Whole Team (On-Site Customer)

XP asks that the entire team, including a customer who makes the business decisions, sit together. This practice speeds communication by at least an order of magnitude.

Is the Whole Team Practice Essential?

There are teams who think they are practicing XP without it. In my opinion, they are mistaken. Many of the practices could be done poorly, or even not at all, with the team together. When the team is separated, even all the practices together are less effective than we would like. Without the whole team practice, you'll almost certainly have to increase your paper and electronic documentation. You'll slow down, and your flexibility will be reduced. Don't go there.