The best way to help the two teams that are continually dependent on each other to manage their work is to ensure the appropriate representatives from both teams are present during Cross-Team Refinement . Cross-Team Refinement is an optional event in Nexus that allows the Scrum Teams to collaborate and coordinate on the Product Backlog items that have dependencies or require integration 1 1 . By having the representatives from both teams present during this event, they can identify and resolve the dependencies, clarify the requirements, align the expectations, and plan the work for the next Sprint. This will improve the transparency, the quality, and the value of the Integrated Increment.

The other options are not advisable for the following reasons:

The Nexus Integration Team should not be responsible for integrating the work of these two Scrum Teams, as this would create a bottleneck and a hand-off. The Nexus Integration Team is a specialized Scrum Team that provides services and guidance to the Scrum Teams in the Nexus to ensure that the Integrated Increment is produced every Sprint 1 1 . However, the Nexus Integration Team is not accountable for the integration of the work of the individual Scrum Teams, as this is the responsibility of the Scrum Teams themselves 2 2 .

Reorganizing these two Scrum Teams so that one is responsible for development and one is responsible for integration is not a good idea, as this would create a silo and a separation of concerns. The Scrum Teams in a Nexus should be cross-functional and self-organizing, meaning that they have all the skills and abilities to deliver a potentially releasable product Increment every Sprint 1 1 . Separating the development and the integration tasks would compromise the collaboration, the feedback, and the agility of the Scrum Teams.

Merging the two Scrum Teams together is not a viable solution, as this would create a large and unwieldy team. The Scrum Guide states that the optimal size of a Scrum Team is between three and nine members 3 3 . Merging two Scrum Teams together would exceed this limit and create challenges in communication, coordination, and decision-making. Moreover, merging the two teams would not necessarily eliminate the dependencies, as they may still exist within the larger team or with other teams in the Nexus.

The best option for how Product Ownership might be structured in a company with five products is to have one Product Owner responsible for each product or one Product Owner responsible for all five products . Both of these options are consistent with the Scrum Guide, which states that the Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team 1 1 . The Product Owner may delegate work as needed, but they remain accountable for the value delivered. The Product Owner also provides clarity to the team about the product vision, goal, and backlog 1 1 .

The other options are not advisable for the following reasons:

Assigning as many Product Owners as needed to communicate expectations and requirements to the Scrum Team is not a good idea, as it would create confusion, inconsistency, and conflict among the Product Owners and the Scrum Team. The Scrum Guide states that the Product Owner is one person , not a committee 1 1 . Having multiple Product Owners for one product would compromise the transparency, the alignment, and the decision-making of the Scrum Team.

Having one primary Product Owner and one Product Owner for each product is also not a good idea, as it would create a hierarchy and a dependency among the Product Owners. The primary Product Owner would have too much authority and responsibility, while the Product Owners for each product would have too little. This would undermine the accountability, the collaboration, and the empowerment of the Product Owners and the Scrum Teams.

The best remedy for this situation is to ensure that all Scrum Teams understand the Nexus Sprint Goal. The Nexus Sprint Goal is a commitment that describes the purpose that will be achieved by the Nexus during the Sprint. It aligns with the Product Goal and provides coherence and focus for the work of the Scrum Teams. By understanding the Nexus Sprint Goal, the Scrum Teams can see how their work contributes to the product’s progress and value delivery 1 2 3 4 .

The other answers are not effective for this situation because:

A. During Nexus Sprint Planning, have all the teams plan the Sprint together in one room, so they can see what other teams are working on. This answer is not sufficient because it does not address the root cause of the problem, which is the lack of a clear and shared purpose for the Sprint. Having all the teams plan the Sprint together may help them coordinate their work and identify dependencies, but it does not necessarily help them understand how their work relates to the product’s progress and value.

C. Ask the Scrum Master to explain to the teams that the Product Owner can choose which features to work on, as she has the final say. This answer is not helpful because it does not foster collaboration and alignment among the Scrum Teams. It also undermines the self-organization and empowerment of the Scrum Teams, and reduces their ownership and accountability for the work. The Product Owner is responsible for managing and ordering the Product Backlog, but the Scrum Teams are responsible for selecting and delivering the work for the Sprint.

D. During Nexus Sprint Planning, ask each Scrum Team to create a Sprint Goal that describes the purpose of the Sprint. This answer is not optimal because it does not ensure that the Scrum Teams have a common objective and direction for the Sprint. Each Scrum Team may have a different Sprint Goal that may or may not align with the Nexus Sprint Goal and the Product Goal. This may lead to confusion, inconsistency, and sub-optimization of the product delivery.

The answer is false because not all Scrum Team members are required to attend the Nexus Daily Scrum. According to the Online Nexus Guide 1 , the Nexus Daily Scrum is an event for appropriate representatives from individual Scrum Teams to inspect the current state of the Integrated Increment and to identify integration issues or newly discovered cross-team dependencies. The appropriate representatives are those who can best collaborate and communicate the progress and impediments of their Scrum Teams, and who can make and influence decisions regarding the integration and delivery of the product. The number and selection of the representatives may vary depending on the context and needs of the Nexus 2 3 4 . The Nexus Daily Scrum does not replace the Daily Scrum of each Scrum Team, which is still held by all the Developers of the team to plan their work for the day 5 .

