Colocation is when team members are in the same physical location so in-person interaction and collaboration can take place. While the Scrum Guide does not specify that teams must be co-located, one of the principles of the Agile Manifesto states “The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.”
Colocation improves the speed and quality of a team’s communications. It allows team members to overhear conversations, giving them a chance to contribute when it would be helpful, or just be aware of what is happening. Colocated teams often have shared wall/white board space. They can use the space to maintain their Story Maps, Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog and other artifacts.
Co-location Transition, Tips and Concerns
Resource Links:
- What are the benefits of team collocation, really?
- The Impact of Collocation on the Effectiveness of Agile is Development Teams
- The Effects of Teams’ Co-location on Project Performance
Mark Levison has been helping Scrum teams and organizations with Agile, Scrum and Kanban style approaches since 2001. From certified scrum master training to custom Agile courses, he has helped well over 8,000 individuals, earning him respect and top rated reviews as one of the pioneers within the industry, as well as a raft of certifications from the ScrumAlliance. Mark has been a speaker at various Agile Conferences for more than 20 years, and is a published Scrum author with eBooks as well as articles on InfoQ.com, ScrumAlliance.org an AgileAlliance.org.
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