[OA.TI.10] Choose interaction modes for improved efficiency and cost savings

Category: RECOMMENDED

Teach teams about the different interaction modes as outlined in Team Topologies, including X as a Service (XaaS), facilitation, and collaboration. With knowledge of how to optimize interaction modes for specific scenarios, teams can measure the cost, efficiency, and applicability of each mode against their use case. Identify excessive and costly interaction modes and create a tailored improvement plan to optimize them depending on each team's preferences, topology, and skills. Provide training and support to help teams better understand the available interaction modes and how to use them effectively to achieve the desired outcome. By optimizing team interactions, organizations can reduce costs while maintaining efficiency and collaboration.

XaaS is typically the most cost-effective and efficient interaction mode between teams when available, as it involves providing and consuming self-service capabilities rather than sustained direct communications. In this mode, a team provides an interface that can easily be integrated into the existing workflows of one or more teams.

Facilitation is the second most efficient, where a team temporarily mentors another team to provide resources and support to accomplish a task. While facilitation can be more expensive than XaaS, it can also be more effective in situations where face-to-face communication or more direct support is needed. 

Collaboration is the least efficient interaction mode. It involves working together as a team to achieve a common goal. This interaction mode can be highly effective in certain situations; however, it can also be more time-consuming and less cost-efficient than other interaction modes. Meetings are expensive, and collaboration always requires direct involvement between teams. Find the right balance between the different interaction modes by choosing the right mode for the use case.