Coordination in multi-team programmes: An investigation of the group mode in large-scale agile software development

Abstract

Coordination of work teams is critical when managing large programmes that involve multiple teams. Prior studies of knowledge work indicate that such work relies heavily on coordination through "personal" modes such as mutual adjustment between individuals or through scheduled or unscheduled meetings. We studied how coordination through scheduled and unscheduled meetings change over time in two large software development programmes. Findings include transitions from scheduled to unscheduled meetings and from unscheduled to scheduled meetings. The main implication is that programme management needs to be sensitive to the vital importance of coordination as well as the coordination needs as they change over time.