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Outsourcing & SCRUM application

Last post 04:06 pm September 6, 2017 by Yazmin Barajas
3 replies
M. GuiMO
02:12 pm May 18, 2017

Hi all! 

I am training for Scrum certification and there there is a question that keep bugging me. So, many companies outsource their software development some even to more than one agency, how SCRUM can be applied? It comes to mind that there are a few challenges like cross-functional teams but also, reality comes and the outsource agencies have more than one client so this close collaboration it is sometimes difficult.

So, how do you, Scrum experts, will apply SCRUM in a project where outsourcing is key and many of these agencies have many clients?

Thank you for your expertise, I mean for me it seems almost impossible to apply SCRUM but I'm sure there has to be a solution.

Ankit Agrawal
04:59 am May 19, 2017

I work for such a company where work is outsourced to us, how to apply Scrum depends on project to project. The base idea is to have a cross functional team requirement laid out to the outsource agency but have PO from your end who would know about the product and guide the team.

Scrum master may or may not be from your team, its better Scrum master is collocated with the Dev team. You can have an agreed time for regular sync up meetings over video calls with PO. After each standup meeting you may send a picture of your scrum board to PO.

And lastly, its 'Scrum' not 'SCRUM' :-)

Ian Mitchell
09:10 am May 19, 2017

It's the other way around. It's up to organizations to figure out how they can best implement Scrum. If they believe that it is best done through outsourcing, then so be it. If they believe that outsourcing would compromise the implementation of Scrum, such as by degrading collaboration, then they shouldn't do it.

The important thing is not to make precipitous decisions, such as a decision to outsource, which then lead to the hobbling of agile practice and Scrum being faked.

Yazmin Barajas
05:39 am September 6, 2017

I definitely agree to Ankit Agrawal and Ian Mitchell. Im in a company that provides outsourcing services, let's talk real here. About what Ankit said, applying Scrum will really depend on the project and it will also depend on the outsourcing company that will provide if they have a service like that. It is really best that both have understanding when Scrum is being applied,  it is best to be transparent with the agency so that they will know what they will do and what process will they make.





Regards,

Yazmin Barajas, Outsourcing Marketing

Offshore Business Processing BPO Companies Philippines

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