https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/scaling/ Recent content in Scaling on Engineering Leadership in AI & Software Hugo en Tue, 16 Jun 2026 17:40:35 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/should-you-use-one-project-to-rule-them-all-in-azure-devops/ Mon, 25 Aug 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/should-you-use-one-project-to-rule-them-all-in-azure-devops/ Using a single Azure DevOps project for all teams and products reduces fragmentation, improves visibility, and streamlines governance compared to managing multiple projects or organisations. Key benefits include unified reporting, easier collaboration, and lower administrative overhead, while Area Paths and Teams provide the necessary structure and security within one project. Development managers should consolidate into one project where possible, using Area Paths and Teams to model structure and scale, to optimise flow and delivery. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-sustainable-scaling-overcoming-product-development-challenges-with-naked-agility/ Fri, 28 Feb 2025 06:00:27 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-sustainable-scaling-overcoming-product-development-challenges-with-naked-agility/ Scaling product development is complex and requires more than just adding people; it demands clear priorities, strong leadership, and systems designed for growth. Naked Agility helps organisations address common scaling challenges like alignment, technical debt, and slow feedback by eliminating bottlenecks, using data-driven decisions, and tailoring strategies to each team’s needs. To scale effectively without sacrificing speed or quality, focus on building a culture and systems that support sustainable growth. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/are-there-any-scrum-courses-that-teach-you-how-to-scale-scrum/ Wed, 18 Oct 2023 07:00:23 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/are-there-any-scrum-courses-that-teach-you-how-to-scale-scrum/ There is no single course that teaches you exactly how to scale Scrum, but courses like Scaled Professional Scrum from Scrum.org provide tools and techniques to help you build a scaling framework tailored to your organization. Key to success are starting small, focusing on dependency management and alignment, and iterating based on feedback. Development managers should invest in team education, select relevant practices, and foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement to scale Scrum effectively. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/big-scrum-all-you-need-and-not-enough/ Wed, 01 Jul 2015 16:33:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/big-scrum-all-you-need-and-not-enough/ Scaling Scrum requires truly professional teams who embody agile values and strong engineering practices, not just following processes superficially. Off-the-shelf frameworks do not fit every organization, so adapting Scrum to your unique context is essential. Focus on building skilled teams, fostering effective communication, and adopting only the practices that support your specific scaling needs. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/scaling-professional-scrum-with-visual-studio-team-services/ Wed, 06 Jul 2016 12:30:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/scaling-professional-scrum-with-visual-studio-team-services/ Visual Studio Team Services helps reduce friction and risks when scaling Scrum across multiple teams by providing robust automation and support for organizing work within a Nexus framework. Workshops and webcasts demonstrated how VSTS can be set up to manage many teams effectively, making it a strong choice for enterprise-scale Scrum. Development managers should consider VSTS when coordinating large, distributed Scrum teams to streamline processes and improve visibility. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-the-art-of-scaling-scrum-insights-from-the-scaled-professional-scrum-course/ Tue, 23 Aug 2022 16:53:08 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-the-art-of-scaling-scrum-insights-from-the-scaled-professional-scrum-course/ The Scaled Professional Scrum course helps teams address common challenges in scaling Scrum, such as managing cross-team dependencies, maintaining self-management, and ensuring transparency. Through hands-on, interactive sessions, participants gain practical techniques and tools to structure and manage large agile projects effectively. Development managers looking to scale Scrum without unnecessary overhead should consider this course to equip their teams with proven practices and ongoing support. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-your-own-path-to-organisational-agility/ Thu, 11 Jan 2018 13:28:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-your-own-path-to-organisational-agility/ A one-size-fits-all agile framework rarely works because every organisation’s path to agility is unique; instead, you should define a clear vision, form a cross-functional change team, and use an incremental, evidence-based approach to improvement. Broad, consistent training across all levels ensures everyone understands and supports the change, while involving stakeholders in identifying and prioritising impediments helps create a relevant organisational change backlog. To succeed, secure executive buy-in, empower teams to drive change, and focus on continuous, measurable improvements tailored to your context. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/when-you-scale-scrum-the-challenge-isn-t-just-delivery-it-coherence/ Tue, 27 May 2025 15:30:33 +0100 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/when-you-scale-scrum-the-challenge-isn-t-just-delivery-it-coherence/ When scaling Scrum, the main challenge is maintaining coherence across teams, not just delivering work. Without coordination, teams create inconsistent user experiences and duplicate efforts. To address this, form a cross-team Community of Practice to develop shared frameworks and include them in your Definition of Done, promoting collaboration and consistency without adding hierarchy. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/why-more-teams-won't-speed-up-delivery-the-truth-about-scaling-effectively/ Fri, 21 Feb 2025 07:59:43 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/why-more-teams-won't-speed-up-delivery-the-truth-about-scaling-effectively/ Adding more teams does not automatically speed up software delivery; it often creates more dependencies, coordination overhead, and technical debt, which can slow progress. Effective scaling focuses on reducing friction, structuring teams to minimize dependencies, and prioritizing quality over quantity. Development managers should ensure teams are set up to work independently and efficiently rather than simply increasing headcount. