Re: Agile working with offsite teams

["John Posada" <jposada99 -at- gmail -dot- com>]

> knowledge of SCRUM is so far entirely theoretical, I'm hoping to be able
> to use the experience of this list as a guide; can anyone offer any
> suggestions, warnings, or similar experiences from which I might learn?

I've done an extensive amount of work here at EMC on projects that
were composed of teams from around the world.

Without specific questions, I cannot offer specific answers, but I can
list issues that have an impact on how well things go.

- Depending on where the teams are, you have the time difference
issue. Finding a time slot to have a status meeting can be a
challenge..you may have to dial into meetings at 5am or 6am. Picture
one product with people in NY, Mass, Chicago, and CA, Cork Ireland,
two different Indian locations (different time zones), and two in
China...now, schedule a weekly status meeting.

- Since you are working with residents of different countries, you
have the differences in holidays...for example, India doesn't care
about the 4th of July and if you are in the US, you probably don't
care about Ganesh Chaturthi. You may have to wait until they come back
from their holiday.

- Regardless of what you may think is a universal right, not eveyone
has access to broadband everywhere.  You send a 3mb file for review
and it takes someone in another country 45 minutes to download it.

- Different nationalities handle conflict differently. You may not
know that members of another nationality are having a problem until
it's too late.

- Conference calls are always an adventure. Wanna be amused? Listen to
the conversation between two developers, both in their native country,
each of whom speaks a different language and both speak English
poorly, trying to converse with each other.

I've also done several initiatives in Agile with scrums, and this
brings a whole 'nother set of issues.

-- 
John Posada
Senior Technical Writer
NYMetro STC President

'Half this game is ninety percent mental.'
     -- Danny Ozark, Philadelphia Phillies manager
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