What is Safe in Agile: An Essential Guide to Scaled Agile Framework

Are you struggling to scale Agile practices in your organization? The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) might be the answer you’re looking for. This comprehensive guide will introduce you to “what is safe in agile” - SAFe, its benefits, and how it compares to other Agile scaling frameworks. Whether you are an Agile practitioner, a team member, or an executive, this guide will provide valuable insights, real-world examples, and practical tips to help you navigate the world of SAFe and unleash the full potential of your organization.

Key Takeaways

• SAFe is a structured approach to scaling Agile practices across an enterprise with four configurations.
• It provides core competencies such as Lean-Agile Leadership and Team and Technical Agility to enable large organizations to achieve business agility.
• Implementing SAFe can provide increased quality, productivity, collaboration, value delivery & adaptability. Success should be measured using metrics like Lead Time & Delivered Story Points.

Understanding SAFe in Agile

Larger organizations often find scaling Agile principles and practices challenging. The Scaled Agile Framework, or SAFe, offers a structured solution to this challenge, enabling large-scale enterprises to implement Agile methodologies effectively. SAFe promotes the alignment of Agile teams and the adoption of a Lean Agile mindset, thus empowering organizations to deliver complex solutions with higher efficiency and effectiveness than traditional Agile software development methods.

While there are numerous Agile frameworks like Scrum and Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS) designed to cater to the needs of software development teams, the 12th Annual State of Agile Report identifies SAFe as the preferred approach for scaling Agile practices. SAFe combines the best of Agile principles with systems thinking and lean governance, providing a comprehensive framework for Agile product delivery in larger organizations.

Definition of SAFe

The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is a structured approach designed to facilitate the scaling of Agile practices across an enterprise, enabling organizations to deliver value in a timely and efficient manner. SAFe is best suited for large teams managing intricate projects on multiple levels, such as program, portfolio, and project levels, to efficiently deliver solutions to customers.

Unlike other scaling Agile frameworks, such as Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS), which focuses on reducing waste in complex solution development, SAFe offers four distinct configurations to suit teams of varying sizes and complexities:

1. Essential SAFe
2. Large Solution SAFe
3. Portfolio SAFe
4. Full SAFe

This flexibility allows organizations to choose the configuration that best meets their unique needs and challenges, ensuring they have the most suitable working systems in place.

Key Components of SAFe

SAFe is composed of various key components, including core competencies, levels, roles, and artifacts. The framework is organized into four levels: Team Level, Program Level, Large Solution Level, and Portfolio Level. These levels are designed to align teams and foster intrinsic motivation among team members to achieve organizational goals.

The core competencies of the SAFe framework, such as value streams and Agile Release Trains (ARTs), ensure a customer-centric approach and built-in quality in solution development. A diverse range of roles and responsibilities, including Release Train Engineer (RTE) and Solution Train Engineer (STE), work together to facilitate the development and delivery of one or more solutions.

The framework also includes various artifacts and processes, such as the Agile Release Train (ART) and Continuous Delivery Pipeline (CDP), to support efficient and effective Agile product delivery.

Core Competencies of SAFe

In order to enable large organizations to achieve business agility, SAFe has identified a set of core competencies, including:

• Lean-Agile Leadership
• Team and Technical Agility
• DevOps and Release on Demand
• Business Solutions and Lean Systems Engineering
• Lean Portfolio Management

These competencies provide the foundation for scaling Agile principles and practices, enabling organizations to adapt to changing business needs and deliver value more efficiently.

The subsequent sections will provide a deeper insight into two core competencies: Lean-Agile Leadership and Team and Technical Agility.

