Using Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and Slack: A Case Study of
Coordination in Large-Scale Distributed Agile
Abstract
Today, many large-scale software projects have members working from
home, which has changed the way teams coordinate work. To better
understand coordination in this setting, we conducted a case study
through which we examined two teams in a large-scale agile project by
observing meetings and conducting 17 interviews. Through the lens of
Relational Coordination Theory (RCT), we analyzed the use of the
goal-setting framework Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and the
collaboration tool Slack. Slack was used for frequent, timely, and
problem-solving communication and, and its use decreased the number of
planned meetings. However, discussions often started on Slack and
continued in virtual ad-hoc meetings. The use of OKRs facilitated
knowledge sharing, helped the teams align their goals, and provided
inter-team insights. The main implication of our research is that
projects using OKRs need to support project members, especially in
formulating the key results that align and motivate the teams to work
toward the same mission.