Scaling Scrum for Multiple Teams
One early misconception about Scrum is that it only works for small teams or startups. In reality, many large organizations—including Spotify, ING, and Salesforce—successfully apply Scrum across dozens of teams and complex products. Spotify, for example, scaled Scrum into its famous “Squads and Tribes” model, enabling autonomy while maintaining alignment. ING adopted Scrum across multiple business units, coordinating over 60 teams in a bank transformation project. Salesforce uses Scrum at scale to manage thousands of developers working on multiple cloud products simultaneously.
The key to success is scaling Scrum effectively: coordinating teams, aligning goals, and maintaining Agile principles without losing the flexibility that makes Scrum powerful. This article explains the main challenges of scaling Scrum and shares proven best practices that help organizations maintain productivity, reduce dependencies, and keep teams focused on delivering real value. If you want to understand how large enterprises make Scrum work beyond small teams, this guide is for you.
Challenges in Scaling Scrum
Scaling Scrum introduces complexity as multiple teams must collaborate toward a shared product vision. Common challenges include:
- Managing inter-team dependencies: For example, at Spotify, dependencies between squads required clear communication channels and synchronized planning across tribes.
- Maintaining consistent practices: Large organizations risk teams evolving divergent processes, reducing transparency.
- Aligning multiple Product Backlogs: Each team may have a backlog, but without coordination, priorities can conflict.
- Keeping Scrum events meaningful: Meetings like Sprint Planning or Retrospectives can become overwhelming if not scaled appropriately.
- Communication overhead: With dozens of teams, simple questions can become slow to resolve, delaying delivery.
Common Scaling Approaches
Several frameworks help organizations scale Scrum effectively:
- LeSS (Large-Scale Scrum): Focuses on minimal additional roles, emphasizes cross-team coordination, and uses a single product backlog for multiple teams.
- Nexus: Introduces a Nexus Integration Team to manage dependencies and integration between multiple Scrum Teams.
- SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework): Prescriptive framework with multiple layers of planning and roles to manage large enterprise initiatives.
These frameworks provide different tools and ceremonies to manage complexity, reduce risks, and maintain alignment across teams.
Best Practices
To scale Scrum successfully, follow these proven practices:
- Maintain cross-team transparency: Use shared dashboards, Confluence pages, or Jira boards to make progress visible. Spotify uses tribe-level meetings to align squads without micromanaging.
- Keep events meaningful: Scale Scrum ceremonies carefully. For example, Nexus suggests scaled Sprint Reviews and cross-team Retrospectives to avoid overwhelming participants.
- Coordinate Product Backlogs: Align priorities across multiple Product Owners. ING appointed a Chief Product Owner to ensure a unified vision across 60+ teams.
- Identify and manage dependencies early: Use dependency boards or integration teams to track blockers. Salesforce holds integration planning sessions to reduce delays.
- Foster a culture of collaboration: Encourage knowledge sharing, pair teams on complex features, and standardize practices where beneficial.
- Empower Scrum Masters: Each team should have a Scrum Master who coordinates with other Scrum Masters to address cross-team impediments.
Real-World Examples
- Spotify: Uses Squads, Tribes, Chapters, and Guilds to scale Agile while maintaining team autonomy. Dependencies are handled through clear tribe coordination and lightweight ceremonies.
- ING Bank: Scaled Scrum across business units during digital transformation. Multiple Product Owners coordinated through a Chief Product Owner to maintain a coherent vision.
- Salesforce: Hundreds of developers work on multiple cloud products. Scrum events and backlog alignment are carefully scaled to keep teams focused on delivering customer value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can multiple Product Owners exist in scaled Scrum?
Yes, each team may have its own Product Owner, but coordination is essential to maintain a unified product vision. Organizations often use a Chief Product Owner to align priorities across teams.
Which scaling framework is best?
There is no one-size-fits-all. LeSS is minimalistic, Nexus focuses on integration, and SAFe is prescriptive for large enterprises. Choose based on organizational size, complexity, and culture.
Do we need a Scrum Master for each team?
Yes, each Scrum Team should have its own Scrum Master to facilitate events, remove impediments, and support continuous improvement. In scaled setups, Scrum Masters coordinate across teams for cross-team challenges.
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