By LaKisia Jones, PMP
SAFe: Friend or Foe? That is the question. Rob Phillips, PMP, PMI-ACP, CSM, CSPO, CSP delivered an in depth presentation and led an open discussion on the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). He highlighted some of the advantages and disadvantages of SAFe 4.0 over SAFe 3.0.
SAFe: What is it?
SAFe is a template for scaling Agile principles and tools to large organizations. SAFe 3.0 for Lean Software and Systems Engineering was released in August of 2012. It operates on 3 levels: portfolio management, program, and team.
Team
The team level functions the same as standard scrum. A cross functional group of 5-9 individuals who have the ability to define, build, and test a solution work together to provide working software at the end of a time boxed iteration usually lasting 2 to 4 weeks. The team works from a backlog of user stories (requirements) developed and prioritized by the Product Owner. The sprint starts with a planning meeting during which the team decides which user stories they can deliver by the end of the sprint or iteration. The team meets each day to discuss their progress. At the end of the sprint, the team demonstrates the results to the Product Owner to ensure that the team delivered what the Product Owner requested. The team also conducts a retrospective meeting at the end of the sprint during which they discuss how to improve for the next iteration. Then the cycle repeats for the next iteration. The team is led by a Scrum Master whose job is to make sure the process runs smoothly and to remove any impediments that can affect the team’s progress.
Program
At the program level, the team is comprised of multiple Agile teams that work together to deliver features. The team, which could range from 50 to 125 people, is known as an Agile Release Train (ART). The release train is time boxed into Program Increments (PI) usually lasting for 5 iterations. However, the number of iterations may be adjusted based on the organization. Constant intervals of release trains allow the organization to plan future releases. For example, features that didn’t make it onto the current release train can be released on the next train. At this level, the Product Manager manages the stakeholder needs and the changing priorities in the Program backlog which contains the features the users want. The features in the backlog drives the planning for the Agile teams. The Release Train Engineer serves as the Program Manager and Scrum Master for the release train. He makes sure the train runs smoothly. The team participates in 3 ceremonies: the release planning meeting, the scrum of scrums meeting, and the system demo. The release planning meeting is conducted at the start of every Program Increment. During the meeting, all the team members who will be participating in the Agile Release Train hear the organization’s vision, roadmap and current business goals. They identify and manage dependencies with other teams. Then the teams breakout to plan the pieces they will be responsible for during the PI. Twice a week during the Scrum of Scrums meeting, the Release Train Engineer and the Scrum Masters from each team meet in front of the Program Board to discuss the progress of the train as it relates to objectives, risks, and dependencies. At the end of the iteration, the team demonstrates an integrated solution in system demo. The demo ensures the train is progressing as planned. Although there are 5 iterations in a PI, only 4 are planned. The 5th iteration is known as the Innovation & Planning (IP) iteration. This iteration is used to handle unexpected items that could delay the train. It is also used as time for learning and coming up with innovative ideas.
Portfolio
At the portfolio level, strategic themes connect the program portfolio vision to the Enterprise business strategy. The Program Portfolio Management (PPM) team is responsible for establishing the strategic themes, determining the relevant value streams, allocating budgets, defining, and prioritizing Portfolio Backlog epics. The Portfolio Backlog is the highest-level backlog in the SAFe Agile Framework. It contains epics that have been vetted through the Kanban system and have been approved for implementation. The Portfolio is built of one or more value streams that deliver solutions to the market. Each value stream is comprised of one or more ARTs depending on size. Most of the budget is used to fund the ART(s). It is up to the ART’s Product Manager to decide on the program backlog as dictated by the strategic theme.
SAFe 4.0
SAFe 4.0 was implemented at the end of January 2016. In this version of the framework, a new Value Stream level was inserted between the Program and Portfolio Management levels. This level is intended for enterprises that build complex mission critical solutions. The main purpose of this level is to describe Lean Agile approaches to system development as it pertains to the challenges of designing, building and deploying large solutions. These solutions tend to require multiple Agile Release Trains and contributions from suppliers.
Is SAFe 4.0 a Friend or Foe?
SAFe 4.0: FOE
It depends on who you ask. As it stands right now, Some of the disadvantages of SAFe 4.0 are:
• Understanding and implementing the model can be overwhelming due to the “Graduate School’ content.
• The extra layer of capabilities in the Value Stream level is ripe for corporate abuse by legacy mindsets. The introduction of this layer could get bogged down by bureaucracy and become overly administrative if the organization is not careful in how it is rolled out.
• Due to the volume of information to be covered during training classes, further courseware adjustments are needed.
• Some of the terminology is vague and needs further strengthening e.g. “Solution Intent”
• The roles at the Portfolio level feel too elevated & complex. Program Management, Enterprise Architect, and Solution Portfolio Management need operational clarity.
SAFe 4.0: FRIEND
Some of the advantages of SAFe 4.0 are:
• It is backwards compatible with SAFe3.0. Those who’ve learned SAFe 3.0 should be able to make an easy transition to SAFe 4.0.
• It includes the addition of Lean Systems Engineering framework integration for hardware and firmware.
• It fills several “gaps” that existed in 3.0 with strong content additions. For example: Communities of Practice (CoP’s), the enterprise layer, Scrum/Kanban option, “traditional” suppliers, and Implementation 1-2-3.
• The Value Stream level promotes attention on solution capabilities that can be overlooked. For example, technology is now treated as a “first class” citizen whereas before technology tended to get overlooked.
• It provides capitalization guidance to support Agile navigation into traditional Finance worlds.
To learn more about SAFe, visit http://www.scaledagileframework.com/
Special thanks to Rob Phillips for sharing his SAFe knowledge and experience with participants at the Agile forum.
Thank you to our sponsor Matrix Resources for making this event possible.
If you would like to learn more about Agile and the value it brings to projects, please join us at a future forum. The calendar can be found on the PMI Atlanta web site at http://www.pmiatlanta.org
ABOUT PMI
PMI Atlanta serves project managers in Metro Atlanta, and we're an active resource to corporations, community and government agencies throughout north Georgia. With over 4,000 members, PMI Atlanta is the fourth largest chapter in the US and fifth largest in the world. Our professional expertise span across industries; we’re the professionals building healthcare information technology systems, the engineers developing smarter public transportation, and the planners growing our communities more efficiently. The PMI Atlanta Agile Forum meets monthly and serves the PMI Atlanta Chapter Mission in added value to membership’s growing needs in Agile advocacy, awareness, corporate social responsibility and engagement.
For more information on PMI Atlanta Chapter, please visit: http://www.pmiatlanta.org
Stay in touch with the PMI Atlanta Chapter Agile Forum on
Twitter: http://twitter.com/PMIATLAgile
@PMIATLAgile