What is SAFe's first Lean agile principle? (2023)

Is a SAFe Lean agile principle?

SAFe is based on ten fundamental concepts that have evolved from Agile principles and methods, Lean product development, systems thinking, and observation of successful enterprises. Each is described in detail in an article by that principle's name.

SAFe principles are grounded in the immutable, underlying tenets of Agile, Lean, systems thinking, and product development flow. These fundamental tenets inspire and inform SAFe's mindset, roles, and practices.

SAFe Full Configuration consists of four levels: Team, Program, Large Solution and Portfolio.

The Scaled Agile Framework^® (SAFe^®) is a set of organizational and workflow patterns for implementing agile practices at an enterprise scale. The framework is a body of knowledge that includes structured guidance on roles and responsibilities, how to plan and manage the work, and values to uphold.

A scaled approach will in any case analyze value streams to understand the relationships between systems. A SAFe framework, for example, is a hybrid between a lean and an agile approach, in the sense that the organization is lean and the operation is agile. All other currently available frameworks are agile approaches.

The 3Cs: Card, Conversation, Confirmation

Card – Captures the user story's statement of intent using an index card, sticky note, or tool. Index cards provide a physical relationship between the team and the story.

The three levels of the Scaled Agile Framework are: Team Level, Program Level, and Portfolio Level. Since SAFe version 5.0, these three levels are no longer sufficient and a fourth level has been added. This SAFe level is about one or more teams working together on something.

The Rule of 3 is a very simple way to get results. Rather than get overwhelmed by your tasks, you bite off three things you can accomplish. This puts you in control. If nothing else, it gives you a very simple frame for the day.

Once a cause is identified, its root cause is explored with the 5 Whys technique. By simply asking 'why' multiple times, the cause of the previous cause is uncovered, and added to the diagram. The process stops once a suitable root cause has been identified and the same process is then applied to the next cause.

This is called a Program Increment (PI), and it consists of five full iterations (sprints) — 10 weeks by default. Just like agile teams, the ART has a set of ceremonies that happen on a predetermined cadence throughout the PI.

How is SAFe different from Scrum?

The main difference between Scrum and SAFe® frameworks is their approach. While Scrum is used to organize small teams, the SAFe® framework is used for organizing a whole organization. A Scrum framework puts more focus on iterative development. It helps the teams to self-organize themselves.

All SAFe Agile teams include two key roles, the Scrum Master and Product Owner. No train can exist without Agile teams; they power the Agile Release Train (ART) and ultimately the entire enterprise. ARTs are responsible for delivering larger solution value.

Lean, Six Sigma and Blockchain…

The "Toyota Way" as documented in Toyota Motor Corporation Annual Report, 2003, and by University of Michigan professor Jeffery Liker (2004) has at its core the '4 P's' of 'Philosophy, Process, People/Partners and Problem Solving. '

Lean Basics

The Lean approach to business processes, originally derived from the enormously influential Toyota production system (TPS) , is based on three fundamental principles: delivering value as defined by the customer, eliminating waste, and continuous improvement.

5S is a five step methodology for creating a more organized and productive workspace: Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. 5S serves as a foundation for deploying more advanced lean production tools and processes.

4. Pull, Don't Push, Work. Agile organizations need to balance push (the investors, sales, competitors, market conditions and others creating demand) versus the pull (which is constrained by limited capacity, skills, time, costs, etc).

A spike story in Agile is a user story that needs more information so the team can estimate how long the story will take to complete. Agile teams typically have a set amount of time outlined for spikes, which is why spike stories are often referred to as timeboxed investigations.

You split a user story by identifying what you need to make it work, and then later adding in other functionality to make it perform even better (such as making it faster, easier, more scalable, or more secure).

What are the components of SAFe methodology?

The Pareto Principle, commonly referred to as the 80/20 rule, states that 80% of the effect comes from 20% of causes. Or, in terms of work and time management, 20% of your efforts will account for 80% of your results.

The SAFe Implementation Roadmap consists of an overview graphic and a 12-article series that describes a strategy and an ordered set of activities that have proven to be effective in successfully implementing SAFe.