Lean-Agile Leadership

Agile leaders play a critical role in driving organizational change and supporting team goals. Lean-Agile Leadership is a process of enabling individuals and teams to reach their highest potential, thereby driving and sustaining organizational change and operational excellence. Agile leaders must:

• Embrace the Lean-Agile mindset and principles
• Lead by example
• Empower teams to construct superior systems
• Continuously learn and improve in Lean-Agile practices

A Lean-Agile leader fosters organizational transformation in a SAFe environment through:

• Creation and implementation of a change vision
• Utilization of the three dimensions of Lean-Agile leadership
• Cultivation of a novel organizational culture
• Guidance during the change process
• Facilitation of efficient product delivery
• Empowerment of individuals and teams

By fostering a culture of continuous improvement and learning at the lean agile center, Lean-Agile leaders can drive their organizations towards greater agility and success, empowering knowledge workers to thrive in a dynamic environment.

Team and Technical Agility

Team and Technical Agility (TTA) is an important part of the SAFe framework. It outlines the essential skills, principles and practices used by top-level Agile teams. These teams are therefore capable of delivering high-quality solutions that meet customer expectations. Agile teams must possess strong technical skills and adhere to Lean-Agile principles, such as continuous integration and objective evaluation, to ensure quick and effective solution delivery.

To achieve Team and Technical Agility, Agile teams must focus on delivering value, embracing a Lean-Agile mindset, and continuously improving their processes and practices. By fostering a culture of learning and growth, Agile teams can overcome challenges, adapt to changing business needs, and deliver exceptional results in a rapidly evolving market.

Implementing SAFe: Essential, Large Solution, and Portfolio SAFe

SAFe offers three primary configurations to address different organizational needs and complexities: Essential SAFe, Large Solution SAFe, and Portfolio SAFe. Each configuration is designed to help organizations scale Agile practices according to their unique requirements, ensuring a comprehensive and effective approach to delivering value.

The upcoming sections will offer a detailed exploration of each of these configurations.

Essential SAFe

Essential SAFe is the foundational level of SAFe, suitable for organizations with limited teams working on a single product. It focuses on Agile Release Trains (ARTs), which are teams of 50 to 125 team members divided into sub-teams that collaborate to deliver value. Essential SAFe also includes essential roles and artifacts, such as the Scrum Master and Product Owner, to support teams in delivering value to their customers.

The core tenets of Essential SAFe include:

• Lean-Agile Principles
• Real Agile Teams and Trains
• Cadence and Synchronization
• PI Planning
• Customer Centricity
• DevOps
• Release on Demand

By implementing Essential SAFe, organizations can introduce Agile practices firm-wide and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of their delivery process.

Large Solution SAFe

Large Solution SAFe is an organizational framework that is ideal for organizations with multiple teams working on a single product or multiple products. It includes all the elements of Essential SAFe, as well as additional elements such as program backlogs and program Kanban. This configuration enables organizations to develop and deliver complex solutions more effectively, by fostering collaboration between teams and stakeholders.

Large Solution SAFe incorporates the concept of Solution Trains, which are groups of Agile Release Trains (ARTs) that work together to deliver large-scale solutions. Solution Train Engineers (STEs) play a crucial role in coordinating the work of multiple ARTs and suppliers within a Solution Train, ensuring that value is delivered efficiently and effectively.

Portfolio SAFe

Portfolio SAFe is the highest level of SAFe. It includes components for:

• Strategy
• Funding
• Operations
• Governance of one or more value streams

By incorporating elements such as portfolio backlogs, portfolio Kanban, and program portfolio management, Portfolio SAFe aligns the organization’s strategy and investment decisions with its business objectives.

Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) is a key competency within Portfolio SAFe, leveraging Lean and systems thinking approaches to align strategy and execution. This includes strategy and investment funding, Agile portfolio operations, and governance.

By implementing Portfolio SAFe, organizations can ensure that their Agile development efforts are aligned with their overall business goals and objectives.

Benefits of Adopting SAFe

Adopting SAFe can provide numerous benefits to organizations, such as:

• Increased quality, productivity, and transparency
• Shorter time to market
• Alignment with business goals
• Higher customer engagement
• Quicker time to value
• Heightened employee engagement

By fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, SAFe enables organizations to adapt to changing market conditions and deliver value more efficiently.

