Michael Schmid
|Feb 12, 2019
Feb 12, 2019
|2 min read min read
At amazee.io, we have a completely distributed team of engineers balancing support and engineering across time zones. We’re no stranger to working globally, with engineers in Europe, Australia, and the U.S. We have built an infrastructure and processes to make sure we work seamlessly.
Standups
Because we’re online at different times, we have multiple standups every day. As part of the U.S team, I have a morning standup with the European team, and an afternoon one with my team members in Australia. These standups are a time to touch base about what we’re working on and pass on any information or support issues that need additional attention. We support this with a channel we call WDYDT or What Did You Do Today. This channel serves for any additional updates or if someone can’t make a standup.
Support
At amazee.io, the developers who build the platform also do all the support. We are available via RocketChat 24 hours a day. Additionally, engineers work in two-week sprints that focus alternately on engineering and support. But even though we take turns being in a primary support role, we often help out on support tasks whenever needed. An advantage of our rolling timezones is that the tasks, and customer support, can keep going even when one of us logs off.
If a support issue or incident can’t be solved within a shift, we can open a ticket and pass it on to someone who can take it from there.
Engineering
When we’re working on building new features, we can take advantage of our timezones too. Sometimes that can mean just bouncing ideas off each other at standup, or passing on things for testing or improvements.
In addition to handing off work, we have remote social time and a culture that encourages lots of face-to-face communication, even if it’s online. Being a part of this global team means helping provide 24-hour support for clients while getting to work with experts all around the world.
