Co-locating teams - where client and product teams work in one space - is really important: close knit teams build better products, and at The App Business, we know we can also help our clients transform their operations with mobile faster the closer the partnership we build.

But co-location doesn’t become successful overnight: it takes hard work. Based on our own lessons learned, we share our 6 key principles for making working in one space with our clients a happier, more productive experience.

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PURPOSE

SPACE

CULTURE

RETROSPECTIVES

COMMUNICATION

Avoid the 100/100 rule.

Working 100% off-site, for 100% of the time, doesn’t work in the

long-term. Instead, it’s better to either aim for smaller bursts of time

working in-house, or long-term balanced splits between

multiple sites.

Don’t co-locate for the sake of it.

Physical space plays a big part.

A co-located team needs a space to call their own, not the odd hot

desk put aside. Preparation can be as simple as setting up

whiteboards, providing a scrum area and ensuring the team

really do all sit together.

Every company has a unique identity.

Keep observing and improving.

Just because a blended team all sit together doesn't make it perfect. Take advantage of

co-location to drive continuous improvement, with more

powerful retrospectives and even faster learnings.

Good communication is crucial.

A co-located team that sits together is great, but it’s also much

more diverse: a bit of planning, giving context at the start of every

conversation, and using plain English, is critical to

keeping everyone aligned.

BALANCE

Members of a co-located team sit away from their ‘home’ organisation, isolated from its culture. Over time,

this becomes demoralising. Co-location needs to allow time

for individuals to recharge back at base.

Be clear about what you’re trying to achieve by working in the same space. It might simply be about

driving faster progress; embedding more agile ways of working - or both. Clarity helps refine your

co-location approach.