Scaling Scrum

A single Scrum team works well for small products. Large products often need multiple teams working together, which creates new coordination challenges. Scaling frameworks help organizations manage this complexity.

Why Scaling Becomes Necessary

A single Scrum team usually contains around five to nine members. A large product, such as a banking app used by millions of people, needs far more people than one team can hold. Splitting the work across several teams introduces a need for extra coordination.

Scrum of Scrums

Scrum of Scrums connects multiple Scrum teams through a representative from each team. These representatives meet regularly to discuss progress, dependencies, and blockers that affect more than one team.

Team A ---\
Team B ----> Scrum of Scrums meeting ----> Shared updates
Team C ---/

Common Scaling Frameworks

SAFe

The Scaled Agile Framework, known as SAFe, organizes multiple teams into larger structures called Agile Release Trains. Each train aligns several teams around a shared schedule and goal.

LeSS

Large Scale Scrum, known as LeSS, keeps the original Scrum rules mostly intact while adding light coordination for multiple teams working on one shared product backlog.

Nexus

Nexus adds a small integration team that focuses on combining the work from multiple Scrum teams into a single working increment.

Layman's Example

Think of building a large stadium. Several construction crews work on different sections, such as seating, plumbing, and lighting, at the same time. A site coordinator meets with crew leaders regularly to make sure the sections fit together correctly. This coordinator role resembles a Scrum of Scrums representative.

Choosing a Scaling Approach

Organizations select a scaling framework based on the number of teams involved and how much structure they need. A company with three or four teams might manage with a simple Scrum of Scrums. A company with dozens of teams across many departments often needs a fuller framework like SAFe.

Key Takeaway

Scaling Scrum addresses the coordination needs of large products built by multiple teams. Different frameworks offer different levels of structure depending on the size of the organization.