You are no doubt familiar with agile—the iterative approach to software development and project management. It employs a set of practices and methods that deliver better value to customers by releasing software in small, consumable increments.
As is the case with many other software development methods available today, agile has its share of tools and resources designed to help developers get the most out of it. This article focuses on the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), its history, its core principles, why and when you should use it, and its benefits.
When you finish, you will have a greater understanding of the scaled agile framework and a better idea of how to implement it in your software development environment.
Let’s begin with some basics.
The scaled agile framework alternately referred to as SAFe, is a set of workflow and organizational patterns designed to implement agile practices on an enterprise scale. The structure consists of a body of knowledge that encompasses structured guidance on responsibilities and roles, how to plan and manage work, and upholding appropriate values.
Formed around three bodies of knowledge (agile software development, systems thinking, and lean product development), SAFe promotes alignment, collaboration, and delivery across multiple agile teams.
SAFe’s first version was developed in the field and released in 2011—subsequently elaborated upon further by a veteran software professional and methodologist Dean Leffingwell.
SAFEe began as “The Agile Enterprise Big Picture,” known as SAFe 1.0, then evolved in the ensuing nine years through versions 2.0, 3.0, LSE, 4.0, 4.5, and 4.6, until finally, we arrive at the present day, and SAFe 5.0.
Although SAFe brings a lot of advantages to the table (and we’ll cover them later!), there is a right time and place for using the framework. Perhaps instead of asking why we should use a SAFe framework, we should ask, “When should we use a scaled agile framework?”
Here are the situations when you should use a scaled agile framework:
Here is a real-life case of how one famous company uses the agile framework for maximum results.
The scaled agile framework is built on nine core principles, taken from existing agile and lean principles. They are:
SAFe isn’t the only agile practice available to developers. There are other Agile practices out there, and each one offers benefits. Let’s check out a few and see how they stack up against SAFe.
SAFe versus DAD. Disciplined agile delivery (DAD) emphasizes a product’s end-to-end lifecycle, and is guided by these seven principles:
o Delight customers
o Be awesome
o Pragmatism
o Context counts
o Choice is good
o Optimize workflow
o Enterprise awareness
DAD focuses on people first and is the first level of disciplined agile, a practice that provides lightweight, agile governance. It lets organizations define the agile path that works best for them.
Before we talk about levels, there are two different methods of SAFe implementation:
SAFe 3.0 implementation has three levels: Portfolio, Program, and Team, and generally used for smaller deployments with 100 or fewer people, and programs that don’t need significant collaboration.
SAFe 4.0 implementation has four levels: Portfolio, Value Stream, Program, and Team. Level four covers solutions that usually require hundreds of users to develop, deploy, and maintain software.
SAFe 5.0 implementation introduces a new level—Essential SAFe, which is a combination of Team and Program levels.
Learn all about the Scaled Agile Framework, its application, configuration, and more with the Leading SAFe 5 Agilist Certification Training. Enroll now
SAFe offers a lot of advantages, including:
In the interests of full disclosure, SAFe isn’t perfect. Its weaknesses include:
Considering SAFe’s popularity, team leaders should be well-versed in implementing and using the framework. Certification shows organizations that you have verified SAFe qualifications, a significant advantage when a company is looking for an agile team leader or agile coach position.
Simplilearn offers a Leading SAFe 5 Agilist certification training course that teaches you the Lean-Agile principles and practices of SAFe. It’s a two-day course that helps you to understand the Lean-Agile mindset, execute with Agile Release Trains, build an Agile Portfolio, and learn how to lead a Lean-Agile transformation in any organization.
Agile coaches in the US earn an annual average of $97,319—going as high as $132,000. Furthermore, agile is considered the new norm, so demand is high and will stay that way for the foreseeable future. So, if you’re looking for a secure career with robust earning power, then consider becoming an agile coach. Simplilearn can help you get that career off the ground, so check it out today!
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