When six new Scrum Teams are working on one product, they should form a Nexus, which is a framework for scaling Scrum 1 1 . A Nexus has a single Product Owner who is accountable for maximizing the value of the product and the work performed and integrated by the Scrum Teams 1 1 2 2 . Therefore, statement D is correct.

A Nexus also works off a single Product Backlog, which is an ordered list of the work to be done by the Scrum Teams in the Nexus 1 1 . The Product Backlog has a single source of requirements and priorities for the product, and it is managed by the Product Owner 1 1 2 2 . Therefore, statement C is also correct.

Statements A, B, and E are incorrect because they imply that each Scrum Team has its own Product Owner and Product Backlog, which would create confusion, inconsistency, and duplication of work. Having multiple Product Owners and Product Backlogs would also undermine the transparency and alignment that are essential for scaling Scrum 1 1 2 2 .

PBI 2 is the most concerning because it involves a cross-team dependency within the same Sprint, which can create challenges and risks for the integration and delivery of the product increment. According to the Online Nexus Guide 1 , dependencies should be minimized or eliminated as much as possible, and if they exist, they should be made transparent and resolved as early as possible. Cross-team dependencies within the same Sprint can cause delays, conflicts, rework, and waste, and reduce the quality and value of the product increment 2 3 4 .

The other answers are not correct for the following reasons:

A. PBI 2, because it has the most dependencies. This answer is not accurate because PBI 2 does not have the most dependencies, but only one dependency with PBI 1 from Team Red. PBI 3 has the most dependencies, as it depends on PBI 1, PBI 2, and PBI 4. However, PBI 3 is not as concerning as PBI 2, because its dependencies are not within the same Sprint, but across different Sprints. This means that PBI 3 can be refined and planned in advance, and the teams can coordinate and communicate their work more effectively 5 .

B. PBI 1, because it is on the top of the Product Backlog. This answer is not relevant because the position of PBI 1 on the Product Backlog does not indicate its level of concern, but its priority and value. The Product Backlog is ordered by the Product Owner based on various factors, such as business value, risk, complexity, and dependencies. PBI 1 may be on the top of the Product Backlog because it is the most valuable or urgent item, or because it is a prerequisite for other items, but it is not necessarily the most concerning item 6 .

C. PBI 1, because it is the first piece of work with a dependency. This answer is not true because PBI 1 is not the first piece of work with a dependency, but the first piece of work that other items depend on. PBI 1 does not have any dependencies itself, but it creates dependencies for PBI 2, PBI 3, and PBI 5. Therefore, PBI 1 is not as concerning as PBI 2, because it does not depend on any other item, and it can be completed independently by Team Red 5 .

The Nexus Sprint Review is an event where the Nexus, consisting of multiple Scrum Teams, presents the Integrated Increment to the stakeholders for inspection and feedback 1 . The Integrated Increment is the sum of all the work done by the Scrum Teams in a Sprint that meets the Definition of Done 1 . The purpose of the Nexus Sprint Review is to inspect the outcome of the Sprint, discuss the progress toward the Product Goal, discuss any changes in the environment, and collaborate on what to do next 2 .

In Scenario A, the Nexus Sprint Review is not conducted effectively. The teams are not using a shared environment to demonstrate the Integrated Increment, but rather showing their individual work. This means that the stakeholders cannot see the whole product and how it works together. The teams are also delaying the integration of their work, which can lead to quality issues, technical debt, and increased complexity 1 . The stakeholders do not provide much feedback, which means that the Nexus cannot adapt to the changing needs and expectations of the customers and users. The event ends without any clear outcomes or next steps.

If this pattern continues for multiple Sprints, the effects may be:

Quality will degrade as the teams delay creating a single Integrated Increment. This is answer B. By not integrating their work frequently and continuously, the teams will face more challenges and risks in ensuring that the product is functional, reliable, and usable. The teams will also miss the opportunity to validate their assumptions and learn from the feedback on the Integrated Increment 1 .

Ability to adapt will suffer as the stakeholders continue to disengage and not give feedback. This is answer D. By not engaging the stakeholders in a meaningful dialogue and collaboration, the Nexus will lose the insight and direction that the feedback provides. The Nexus will also risk building the wrong product or features that do not meet the needs and expectations of the customers and users. The stakeholders will also lose trust and confidence in the Nexus and the product 2 .

The other two answers are not correct because:

There will be more and more work to inspect so teams will need their own individual Sprint Reviews. This is answer A. This is not a valid effect because the Nexus Sprint Review replaces the individual Scrum Team Sprint Reviews 1 . The Nexus Sprint Review is not a time for each team to present their work, but rather for the Nexus to present the Integrated Increment. The teams should not need their own Sprint Reviews, but rather focus on integrating their work and delivering a valuable product 1 .

Empiricism will suffer as the teams cannot produce a shared velocity. This is answer C. This is not a valid effect because velocity is not a measure of empiricism. Empiricism is the principle of making decisions based on observation, inspection, and adaptation 1 . Velocity is a measure of the amount of work done by a team or a Nexus in a Sprint. Velocity is not a mandatory artifact or metric in Scrum or Nexus, and it does not reflect the quality or value of the work done 1 .