OnSIP engineers recently implemented the popular Scrum agile software development framework into their design process. One of the primary requirements of Scrum is that participants in the development process occupy the same workspace so they can engage in crucial collaborative efforts together. For Eric Tamme, Senior OnSIP Software Engineer in Colorado, this proved to be physically impossible, because our engineering team is located in our New York City office. Instead of mastering teleportation, Eric has harnessed the power of OnSIP to build a substantive presence in our office.
David Hansson, the creator of Ruby on Rails, recently took issue with the popular notion that all agile development environments need to incorporate physical proximity amongst coworkers. It's important, Hansson argues, that agile development teams communicate effectively, but the premise that this communication needs to take place in physical proximity might actually be hindering companies from drawing on a wider talent pool.
"We're still in the process of implementing the agile system, though the changes we've made thus far have been a big improvement," says Project Manager Jason Salsiccia. "Clear and direct communication between coworkers is key for the Scrum process to work."
Even from Colorado, Eric has never had an issue with clear communication in the office. Every weekday, he uses a SIP videophone to call into the Polycom VVX, set to auto-answer, that sits at his old desk in New York. From a functional standpoint, Eric is essentially at the office during the day. At 7:30 AM (9:30 EST), he dials into his video phone and simply leaves the call up all day (SIP to SIP calling is free for OnSIP customers.)
When coworkers need to talk to Eric, they go up to his phone and speak to him directly, as if he were physically at his desk. Eric can hear office conversations, he and frequently chimes in with his own thoughts and opinions. He can shout someone's name to get their attention. And we've even set up a videophone in the engineering conference room, so he can take part in whiteboard discussions. The effect is almost like teleportation— Eric can appear in the right room at the right time for collaboration.
For our engineering team, the setup is highly similar to when Eric worked in the office. "I find it convenient that I can walk over to his desk and talk to him like he was just sitting there," said NOC Technician Dave Jodhan. "It's much more direct and substantial than IM-ing him."
"It's really easy to talk to him," says Director of Systems Engineering Charlotte Oliver. "All the video phone presence makes a big difference. Also, we can see if he's at his desk or away or on the phone."
As a software company, OnSIP looks forward to implementing Scrum as a way to structure the development process. And as a communications provider, we are happy to use our technology to ensure that all of our workers can participate in that process.