6 Agile Secrets to Solve Multiple Scrum Teams Working on The Same Product • Slash

Speedy project deliveries satisfy clients and bring more opportunities to agile development teams. Around 60% of IT experts believe that the agile approach is one of the best ways to ensure on-time project completion by multiple scrum teams working on the same product.

Many prominent organizations experienced a drastic change in their deliveries when they switched to the agile framework. For instance, LEGO adopted the agile approach in 2015, and their product teams were able to get rid of unproductive practices. As a result, they began achieving more results than ever.

Likewise, Cisco made teams agile, which increased the delivery process, and they could complete projects quickly. The National Bank of Canada and British Telecom are a few more names on the list who have been successful just by implementing the agile method.

The good news is that you can also follow the same steps to achieve your goals on time. So keep reading this article as we have revealed the secrets to a successful agile project.

Table of Contents

Secret # 1: Pick the Suitable Agile Method

When you take things agile, you can opt for different agile frameworks for project management. There are two essential and widely used methodologies – Scrum and Kanban.

Scrum Rules for Agile Project Management

Scrum is based on a well-defined duration called sprints. In this fixed-length time frame, scrum teams work on the project and ensure continuous improvement of the product. Scrum includes two backlogs. The first is called the “product backlog,” where a product owner prioritizes all the product’s vital features.

The second is termed the “sprint backlog,” which highlights the issues in a product. This backlog is a plan for developers to solve issues in a sprint before reaching the next sprint. Each sprint allows teams to resolve problems until the project is finalized.

Kanban Rules for Agile Project Management

On the other hand, Kanban lacks backlogs (most of the time) and is based on four elements (columns).

Stories: Problems or tasks which need to be solved or completed.

Columns: To differentiate tasks from other projects.

Work in Progress (WIP) Limits: Defining the team’s capacity to complete tasks within a specific limit.

Continuous Release: Working on stories within WIP limit boundaries, which can be released regardless of time.

In Kanban, all the tasks are scoped and transparent. When one chore is complete, teams move on to the next one immediately.

Secret # 2: Focus More on Iteration

Iteration is the next secret that allows multiple scrum teams working on the same product to complete the agile project. Iterations are repeated steps to improve the product until the teams achieve paradigmatic results. Moreover, it permits agile teams to identify risk factors in the project and quickly address them before they intensify. It is also a cost-effect way of gathering user experience and then shaping the product according to users’ demand.

Iterations have many other benefits for multiple scrum teams working on the same product, including:

Increased efficiency and team collaboration
Provision of transparency
Achievement of project goals

Secret # 3: Keep the Process Transparent

Transparency is the ability to do work so that every team member can see what tasks are in progress or performed. For example, a project manager can find transparency as a way to know the current status of the work. Likewise, transparency can help a developer to see the work in progress on a project management tool.

Transparency is one of the agile’s main pillars, allowing multiple scrum teams working on the same product to make brilliant and effective decisions.

Two Tried & Tested Ways to Achieve Transparency

The best example is the scrum board that permits teams to achieve transparency by seeing the following:

Stories/issues that need attention
Tasks in progress
Completed tasks

Scrum Meetings

Daily scrum meetings are another great way to create transparency. They are usually standup meetings conducted any time of the day and could be as long as 15 minutes. The scrum master ensures that daily scrum is a part of a regular day. While the person is also responsible for leading the meeting, developers can also conduct it by themselves.

Secret # 4: Proper Documentation

To have a successful agile project, you must document all the vital steps. While some people enjoy documentation, others may find it a necessary evil. However, there should be no compromise over this secret in both cases. But why should you invest your time and resources in agile documentation? Here are a few reasons:

Goal tracking
Ease the audit phase
To support the development process
Essential for internal and external communication
Helping stakeholders make fundamental business decisions

Rules for Agile Documentation

Don’t document unnecessary
It should be easily accessible to avoid time wastage
All agile team members should contribute to the documentation process
Keep it simple, uncomplicated, and precise so that it can be updated easily

What things to document?

The above section leads to the question of what multiple scrum teams working on the same product should document when using project management software. Well! Slash reveals this secret too!

Product vision and overview
Design decisions
Operation requirements (stories, prototypes, etc.)
Technical and business architecture

Secret # 5: Self-Organizing Teams

Scrum teams should be self-managing and cross-functional. That means the team members must possess skills to decide each person’s responsibility to ensure a productive sprint. Therefore, multiple scrum teams working on the same product should be self-organized to make the development process effective and efficient.

Self-organized teams can self-evaluate and figure out ways to make better products. Moreover, self-organized members enable them to focus on continuous experimentation, adjustment and improvement of the services. Although self-organized teams enjoy autonomy, project managers play an extensive role in directing members toward success.

Following are the ways to self-organize a team:

Training
Mentoring
Collaboration
Conflict management

One of the reasons why Slash builds superb solutions is because we work on continuous progress and learning of our development teams. Our developers create winning products through their prior experience, knowledge, and expertise. To ensure our workforce is exposed to the latest IT industry advancements, Slash conducts weekly sessions and town hall meetings. These meetups boost our teams’ skills, confidence and collaboration, and prepare them to overcome any challenge.

Secret # 6: Goal-Focused Teams with Performance Adaptation

Last but not the least, multiple scrum teams working on the same product should be goal-focused. Each member should play their part to achieve collective results successfully. Teams should continuously pay attention to high-priority tasks and avoid taking unnecessary actions. Furthermore, agile teams should welcome change in the work environment. They should adapt and adjust their behavior to the modifications in project strategies and work accordingly to attain targets.

Conclusion

The agile methodology is a great way to make your multiple scrum teams working on the same product deliver projects faster without compromising on quality. However, you should choose the correct type of agile framework, focus on iteration, and ensure transparency. At the same time, it is essential to promote the documentation culture. And encourage your teams to become self-organized, goal-driven, and open to change.