Dissemination who report into IDC. These Portfolio Committees oversee all spend on the digital services within their remit and ensure they are continuously improved and adhere to core principles. |
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Portfolio Committee |
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A committee established to report to Information and Digital Committee and set a specific remit (e.g. Education Portfolio Committee). |
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Product |
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A product in digital service terms is something that meets a need or want and is offered to a customer or user. Additionally, a product can also refer to the result or outcome of a process or activity, such as delivering a physical University card, or booking an event in an Oxford location. |
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Product backlog item |
PBI |
This could be an Epic, Feature, User story or task which is managed by the Squad and referred to as a PBI for short. PBI's are used in backlog refinement and sprint planning. |
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Product Mindset |
Productisation |
A way of thinking that prioritises creating value for customers and stakeholders by focussing on outcomes rather than outputs. It involves understanding user needs, market trends, business objectives to continuously improve and innovate products. |
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RACI matrix |
A RACI matrix is a tool used to clarify roles and responsibilities for each deliverable within an organisational structure. The acronym RACI stands for Responsibility, Accountable, Consulted, Informed. |
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Roadmap |
Product Roadmap |
A strategic document that outlines the vision, direction, priorities and progress over time. It serves as a plan of action that aligns the organisation around short term and long term goals. Roadmaps are a key artifact used to align across portfolios to aid planning and resource management. |
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SM |
A role in Scrum that involves helping the team follow Scrum practices, removing impediments, and fostering an environment for high-performing team dynamics. They do this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice, both within the Scrum Team and the organisation. |
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SSM |
A role that encompasses all Scrum Master responsibilities plus responsibility for managing Resources, Budget and Risk. |
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Service Owner |
The Service Stream owner is the accountable person for a specific service stream of digital services who oversees and provides the escalation point. They oversee the strategy and service definition that the service provides and offers direction and business context on the shape and direction of the value the service to the product owners within the scrum teams. |
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Service Manager |
The Service Stream Manager is responsible for putting in place the right delivery team to meet the strategic needs, and monitors their effectiveness for the service stream. They provide the bridge between identifying needs and the actual development of delivery. They provide direction on the dependencies and risks between the different services within and beyond the service stream and are the delivery squads point of contact to give business direction and detailed business context. |
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Service Stream Lead |
Service Lead |
A Service Stream Owner may chose to delegate to a Service Lead where the Product, Platform or Service is large or complex. |
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Scrum Agile |
Agile |
An Agile framework for managing work with an emphasis on software development. It is designed for teams of ten or fewer members who break their work into actions that can be completed within time-boxed iterations, called sprints. |
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Scrum Events |
Agile Ceremonies |
Scrum Events were previously known as Scrum Ceremonies within Agile. Scrum events are; Daily Scrum, Sprint Planning, Sprint Retrospectives, Sprint Review, Backlog refinement. |
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Scrum Team |
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A small cross-functional group of individuals who work together using the Scrum framework to deliver valuable products. The Scrum Team consists of Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Developers. Scrum teams are self organising and self managing, meaning they have the autonomy to decide how to best to accomplish their work. |
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Scrum Values |
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A set of fundamental values and qualities underpinning the Scrum framework; commitment, focus, openness, respect and courage. https://www.scrum.org/resources/scrum-values-poster |
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Service Stream |
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A breakdown of a portfolio into smaller parts, by grouping together multiple digital services as well as associated products that contribute to it. For example, in Education there may be a Service Stream around ‘Teaching & Learning’, within that may be a digital service around Content Management, which in turn is supported by the products Canvas (Virtual Learning Environment) and ORLO (Social Media Management Platform). |
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Service Stream Design |
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Each portfolio produced a list of Portfolio Service Streams and then mapped all the digital services assigned to the portfolio to these service streams groups. |
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Service |
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An action or series of actions performed to meet a need or fulfil a demand. E.g. I want to pay my student fees. |
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Slalom Consulting |
Slalom |
The University's strategic partner regarding Product and Agile implementation. |
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Sprint |
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Sprint Backlog |
Backlog |
The Sprint Backlog is composed of the Sprint Goal (why), the set of Product Backlog items selected for |
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Sprint Goal |
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A short expression of the purpose of a Sprint, often a business problem that is addressed. Functionality might be adjusted during the Sprint in order to achieve the Sprint Goal. |
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Sprint Planning |
Planning |
The process of defining the work to be completed during the sprint. |
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Sprint Retrospective |
Retrospective |
A meeting held after the sprint review to discuss what went well, what could be improved, and how to make the next sprint more effective. The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness. |
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Sprint Review |
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The purpose of the Sprint Review is to inspect the outcome of the Sprint and determine future adaptations. The Scrum Team presents the results of their work to key stakeholders and progress toward the Product Goal is discussed. During the event, the Scrum Team and stakeholders review what was accomplished in the Sprint and what has changed in their environment. Based on this information, attendees collaborate on what to do next. The Product Backlog may also be adjusted to meet new opportunities. The Sprint Review is a working session and the Scrum Team should avoid limiting it to a presentation. The Sprint Review is the second to last event of the Sprint and is timeboxed to a maximum of four hours for a one-month Sprint. For shorter Sprints, the event is usually shorter. |
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Squad |
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A small, cross-functional, and self-organizing team that is responsible for delivering a specific product, platform or service. Each team typically includes members with different skills and expertise, such as developers, testers, support and designers, who work together to achieve a common goal. The delivery team will have a Scrum Master and Product/Platform Owner. Delivery Teams are designed to be autonomous and should make decisions independently, allowing them to move quickly and efficiently. |
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Stakeholder |
Product stakeholder |
An individual or group external to the Scrum Team with a specific interest in and knowledge of a product that is required for incremental discovery. Represented by the Product Owner and actively engaged with the Scrum Team at Sprint Review. |
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Sucess Criteria |
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A set of agreed criteria to benchmark success. |
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Technical Debt |
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The typically unpredictable overhead of maintaining the product, often caused by less than ideal design decisions, contributing to the total cost of ownership. May exist unintentionally in the Increment or introduced purposefully to realize value earlier. |
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Tools |
Toolset, Tool, Tooling |
Tools that can be used to help teams implement agile and product mindset methodologies, which break down complex items into smaller, more focused chunks. Tools can help with a variety of tasks, including: Planning, Visualisation - e.g. KANBAN or burndown charts. Collaboration, tracking and decision making. Some examples of tools typically used are: |
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UX |
Tracking and improving the experience an individual user has across the digital services they use. This is often ‘role-based’ as in looking at the experience an undergraduate has with all the systems they are asked to, or want to use, and how the interfaces, or moving between them can be made easier. This can be across multiple departments within the collegiate university and/ or multiple portfolios. |
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A structured way of sequencing the main stages in a large project. This will often have stages which then flow to the next stage (hence the term ‘waterfall’) such as Scoping (where all the requirements are scoped and agreed), then Development, then Testing, then go-live. This is often very appropriate for larger more risky projects or programmes in contrast to a more agile approach where the focus is more on identifying a few requirements, delivering them in a short period of time, then moving on to the next requirement. |
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Work in Progress |
WiP |
A piece of work in progress and not complete so subject to change from the current status. |
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Service Management |
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It involves the management of the end-to-end process of delivering services, ensuring they meet the needs and expectations of customers. This includes planning, designing, delivering, operating, and controlling services to ensure they are efficient, effective, and aligned with business objectives. |
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Technical team |
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Responsible for maintenance and running of an application or platform from an infrastructure point of view. |
