Large Scale Scrum (LESS)
A product development framework that expands Scrum to many teams by offering scaling guidance while keeping Scrum's original goals and principles intact.
Key Points
- Scales Scrum for multiple teams working on a single product.
- Relies on one Product Backlog and one Product Owner for the whole product.
- Adds minimal extra roles and artifacts to preserve core Scrum.
- Promotes shared Definition of Done and frequent cross-team integration each Sprint.
Example
A company has six teams building a unified analytics platform. Using Large Scale Scrum (LESS), they maintain one Product Backlog prioritized by a single Product Owner. Teams hold a joint Sprint Planning, develop in parallel, integrate continuously, and present one increment at a combined Sprint Review.
PMP Example Question
Which approach extends Scrum for many teams with lightweight scaling guidance while preserving Scrum's original intent?
- Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)
- Scrum of Scrums meeting technique
- Large Scale Scrum (LESS)
- PRINCE2
Correct Answer: C — Large Scale Scrum (LESS)
Explanation: LESS explicitly scales Scrum with guidance that keeps the framework lean and aligned with Scrum's purposes; SAFe adds additional layers, Scrum of Scrums is a coordination practice, and PRINCE2 is not Scrum-based.
