We are growing rapidly and now have 40+ people working on one platform. Our inter-team dependencies are causing huge delays. Should we look into Nexus, Scrum at Scale, or SAFe? I’m specifically worried about how to handle the integration of code from five different teams without a "testing sprint."
3 answers
If you want to stay true to Scrum, start with the Nexus framework. it's designed specifically for 3-9 teams working on a single Product Backlog. The key is the Nexus Integration Team, which focuses on the "Done" increment across all teams. You must move away from the idea of a "testing sprint" and move toward Automated Continuous Integration (CI/CD). If all five teams aren't merging their code into a single branch daily, your "integration" will become a nightmare. Nexus adds a "Cross-Team Refinement" event which is crucial for identifying dependencies weeks before the work actually hits a Sprint.
Heather, Nexus sounds good for the technical side, but what about the Product Ownership? Can one Product Owner really manage a backlog for five teams? It seems like a massive bottleneck for decision-making and requirements clarification during the Sprint.
Regardless of the framework, you need "Scrum of Scrums." It’s a simple way for representatives from each team to meet three times a week and specifically discuss blockers that cross team boundaries.
I agree, Angela. Scrum of Scrums is the most lightweight way to start scaling. It often solves 80% of the dependency issues without needing a full framework overhaul.
Charles, in large-scale environments, the PO needs a "Product Management" layer. While there is still only one "Accountable" PO for the vision, they often have "Product Owners" at the team level who handle the granular details. The key is ensuring they are all aligned on the same Product Goal. Without that alignment, the teams will pull the product in five different directions, creating a fragmented user experience.