What Is Large Scale Scrum (LeSS)?

10 principles for doing more with LeSS

This is the framework’s tagline and a key idea expressed in their ten principles:

• Large-Scale Scrum is Scrum
• Empirical process control
• Transparency
• More with less
• Whole-product focus
• Customer-centric
• Continuous improvement towards perfection
• Systems thinking
• Lean thinking
• Queuing theory

You’ll notice that some of these are not dissimilar from Agile’s own principles, but with a bias towards ideas applicable to multiple teams working together.

For example, the "more with less" principle anticipates and addresses challenges typical of large scale projects:

More with less—(1) In empirical process control: more learning with less defined processes. (2) In lean thinking: more value with less waste and overhead. (3) In scaling, more ownership, purpose, and joy with less roles, artifacts, and special groups.

Source: Principles Overview, LeSS Framework

This is similar to the minimum viable bureaucracy concept in Scrum At Scale, another Scrum-based framework developed for larger organizations.

Getting started with LeSS

LeSS comes in two flavors depending on the number of people participating:

• Basic LeSS - For 2 to 8 teams
• LeSS Huge - For more than 8 teams

Basic LeSS is also the starting point for LeSS Huge. The idea is to experiment, get processes running smoothly and earn management buy-in before scaling. LeSS Huge introduces a key role too: the Area Product Owner (APO).

In the first iterations of the framework, there was a big focus on experimentation and a culture of learning, questioning, and engagement. However, more structure was added once it became clear that more references and guidance were needed.

• Rules, that are the definition of the LeSS framework
• Guides to help you adopt them
• Experiments, that remain a key tactic
• Principles, inspiring and informing the methodology