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/guides/nexus-guide/ Tue, 17 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/guides/nexus-guide/ Explains the Nexus framework for scaling Scrum with multiple teams, detailing roles, events, and artefacts to coordinate product delivery and manage cross-team dependencies. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-the-art-of-scaling-agile-strategies-to-maintain-agility-across-multiple-teams/ Wed, 26 Feb 2025 06:00:08 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-the-art-of-scaling-agile-strategies-to-maintain-agility-across-multiple-teams/ Scaling agile across multiple teams introduces complexity and risks slowing down delivery, so it is crucial to choose a scaling approach that fits your organisation’s unique context. Key to success are mapping dependencies, proactively addressing communication pitfalls, and maintaining speed in delivering value as you grow. Consider a tailored, hands-on strategy to preserve agility and empower your teams as you scale. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/unlocking-sustainable-growth-why-leadership-is-the-key-to-successful-scaling/ Mon, 24 Feb 2025 10:12:43 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/unlocking-sustainable-growth-why-leadership-is-the-key-to-successful-scaling/ Successful scaling in software development depends more on effective leadership than on technical solutions. Empowering teams, removing bottlenecks, and decentralising decision-making are key to sustainable growth. Development managers should focus on shaping leadership behaviours to create an environment where teams can scale effectively. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/overview-of-the-'scaling-with-portfolio-kanban'-course/ Thu, 22 Feb 2024 07:00:26 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/overview-of-the-'scaling-with-portfolio-kanban'-course/ The “Scaling Portfolio Kanban” course helps development leaders move from team-level to organization-wide workflow management, enabling better visibility, predictability, and value delivery across multiple teams. Key outcomes include improved forecasting, data-driven decision-making, and optimized flow of high-value projects. If your current workflow lacks predictability or efficiency, consider applying these Kanban strategies to drive measurable improvement. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-the-art-of-scaling-product-development-why-adding-more-developers-isn't-the-answer/ Tue, 18 Feb 2025 07:08:05 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-the-art-of-scaling-product-development-why-adding-more-developers-isn't-the-answer/ Adding more developers does not solve scaling challenges in product development; without fixing underlying system issues, it can actually slow progress. Key problems include lack of alignment, unmanaged technical debt, and slow feedback loops, which all hinder effective scaling. Focus on clarifying priorities, reducing process bottlenecks, and enabling fast, coordinated team movement before increasing headcount. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/scaling-smart-how-to-build-sustainable-growth-without-the-chaos/ Wed, 19 Feb 2025 07:25:02 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/scaling-smart-how-to-build-sustainable-growth-without-the-chaos/ Scaling should focus on building sustainable value, not just growing quickly, and simply adopting frameworks without addressing underlying issues will only make problems worse. Effective scaling requires understanding constraints, simplifying processes, and ensuring teams are aligned to deliver value. Before scaling, assess whether your approach will truly improve outcomes and use agile methods to enable smarter, not just faster, growth. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/scaling/ Wed, 09 Apr 2025 13:53:11 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/scaling/ Scaling refers to the capacity of an organisation to effectively coordinate multiple teams in the delivery of complex products while maintaining agility. This concept originates from the need to align efforts, optimise workflow, and enhance value delivery across the enterprise. It is particularly important in the contexts of agile methodologies and DevOps, as it allows organisations to respond swiftly to market changes without compromising on quality or speed. By implementing lean principles and adaptive product structures, scaling promotes a cohesive approach to product development, enabling teams to operate autonomously while remaining aligned with broader business objectives. This alignment is crucial for maximising efficiency and minimising waste, thereby leveraging the organisation’s collective capabilities. Furthermore, scaling fosters a culture of continuous improvement, where feedback loops and collaboration are integral to the development process. By prioritising these aspects, organisations can achieve sustainable growth and deliver value consistently, enhancing their competitive advantage in a rapidly changing environment. Ultimately, scaling is not just about increasing size but about establishing a robust framework that supports innovation and responsiveness throughout the organisation. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/large-scale-agility/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 10:17:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/large-scale-agility/ Large Scale Agility is the implementation of agile principles and practices throughout entire organisations, moving beyond individual teams to cultivate a culture of adaptability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Originating from the need for enterprises to respond quickly to market dynamics and customer demands, this approach ensures that value delivery remains both predictable and sustainable. By adopting agile methodologies at scale, organisations can dismantle silos, improve cross-functional collaboration, and align strategic objectives with operational execution. This concept prioritises systemic change, focusing on the organisation as a cohesive unit rather than isolated teams, and encourages the use of frameworks like the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) or Large Scale Scrum (LeSS) to provide structured methods for scaling agile practices. The holistic perspective of Large Scale Agility enhances transparency, decision-making, and a shared understanding of goals across all organisational levels. The long-term advantages include increased capacity for innovation, improved employee engagement, and stronger alignment between business and technology. By creating an environment conducive to experimentation, learning, and adaptation, organisations can better navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing landscape, ultimately achieving sustained competitive advantage through agility at scale.