Scaling Agile with Scrum of Scrums: An In-depth Exploration

Large-scale projects in Agile project management require a collaborative approach beyond individual Scrum teams. The Scrum of Scrums framework enables coordination and communication among multiple Agile teams working towards a shared objective. This blog explores the agenda and purpose of Scrum of Scrums, emphasizing its role in scaling Agile practices effectively and ensuring successful project delivery for organizations.

What is Scrum of Scrums (SoS)?

The scrum is a vital component of the agile methodology, involving a brief daily face-to-face meeting lasting approximately 15 minutes. In this meeting, the agile team, typically consisting of five to ten members, discusses the current work progress, ongoing tasks, estimated timeframes, and potential obstacles.

On the other hand, a scrum of scrums brings together multiple scrum teams by appointing one or two representatives from each team. These representatives participate in the scrum of scrums meetings, hence the name. Unlike regular scrum meetings, scrum of scrums gatherings do not necessarily occur daily; meeting twice a week is generally sufficient in most cases.

Purpose of SoS Meeting

The Scrum of Scrums serves the purpose of enhancing team productivity, collaboration, and coordination in cases where multiple teams are involved. It is a cross-team synchronization method utilized during the daily stand-up meeting. Additionally, the Scrum of Scrums facilitates problem-solving and decision-making by providing a platform to discuss and address issues that may arise, such as challenges related to product ownership or work prioritization.

The Scrum of Scrums agenda typically revolves around three key questions:

1. What was accomplished yesterday?
2. What will be done today?
3. Are there any obstacles or impediments hindering progress?

By addressing these questions, teams can maintain a smooth workflow and ensure that overall deliverables stay on track.

Why do we need SoS??

A Scrum of Scrums is a meeting with representatives from multiple Scrum teams to coordinate their work and ensure alignment. It is beneficial in larger organizations where multiple teams work on different project aspects. The SoS ensures reduced duplication of efforts, enhanced collaboration, and improved project productivity.

During a Scrum of Scrums, participants, typically Scrum Masters or team representatives, discuss progress updates, address any obstacles or impediments that affect multiple teams, allocate resources effectively, and identify and mitigate risks. The meeting provides a platform for cross-team communication, helps identify dependencies, and facilitates decision-making that impacts the project as a whole.

A designated Scrum of Scrums Master or facilitator leads the meeting, ensuring effective communication and guiding teams in collaborative problem-solving.

Goals of SoS

The primary goals of a Scrum of Scrums include:

1. Coordinate output: The Scrum of Scrums aims to ensure that all teams involved in a project are aligned and coordinated in their work. It facilitates integrating multiple teams' work into a cohesive and unified entity.
2. Eliminate bottlenecks: By identifying and addressing any obstacles or roadblocks faced by individual teams, the Scrum of Scrums helps eliminate bottlenecks that may hinder progress across teams.
3. Foster integration: The Scrum of Scrums promotes the integration of different teams' productions by facilitating communication, collaboration, and problem-solving among team representatives.

During the Scrum of Scrums meeting, each team representative addresses key questions to contribute to the initiative's overall success. These questions include:

• Accomplishments: What has your team achieved since the last meeting?
• Roadblocks: Were there any obstacles that impeded your team's progress?
• Planned tasks: What tasks does your team plan to accomplish before the next meeting?
• Interference: What potential output from your team's future sprints may interfere with the work of other teams?
• Cross-team obstacles: Have you encountered any challenges stemming from other teams?

By addressing these questions, the Scrum of Scrums participants fosters a sense of coordination, cooperation, and cross-team synchronization, ultimately contributing to the project's overall success.

Benefits of SoS?

The benefits of a Scrum of Scrums can be summarized as follows:

1. Scalability for large companies: Scrum of Scrums enables the practical application of the Scrum methodology in large organizations with multiple teams. It provides a framework to coordinate and manage the work of numerous teams.
2. Streamlined collaboration: By bringing together representatives from different teams, the Scrum of Scrums fosters collaboration and enhances team communication. It promotes shared understanding, knowledge sharing, and collective problem-solving.
3. Information sharing and alignment: With each team being represented in the Scrum of Scrum, it ensures that all teams stay informed about progress, challenges, and upcoming tasks. This shared information helps align efforts and avoids misunderstandings or duplication of work.
4. Issue resolution and problem-solving: The Scrum of Scrums provides a dedicated forum for teams to discuss issues, difficulties, and impediments that affect multiple teams. This enables efficient problem-solving and identifying solutions that benefit the project as a whole.
5. Consensus building: Through open discussions and collaboration, the Scrum of Scrums helps in reaching consensus among teams on decisions, priorities, and strategies. It ensures that different teams are aligned and working towards common project goals.
6. Adaptability to unexpected developments: The Scrum of Scrums provides a mechanism to address new, unforeseen consequences that may impact multiple teams or departments. It facilitates quick adaptation and decision-making in response to changing circumstances.
7. Team focus and accountability: By reinforcing each team's role and keeping them on track, the Scrum of Scrums prevents teams from deviating into other teams' areas of responsibility. It maintains focus, accountability, and clarity in team objectives.

SoS in large organizations

A Scrum of Scrums framework can be effective in larger organizations when conducted appropriately. It focuses on coordinating multiple teams and resolving impediments rather than serving as a status report for management. The primary goal is to ensure that individual teams achieve their sprint goals and collectively meet the overall project objective