SAFe is considered the world's most trusted system for business agility. They are based on simple idea of disturbing the comfortable and comforting the disturbed!
A framework helps in amplifying the impact of programming language. It speeds up the development process, and reduces the overall cost of developing a software. Currently, Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) helps large organizations scale agile practices and is especially useful for software development and enterprise product management. Team, program, and portfolio are its three pillars. It is expanding fast and is being recognized in a series of versions SAFe 5.0, SAFe 6.0; it combines elements from agile software development, Lean product development, and systems thinking.
SAFe Agile Software Methodology is also being used by several government agencies, including - The UK government, Pole Emploi - the French employment agency, The Dutch Tax Authority, The Australian Post.
Why use SAFe instead of plain Agile Development Methodology?
While agile framework just pertains to addressing challenges of one single project/team, a Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) helps organizations manage multiple agile teams (simultaneously).
It helps organizations in building trust and creating transparency that ensures that all goals are clearly outlined, and workloads are broken down into short - term commitments.
SAFe also ensures that software products are developed with a focus on quality and customer satisfaction.
Implementation of SAFe Agile Framework
The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) was first released in 2011, and since then it has been updated six times. It has been helping organizations design better software and systems to meet customer needs. Agile methodologies like Lean, Kanban, Scrum, Scrumban, and Extreme Programming. It is freely available online and can support organizations of 80-100 employees to thousands of employees working on large systems.
Examples of SAFe Implementation
Some very big companies have been using SAFe into their agile software development processes. SAFe Agile Framework is being used in Cisco, LEGO digital solutions, Barclays, Panera Bread, Ericsson, PlayStation Network, John Deere, and Fitbit. A few prominent examples:
LEGO: By implementing SAFe algorithm, 5 of their 20 teams became self-organizing Scrum teams.
CISCO: They made a switch from the waterfall methodology to SAFe and introduced three agile release trains on their subscription billing platform.
Barclays: They have integrated their agile efforts to make a more effective unit.
PlayStation Network: SIE leadership switched to SAFe to improve collaboration.
Top 10 Scaled Agile Framework
SpiraPlan: It is an integrated interface for managing projects, portfolios, and requirements, essential for streamlined project execution and alignment.
ServiceNow: Based on enterprise cloud platform, Service Now provides digital workflows for IT, customer service, security, and HR, crucial for organizational efficiency and automation.
Rally Software: This agile project management tool enables teams to plan, track, and deliver software efficiently, vital for agile development methodologies.
TargetProcess: It facilitates collaboration and visibility across teams, and is pivotal for agile project execution and continuous improvement.
PlanView: Enterprise-wide portfolio and resource management solution, indispensable for strategic planning and optimizing resource allocation.
Digital .ai: End-to-end value stream management platform orchestrating software delivery, critical for aligning business objectives with software development processes.
Atlassian ((1) Confluence, (2) JIRA Software, (3) Easy Agile for JIRA, (4) JIRA Align, (5) BigPicture, (6) Roadmaps): This suite of tools ensures (1) collaboration, (2) issue tracking, (3) agile planning, and (4) portfolio management, which is essential for agile teams to (1) plan, (2) track, and (3) deliver projects effectively.
TaskTop: It is an integration platform that connects various tools and systems, necessary for seamless communication and workflow automation across diverse tool chains.
SwiftEASe: It is an enterprise agile planning and delivery platform, which is fundamental for scaling agile practices and managing complex projects efficiently.
Clarizen: It is an (1) Enterprise work management and (2) project management software, vital for orchestrating (1) projects, (2) resources, and (3) workflows to drive business success.
Other top SAFe tools offered by software development companies are SwiftKanban, Hive, Leankit, and Jira Align. Also, Planview Leankit is a top SAFe tool because it supports Agile, Lean, and SAFe methodologies, and has a user-friendly interface.
Alternatives to Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)
Yes there are plenty options available besides SAFe:
Nexus: A lightweight framework based on Scrum that's good for three to nine teams
Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS): Similar to Nexus but with minor differences, and a second configuration that supports more than eight teams
Scrum@Scale: An extension of Scrum that's considered easy to learn
Disciplined Agile (DAD): Focuses on business outcomes and practical decision-making, and is good for organizations that want flexibility
Spotify Model: Another alternative to SAFe
Conclusion: When to use SAFe?
Organizations can choose an alternative framework based on their needs and context. For example, SAFe is best for large enterprises with complex projects and multiple teams, while LeSS is better for small to medium-sized organizations that prefer simplicity.
In very simple terms SAFe provides business value to the customers. Any Agile Method is implemented by keeping customers requirements, priority, deadlines, budget and convenience in mind. All the features to be implemented via SAFe are listed in a backlog which is then used to plan and prioritize work. This process is continually refined based on the feedback and changing business needs.
These iterations are mandatory part (also called as feedback recovery loop), where the client checks the current implementation and then points out errors or suggests amendments. This helps build a project that is up to the standards that the client had been expecting.
SAFe® (Scaled Agile Framework) features include Agile Release Trains, Lean Portfolio Management, Program Increments, DevOps, Continuous Integration/Deployment, and Agile Teams. Some or most of these tools (or approaches) are pre-built solutions. You do not have to rely upon a developer or another tool to find a solution that works out of the box. Earlier, you were asked to think out of the box. Now, you are advised to think out of ChatGPT.
To conclude, SAFe Agile Framework solves business problems, architectural problems and enabler problems for the business. These enumerate high-level business functionality to the customers, offers guidance for the scalability, maintenance and security of the system. Enabler feature help in removing any complex technical problem into small understandable chunks that are easy to code, and comprehend. This helps the team in identifying technical dependencies of the work and plan accordingly.
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