A distributed agile team across four time zones is developing an API integration platform. During the daily standup conducted via video conference, developers in the Asia-Pacific region consistently remain silent or provide minimal updates. The product owner mentions that several critical defects discovered by APAC developers were not communicated until the weekly status report, causing a two-day delay in resolution. Team velocity metrics show APAC contributions are significantly lower than other regions despite having equal headcount. What is the most effective approach to improve team collaboration and information flow?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is A. Option A is correct because it addresses the constraints of distributed teams while maintaining agile principles of daily coordination and team cohesion (ECO Process Task 3.2). Asynchronous standups accommodate time zone differences and create inclusive participation, while synchronous team building maintains relationship development critical for collaboration. Option C is a strong distractor that appears practical but creates silos and coordination overhead, contradicting the agile principle of whole-team collaboration. It adds handoff delays rather than improving direct communication. Options B and D ignore human factors—asking people to work at 3 AM regularly is unsustainable, and policy enforcement doesn't address the underlying communication barriers in distributed settings.

PMP Practice Question: Process — Agile, Hard

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