This article will discuss Agile Release Train Sync Meetings, starting with a small introduction to what ARTs are.
Table of Contents:
- What is Agile Release Train (ART)?
- What are Agile Release Train Sync Meetings?
- Who facilitates Agile Release Train Sync Meetings?
- Participants of Agile Release Train Sync Meetings
- Agenda Items of Agile Release Train Sync Meetings
What is Agile Release Train (ART)?
Agile release train is an agile approach to plan, visualize and manage multiple interdependent teams. The Agile Release Train method provides a tempo to many groups for frequent and foremost synchronization. A Release Train focuses on delivering a go-along perspective for large products. Teams in the Release Train will sync with each other and have the same sprint start and end dates, exact dates for integration testing, and same dates for client approvals and acceptance.
A Release Train approach provides a mechanism that leads to faster and reliable release cycles.
In Agile Release Train Methodology, teams work as if they have to load their shippable items as cargo to the train at a specific point of time. This time is the same for all the ART teams.
What are Release Train Sync Meetings
Release Train Sync Meetings are meetings to gather and discuss whatever is required to maintain the progress and solve the significant problems. These meetings are held to resolve the substantial impediments and discuss the considerable risks to identify which of them require immediate attention and which can be ignored.
Since Release Train is required when there are multiple teams involved and all of them are working towards the same goal and for the same clients and end-users, it becomes utterly essential for all teams to know what is going on in each compartment. These Release Train Meetings serve as a platform to know all the dependencies in advance so that each team can plan accordingly. Since most of the units are working in sprints on their work, these synchronization meetings become integral to take decisions related to testing aspects like system-wide integration testing and feature-testing.
ART meetings guide the teams to work towards continuous improvement following inspect and adapt mechanism. Teams in these meetings discuss what has not gone that well and strive for a constant upgrade.
Apart from resolving dependencies and planning around main events, these release train meetings allow each team to visualize the larger end product and a bigger picture of the organization’s goals.
Who facilitates Agile Release Train Sync Meetings?
The Release Train Engineer, also called RTE, is responsible for facilitating the Agile Release Train Synchronization Meetings. RTE is a servant leader who takes care of other Agile Release Train events as well. RTE is also responsible for guiding the teams through processes and streamline the deliveries. Release Train Engineers are often delivery leads for a larger product, and in many organizations, they are also called ‘Chief Scrum Masters.’
Participants of Agile Release Train Sync Meetings
Release Train Sync Meetings involve many teams starting from 5; they can go up to 12. Therefore these meetings are involving quite a good amount of people particularly:
- Release Train Engineer.
- Scrum Masters.
- Product Owners.
- Technical and System Architects.
- Business Owners.
- Product Managers.
Agenda Items of Agile Release Train Sync Meetings
Agile Release Train Sync Meetings revolve discussion around:
- Progress
- Risk Management
- The business outcome of the next PI (release) and MVPs
- Non-functional Requirements
- Dependency Management
- Issue Resolution
- Alignment with the larger product
Summary
Agile Release Train Sync Meetings are the periodic meets where ART roles group together to view the progress and discuss further significant and crucial aspects to make the forthcoming PIs successful.
We hope this article helped you to build a good understanding of ART Sync Meetings in Agile. Good Luck with the upcoming one!!!