The SAFe Scrum Master role has the primary responsibility to help the team achieve its goals. They do this by teaching and coaching SAFe ScrumXP and SAFe, implementing and supporting SAFe principles and practices, and identifying and eliminating bottlenecks to flow.

The main agile scrum artifacts are product backlog, sprint backlog, and increments. The term artifact is often associated with archaeological ruins and ancient relics. Yet in software development, the term artifact refers to key information needed during the development of a product.

SAFe 5 Scrum Master (SSM) certification signifies that people are prepared to perform the role of Scrum Master in a SAFe environment, increasing their value to teams and organizations that are implementing SAFe.

SAFe 5 for Lean Enterprises is the world's leading framework for business agility. SAFe integrates the power of Lean, Agile, and DevOps into a comprehensive operating system that helps enterprises thrive in the digital age by delivering innovative products and services faster than the competition.

Adapted to product development by Leffingwell [5], Poppendieck [6], and others, the SAFe House of Lean illustrates the goal of delivering value through the pillars of respect for people and culture, flow, innovation, and relentless improvement.

A sprint is a short running race. In a track and field competition there are generally three different sprint distances: 100m, 200m, and 400m. The original Olympic event, the stadion race, was a sprint of around 180m.

Can daily scrum exceed 15 minutes?

The daily Scrum meeting should ideally not last more than 15 minutes. On the other no issues or concerns raised during the meeting are allowed to be ignored due to the lack of time. Issues or concerns ought to be recorded by the Scrum Master and needs to be specifically handled after the meeting.

The 100m sprint has four distinct phases that should be addressed by the coach – the start, the acceleration phase, the transition phase and the maximum velocity phase (Winkleman, 2009).

Using Personas to Focus Design

So, they develop 'personas', fictional consumers and/or users derived from customer research. [2] They depict the different people who might use a product or solution in a similar way, providing insights into how real users would engage with a solution.

SAFe Agile vs Agile differ significantly from one another. The amount of iterations they do is one of the most significant distinctions. In contrast to the Agile approach, which has no set time limit for iterations, SAFe is an iterative process with four iterations in a release plan.

Details. Most Agile Teams use SAFe ScrumXP as their primary method to deliver value. However, some teams have a rapid and uneven arrival of work and fast-changing priorities that lowers the value of detailed planning. These teams often choose SAFe Team Kanban as their operating model.

Faster Time-to-market

By aligning cross-functional teams of agile teams around value, leading enterprises can meet customer needs faster. Leveraging the power of Scaled Agile Framework helps them make quicker decisions, communicate more effectively, streamline operations, and stay focused on the customer.

SAFe takes a more structured approach to scale agile than scrum of scrums. SAFe describes three levels in the organization: portfolio, program, and team. This structure goes good with larger organizations as it applies a tiered approach for the delivery of work.

The Scaled Agile Framework, or SAFe, is an agile framework developed for development teams. Most importantly, SAFE's foundation consists of three metaphorical pillars: Team, Program, and Portfolio.

Pillar 2 – Flow

The key to successfully executing SAFe is to establish a continuous flow of work that supports incremental value delivery based on constant feedback and adjustment.

Are there sprints in SAFe agile?

The Program Backlog is — in full SAFe — filled from Portfolio level or Large Solution level. SAFe works with Design Sprints, not supported by Scrum.

The four Core Values of alignment, built-in quality, transparency, and program execution represent the fundamental beliefs that are key to SAFe's effectiveness. These guiding principles help dictate behavior and action for everyone who participates in a SAFe portfolio.

The 3 principles behind agile tools - Transparency, Iteration, Empowerment.

Using Personas to Focus Design

So, they develop 'personas', fictional consumers and/or users derived from customer research. [2] They depict the different people who might use a product or solution in a similar way, providing insights into how real users would engage with a solution.

SAFe Scrum Masters are servant leaders and coaches for an Agile Team. They help educate the team in Scrum, Extreme Programming (XP), Kanban, and SAFe, ensuring that the agreed Agile process is followed.