When a product’s technical requirements evolve beyond what a single Scrum team (of generally 10 or less people) can handle, organizations inevitably move to a scaled version of Scrum such as Nexus to distribute work among multiple Scrum teams.
In this post, I address a common misconception around the responsibilities of the Nexus Integration Team (NIT) in a Scaled Scrum environment. Due to its (poorly defined) name, people may perceive the NIT’s role to be of technical nature, integrating pieces from all teams to build the final integrated increment. It is not the case!
The NIT’s job is to help Scrum teams resolve issues, both technical and non-technical, and ensure that a releasable integrated product is delivered at least once at the end of every Sprint. They help raise awareness about dependencies, and work to address any impediments that may prevent the Nexus from achieving its goal.
So, who’s in the NIT? The Product Owner, a Scrum Master, and representative from each Scrum teams with broader product knowledge and good coaching skills usually make up the NIT. It is also not uncommon for subject matter experts from other parts of the organization (Operations, Finance, Procurement, Tech Support, etc.) to be part of the NIT. They usually serve in the NIT for a limited period to help address specific concerns of the Nexus.