Scrum is perhaps the most widely used framework that teams used for agility. However, since it is designed for a single team, it becomes challenging to scale it to organization-wide product development efforts that involve multiple teams working on the same or interconnected suite of products. We have already started discussing What Is Nexus and we will continue the deep dive in this article as well.
To manage both product development and bring forth collaboration between multiple teams, Scrum is not enough. It requires a different framework that can scale Scrum. These scaling requirements are where organizations use the Nexus Framework.
This article explains the various roles, responsibilities, events, and other aspects of the Nexus Framework. It discusses the framework in detail, continuing from the previous article where we introduced it.
Table of Contents
What is Nexus Framework? A Re-Introduction
Nexus is a Scrum scaling framework. Therefore, it enhances the existing Scrum elements and scales them to multiple teams. You can apply it to three to nine Scrum teams that work on a single product or service.
The framework aims to establish collaboration among different teams and helps them to deliver a single integrated product. In addition, it solves the various issues, challenges, and dependencies that cross-functional teams face during product development.
The Nexus Framework has three aspects: accountabilities, events, and artifacts.
Accountabilities
Nexus includes Scrum’s three roles or accountabilities: Product Owner, Scrum Master, and the Developers. It also contains additional accountability: The Nexus Integration Team.
Product Owner
The Nexus team has a single product owner for the entire group of Scrum teams. Their primary role is to manage the Product Backlog and ensure the quality of the integrated work. If there are many teams, they can delegate some of their work to product or project managers.
Scrum Master
The Nexus team has only one Scrum Master. Their primary responsibility is to help the Scrum teams understand and implement the Nexus framework. But, there can be separate Scrum Masters for the individual Scrum teams. Also, the Nexus team’s Scrum Master can hold the position for one or more Scrum teams.
The Nexus Integration Team
As the name suggests, this team helps the Scrum teams to integrate their work. The members often include Scrum team members but change over the course of the project according to the current needs.
The Nexus team’s primary responsibility is to help the teams deliver the product’s integrated increment at least once a sprint. The team addresses both technical and non-technical issues arising during the integration. In addition, it provides the necessary training, guidance, practices, and tools for the Scrum teams to improve their performance and produce valuable increments.
Events
Nexus extends the existing Scrum events and the Sprint. The teams work to produce a single integrated increment. In the case of the events, not all members always need to attend them. Only the members who have some necessary information to share or be a part of the discussion can participate.
Cross-Team Refinement
Cross-Team Refinement is an ongoing event throughout product development. It refines the Product Backlog to reduce or eliminate the cross-team dependencies during integrations. It identifies the dependencies across the teams and assigns the backlog items to the teams. Its frequency, duration, and attending members depend on the project.
Nexus Sprint Planning
Each team has a representative for the planning meeting for the Nexus Sprint Planning. Along with the product owner, they plan the activities for all the Nexus Scrum teams for the upcoming Sprint. The objectives of Nexus Sprint Planning are:
- Ensure its goal aligns with the main product goal.
- Align the individual Scrum Teams’ sprint goals with the Nexus sprint’s goal.
- Create a single Nexus Sprint Backlog for the work.
- Create sprint backlogs for all Scrum teams.
- Maintain transparency with the work and cross-team dependencies.
Nexus Daily Scrum
The individual Scrum Teams’ Daily Scrums complement the Nexus Daily Scrum. In this meeting, representatives from each team get together to identify any integration issues and cross-team dependencies in the integrated increment.
Nexus Sprint Review
Nexus Sprint Reviews is similar to Scrum Sprint Reviews and replaces it. At the end of each Sprint, it is held to get feedback from the stakeholders on the integrated product increment. Like the Sprint Review in Scrum, the Nexus members present their work to the stakeholders and discuss the future adaptations. The product backlog is then adjusted accordingly.
Nexus Sprint Retrospective
Nexus Sprint Retrospective replaces Scrum Sprint Retrospective, but the purpose remains the same. All the teams within the Nexus attend this event at the end of each Sprint to discuss it. Aspects like the completed tasks, dependencies, processes, collaboration, and tools, are discussed. This event is the end of that particular Sprint.
Artifacts
Nexus artifacts are the work or value that ensure transparency throughout product development. There are mainly three artifacts: Product Backlog, Nexus Sprint Backlog, and Integrated Increment.
Product Backlog
There is only one Product Backlog, and it is maintained throughout the product development process. It is a gigantic list of all the work to be completed. It can have tasks, user stories, use cases, product features, epics, and other product requirements. It is frequently refined to reduce or remove any dependencies. The Product Owner manages and is responsible for it.
Nexus Sprint Backlog
A Nexus Sprint Backlog is the list of tasks or works to be completed during the Sprint. It aligns with the Nexus Sprint Goal and includes items from the Product Backlog. In addition, it contains items from all the individual sprint backlogs of the Scrum teams and helps the teams to view and identify any dependencies.
Integrated Increment
Integrated Increment is the current integrated work done by the entire Nexus. It is the iterative version of the integrated product that is valuable and usable. The Nexus Team addresses all the dependencies and integration challenges to ensure it meets the Definition of Done. It is inspected during Nexus Sprint Review and presented to the stakeholders for their feedback.
Conclusion
Nexus helps adopt Scrum by multiple teams when they work collectively on a single product. It extends Scrum methodology and is designed to reduce or eliminate the integration challenges and cross-team dependencies. In addition, understanding the entire Nexus Framework helps clear any confusion a Scrum team member has about the various roles and responsibilities.
