Pattern two: Common Stage
Summary
In a large unit with many Teams a tight coupling of joint teams events, becomes a restrictive corset. Here the collection of tactical cycle of "replacements" offers the teams flexibility. A tactical cycle is called "Stage". A Stage consists of multiple Sprints.
Stage enable to evaluate requirements and planning in a tactical level. Synchronization between teams takes place at the beginning or end of a stage. Decisions within a stage are delegated to the individual teams. Stages provide clearance for the individual teams, which they embellish in the sprints.
Consequences of this coupling:
- Introduction a tactical cycle: the stage. This consists of several sprints. All teams have a common clock or rhythm.
- Definition of requirements at the tactical and operational level. Tactical requirements are planned and checked in stages. Operational requirements are planned and checked in sprints.
- Next to the Product Owner is a Team Product Owner, who is responsible for the operational requirements of his teams.
- Stages contains a joint tactical planning (Stage Planning) and tactical retrospectives (Stage Retrospective) E.g. each 4th or 8th sprint. The operational planning, performed and checked by the Teams take place during the stage.
- Responsibility for implementing a Stage is delegated to the teams, who implement 4 - 8 sprints autonomously in a Stage.
Description
References
The pattern Two is also describbed by the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). Information about Safe can be found here:
- On this Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) website: http://qr.wibas.com/safe
- In the D. Leffingwell book: "Agile Software Requirements: Lean Requirements Practices for Teams, Programs, and the Enterprise", Addison-Wesley, 2011
Contains
- Common Events
- The Stage as a tactical cycle is for mid-term coordination. It contains a number of Sprints (E.g. six Sprints). This giv…
- Unit artifacts
- The artifacts of a unit serve the tactical coordination of teams. Organization in a Digital Age uses three artifacts at…
- Einheits Rollen
- Units which develop a common product, have a Product Owner and a very experienced Master Agility (Unit Agility Master) w…