In the case of a Distributed Scrum setup where your development locations are within close proximity, it is recommended that your distributed Scrum team is occasionally collocated. Though, it comes with the risk that team members misleadingly perceive their distributed team as a collocated team with occasional remote work by certain team members. In this context, YMC AG could gather some helpful Lessons Learned.

1. Colocation in Distributed Scrum Teams
Lessons Learned
Picturebydhaun,licensedundertheCCBY2.0

2. About me
Agilist for 5+ years in the roles of developer and Agile/Scrum Master
Senior Software Engineer / Agile Evangelist
@ YMC AG Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
Fabian Kiss
Twitter: @head_revision

3. Definitions
Distributed Scrum
Scrum Teams in different locations
distributed Scrum Team
distributed team members
Distributed Scrum Team
distributed Scrum Team
or
team per location
or
mix of both

4. Types of Distributed Scrum
by Jeff Sutherland et al., Distributed Scrum: Agile Project Management with Outsourced Development Teams, 2006

5. Levels of distribution
by Elizabeth Woodward, Steffan Surdek, Matthew Ganis, Distributed Scrum: Agile Project Management with Outsourced Development
Teams, IBM Press, 2010

6. Colocation
In general: as much colocation as possible
« The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a
development team is face-to-face conversation. »
6th
principle from the Agile Manifesto

7. Colocation
Recommendation: occasional colocation in Distributed Scrum
Danger:
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8. What?

9. Colocation
Recommendation: occasional colocation in Distributed Scrum
Danger: of distributed Scrum Team
(= of team members who are distributed otherwise)
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10. Why?

11. Scrum setup
originally: “classic” Scrum
1 location
3 Scrum Teams
Distributed Scrum
2 locations (on-site / off-site)
3 distributed Scrum Teams
transformation
PicturebySamHowzit,licensedundertheCCBY2.0

12. Types of Distributed Scrum
by Jeff Sutherland et al., Distributed Scrum: Agile Project Management with Outsourced Development Teams, 2006

13. Levels of distribution
by Elizabeth Woodward, Steffan Surdek, Matthew Ganis, Distributed Scrum: Agile Project Management with Outsourced Development
Teams, IBM Press, 2010

14. Scrum setup
Characteristics
Disparity: Product Owner / Project stakeholders on-site
Small distance: Metropolitan area of Zürich
PicturebyPeriColeman,licensedaspublicdomain

15. Best Practices
Best Practice: on-site colocation of all team members for important Scrum Events
Sprint Planning, Review, Retro

16. more Best Practices?

17. Best Practices
Problem: vast part of Distributed Scrum references implicates certain motives

18. Best Practices
Neglected: Distributed Scrum within regional boundaries

19. more Best Practices?
Discover them by your own!

20. Observations
occasional colocation new challenge: different (self-)perception
Distributed Scrum
vs.
“Remote Scrum”

21. Distributed Scrum vs. Remote Scrum
Distributed Scrum Remote Scrum
a distributed team with occasional
colocation of all team members
a colocated team with occasional remote
work by certain team members
possibly caused by...
fewer “colocated days” than “distributed
days”
regularity of colocated days

22. Distributed Scrum vs. Remote Scrum
Due to perception “Remote Scrum”: recurring impediments, identified after several Sprints

23. Impediment #1
off-site
location only
“exists”
during remote
work
Remote Scrum Distributed Scrum

24. Impediment #2
off-site
location is not
likewise
equipped
Remote Scrum Distributed Scrum

25. Impediment #3
only
face-to-face
communication
Remote Scrum Distributed Scrum

26. Lessons Learned
prevent perception “Remote Scrum”
by
establishing a team+organization-wide awareness of Distributed Scrum from scratch

27. Lessons Learned
refer to Distributed Scrum (instead of only Scrum)
whenever possible
avoid the term “remote”

28. Lessons Learned
do not successively add isolated practices for remote
work to your classic Scrum
example:VC tool for face-to-face communication
vs.VC tool for team communication

29. Lessons Learned
consider to abandon colocation at the beginning to make
the change to Distributed Scrum more noticeable

30. « At scale, all agile development is distributed development. »
Dean Leffingwell in Scaling Software Agility: Best Practices for Large Enterprises