In addition to these benefits, organizations that implement SAFe often report improved collaboration and communication among teams, faster value delivery, and increased adaptability to change. By providing a comprehensive framework for scaling Agile practices, SAFe empowers organizations to overcome the challenges associated with traditional Agile software development approaches, ensuring a more effective and efficient development process.

Challenges and Best Practices in SAFe Implementation

While implementing SAFe can provide numerous benefits, organizations may face challenges, such as resistance to change, communication and collaboration barriers, and adapting existing business processes to Agile practices.

The subsequent sections will delve into some common hurdles encountered during SAFe adoption and discuss best practices that can help overcome these challenges, ensuring a successful Agile transformation.

Overcoming Resistance to Change

Resistance to change is a common challenge faced during SAFe implementation, as employees may feel threatened or uncertain about the new processes and practices being introduced. To mitigate resistance, leaders should:

• Listen to their employees
• Articulate the reasons for change
• Foster enthusiasm for the transformation
• Make the change advantageous for employees
• Delegate change responsibilities
• Present supportive data
• Stage the implementation of change.

Leadership plays a pivotal role in overcoming resistance to SAFe implementation. By setting the direction for the organization, selecting critical strategic goals, and creating a company culture that values change management, leaders can successfully manage resistance and foster a culture of continuous improvement. Moreover, leaders should be proactive in addressing any concerns or resistance from their team, peers, or stakeholders, and devise strategies to help manage change effectively.

Ensuring Effective Communication and Collaboration

Effective communication and collaboration are crucial for the success of SAFe implementation. Organizations can ensure effective communication and collaboration by:

• Setting the right tone
• Committing to internal company values
• Asking for employee input
• Leading by example
• Creating psychological safety
• Using collaboration tools
• Encouraging active listening

By fostering a culture of open communication and collaboration, organizations can ensure that information is exchanged effectively, roles and responsibilities are understood, and accountability is established. Collaboration allows teams to work together productively, preventing errors and optimizing outcomes. Implementing modern communication technology, such as Basecamp, Slack, or Microsoft Teams, can further enhance collaboration and workflow efficiency.

SAFe Roles and Responsibilities

SAFe defines several key roles and responsibilities to ensure the successful implementation of the framework, including:

• Release Train Engineer (RTE)
• Solution Train Engineer (STE)
• Business Owners
• SAFe Scrum Master/Team Coach

Each role plays a critical part in driving the success of the Agile Release Train and ensuring that Agile practices are effectively implemented at scale.

The roles of the Release Train Engineer (RTE) and Solution Train Engineer (STE) will be explored in depth in the forthcoming sections.

Release Train Engineer (RTE)

The Release Train Engineer (RTE) is a role that emphasizes on leadership and servanthood. They have the following responsibilities:

• Facilitating Agile Release Train events
• Providing support to teams in their endeavors of delivering value
• Guiding the ART and ensuring that it fulfills its commitments
• Facilitating ART events, such as the Program Increment (PI) Planning and the System Demo.

In addition to facilitating ART processes and execution, the RTE plays a crucial role in driving the success of the Agile Release Train. They are tasked with:

• Communicating with stakeholders
• Escalating impediments
• Managing risk
• Driving relentless improvement

By providing guidance, coaching, and support to team leaders, Scrum Masters, and the entire team, the RTE ensures the success and smooth operation of the Agile Release Train.

Solution Train Engineer (STE)

The Solution Train Engineer (STE) is a similar role to the RTE, but focuses on coordinating the work of multiple Agile Release Trains and suppliers within a Solution Train. The STE serves as a leader and coach, facilitating Solution Train events and processes, coordinating with ARTs and Suppliers, and providing support to ARTs to ensure value is delivered.

