Scaled Agile Framework®

What Is the Scaled Agile Framework®?

The Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe®) is a knowledge base or set of practices, principles, and guidance combining Lean, Agile, and DevOps. Furthermore, Lean product development and systems thinking are integrated into the framework.

SAFe® helps organizations to answer questions like:

• How can we improve solution quality for our customers?
• How can we align our business strategy to technology development?
• How can we encourage teams to embrace ongoing learning and think creatively?
• How can we deliver results faster and scale agile practices across the organization?
• How can we promote innovation, collaboration, and improvement in our environment?

Manage your SAFe life cycle with ease using Enterprise Agile Planning Tools.

The Goal of the Scaled Agile Framework®

The main goal of SAFe® is to help product development teams work more continuously and efficiently and execute releases more predictably. Innovativeness and quick reaction to market changes are the focus of this process management model. SAFe® is aimed at companies with more than 100 developers.

SAFe® Configurations

The framework can adapt to the organization's business requirements. It provides four different configurations, from a minimal set of solutions up to s configuration for managing complex systems:

• Essential SAFe®

Essential SAFe® is the basic building block of the framework and provides a small set of events, roles, and artifacts for delivering business solutions.

• Large Solution SAFe®

This configuration contains additional guidance, roles, and practices and includes Essential SAFe®. It serves organizations that focus on the large solution.

• Portfolio SAFe®

Portfolio SAFe® enables total business agility. Enterprise strategy gets aligned with portfolio execution, and development is organized around the flow of value.

• Full SAFe®

This configuration includes all core competencies for business agility. It serves large organizations with large, complex solutions.

Learn more about SAFe® in our articles:

• The PI Planning event easy explained
• 5 Features That Make Essential SAFe Unique
• How SAFe Drives Business Agility

The SAFe® Principles

A set of ten Lean-Agile principles build the base of the Scaled Agile Framework®:

1. Take an economic view.
2. Apply systems thinking.
3. Assume variability; preserve options.
4. Build incrementally with fast, integrated learning cycles.
5. Base milestones on objective evaluation of working systems.
6. Visualize and limit Work In Process, reduce batch sizes, and manage queue lengths.
7. Apply cadence; synchronize with cross-domain planning.
8. Unlock the motivation of knowledge workers.
9. Decentralize decision-making.
10. Organize around value.

(source: Scaled Agile, Inc. https://www.scaledagileframework.com/safe-lean-agile-principles/)

SAFe® Program Increment Planning

The following figure shows an example of how the SAFe® PI Planning Board looks like in a PPM Software: