Description: Scrum of Scrums is a technique designed to scale the Scrum framework, allowing effective coordination among multiple Scrum teams working on the same project or interrelated projects. This approach is based on the premise that as a project grows and becomes more complex, communication and collaboration among teams become crucial for success. In a Scrum of Scrums, a representative from each Scrum team, known as the ‘delegate’ or ‘representative,’ meets regularly with other representatives to discuss progress, impediments, and dependencies between teams. This meeting allows teams to maintain alignment on their goals and ensure that any obstacles affecting multiple teams are addressed promptly. Meetings are typically brief and focus on synchronizing efforts, helping to maintain agility and flexibility in the Scrum process at scale. Essentially, Scrum of Scrums seeks to replicate Scrum principles in a broader context, ensuring that collaboration and communication are not compromised as the number of teams increases.
History: The concept of Scrum of Scrums was introduced by Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber, the co-creators of Scrum, as the framework evolved to address larger and more complex projects. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, as more organizations adopted Scrum, the need arose to coordinate multiple teams working on the same product. This led to the development of this technique, which was formalized in Scrum literature and has been widely used in agile environments since then.
Uses: Scrum of Scrums is primarily used in organizations managing large and complex projects that require collaboration among multiple Scrum teams. It is common in software development, where different teams may be working on different components of the same system or product. It is also applied in various industries where continuous integration and continuous delivery are essential, allowing teams to maintain alignment and resolve dependencies efficiently.
Examples: An example of Scrum of Scrums can be seen in large technology companies like Spotify, where multiple Scrum teams work on different aspects of their streaming platform. Each team has its own Scrum, but they meet in a Scrum of Scrums to coordinate efforts and resolve issues affecting multiple teams. Another example is in large-scale software development projects, where development, design, and testing teams must closely collaborate to meet project deadlines and objectives.