As a servant leader, the Solution Train Engineer plays a crucial role in organizing and coordinating multiple ARTs into one cohesive solution. By fostering effective collaboration among the teams working on a project, the STE ensures that value is delivered efficiently and effectively. This role is particularly important in large-scale organizations, where multiple Agile Release Trains must work together to deliver a complex solution.

Measuring Success in SAFe Implementations

Organizations can employ various metrics and indicators like Value Stream KPIs to assess the effectiveness of SAFe implementations and promote continuous improvement. These KPIs serve to measure and visualize performance and progress indicators at the enterprise level, helping organizations to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions.

Some common Value Stream KPIs used in SAFe include:

• Lead time
• Deployment frequency
• Delivered story points or value points
• Escaped defects
• Flow efficiency

By tracking and measuring these metrics, organizations can assess their progress towards achieving business agility, and identify opportunities for improvement and growth.

Real-World Examples of Successful SAFe Implementations

Many organizations have successfully adopted SAFe and experienced significant benefits as a result. For example:

• In 2015, LEGO implemented the Scaled Agile Framework to optimize their Agile practices, leading to increased efficiency and productivity.
• Cisco deployed SAFe and established three agile release trains to optimize their software development processes.
• The e-Prescription solution was delivered in a timely manner using SAFe, addressing challenges posed by siloed teams and streamlining the development process.

These real-world examples demonstrate the potential benefits of adopting SAFe, including improved collaboration, faster value delivery, and increased adaptability. By implementing SAFe, organizations can overcome the challenges associated with traditional Agile development approaches and unlock the full potential of their teams and processes.

Comparing SAFe to Other Scaling Agile Frameworks

While SAFe is a popular choice for scaling Agile practices, there are other frameworks available, such as Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS), Nexus, and Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD). Each of these frameworks has its own unique approach to scaling Agile, with varying levels of flexibility and focus on different aspects of Agile development.

SAFe stands out for its well-structured and organized method of scaling Agile, featuring distinct roles and responsibilities, and providing a comprehensive framework for Agile product delivery in larger organizations. In comparison:

• LeSS emphasizes organizational transformation and tailoring the structure to better promote Agile practices
• Nexus focuses on scaling Scrum
• DAD allows teams to have greater leeway in their procedures.

A comprehension of the similarities and differences between these frameworks can assist organizations in selecting the most suitable approach for scaling Agile, tailored to their specific needs and challenges.

Summary

In conclusion, the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) provides a comprehensive approach for implementing Agile methodologies in large organizations, enabling them to deliver value more efficiently and effectively. By understanding the key components, core competencies, and roles within the SAFe framework, organizations can successfully scale Agile practices and achieve their business objectives. With real-world examples demonstrating the potential benefits of SAFe adoption, it’s clear that this framework can be a powerful tool for driving organizational change, fostering collaboration, and delivering exceptional results in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing market.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does SAFe mean in agile?

The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is an agile framework that enables large organizations to adopt agile methodologies like Lean, Kanban, and Scrum in order to deliver high-quality products faster. It encompasses principles, processes, best practices and a body of knowledge regarding roles and responsibilities, work planning and management, and core values.

What is SAFe Agile vs Scrum?

Scrum is a small framework that guides how Agile can be adapted for smaller teams, while SAFe® provides clear-cut processes and roles to enable larger Agile teams to work together as one big team in an Agile Release Train (ART).

What is safety in agile?

Safety in agile is ensured through the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and its structured guidance on roles and responsibilities, planning and managing work, and values to uphold. This framework helps large organizations scale their agile practices and promote alignment, collaboration, and better business outcomes.

What is the main difference between agile and SAFe?

The main difference between Agile and SAFe is that Agile encourages independent decision-making, while SAFe allows decision-making based on the scope of the issues at either the team or enterprise level. Moreover, in Agile there are no hierarchies or sub-teams, with the focus being on completing small objectives to reach the final product.

What types of organizations can benefit from implementing SAFe?

SAFe is an ideal fit for large enterprises with complex projects, as it allows Agile methodology to be scaled across the whole organization.

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