By Ashley Lipman

If your Business is running multiple Agile projects and you are seriously in need to scale, you would have heard of the Scaled Agile Framework also known as SAFe. Read more as an introduction to this framework and how you can use it to your advantage.

What is SAFe?

While most business users have heard the term Scaled Agile Framework, many of you are not familiar with what it actually means. This framework is a combination of both lean and Agile principles designed to make collaboration and centralized decision-making easier. Some examples of the principles would be cross-functional teams, continuous code integration and systems thinking among others.

One of the biggest benefits that comes with using SAFe is the various configuration options it offers. The three basic levels used in SAFe are:

• team,
• program and
• portfolio.

When using SAFe, companies are able to view the “big picture” of a particular project. This level of visualization is only possible when mapping out the roles of your team and assigning them particular responsibilities. Luckily, the Agile principles SAFe is based on, can be scaled to fit the needs of large corporations. Most businesses find that the centralized decision making promoted by this framework helps to speed the progression of a project up without mistakes being made in the process.

The Benefits of Adopting SAFe

The main benefit that comes with adopting SAFe is the efficiency it can bring to the software development process. Using this framework not only benefits the developers in the trenches writing code and developing new programs, but it is also helpful for software leaders.

Often times, these leaders are tasked with answering high-level strategy questions. Getting the answers to these questions is easy when everyone is on the same page and decision-making is centralised. Most large corporations have found that SAFe’s big picture view helps them to coordinate strategies even on large scale projects that are complex in nature.

Another advantage of using SAFe is that it helps business owners stay aligned with shareholders goals and wishes. In some instances, the bottom-up approach of Agile can lead to developers and testers losing sight of the big picture. With the top-down approach of SAFe, you can keep everyone moving towards a common goal with ease.

One more major benefit is the Inspect and Adapt principles which support a systematic view of outcomes and will lead to continuous improvement.

Challenges of Implementing Scaled Agile Frameworks

The first thing you need to do before starting to use this framework is to put the right tools in place.

For instance, if you use Microsoft IIS to host your websites, investing in software that acts as a strong Monitor for IIS performance is a must. Putting the right tools in the hands of your developers will make the transition to SAFe and the software development process as a whole more successful.

As mentioned before, SAFe uses a “big picture” model to keep all of your team members on the same page. This is why creating a detailed roadmap for the project at hand is so important.

Furthermore, Lean-Agile leadership is required that will help management to lead the transformation rather than follow it.

Another challenge is to dedicate enough time for innovation and planning, else you will incur technical debt, more overtime will be required and teams will fall victim to the ‘tyranny of the urgent’.

Adopting SAFe Takes Time

As with any other project management methodology or framework, the SAFe adoption process will take time and effort. Instead of getting impatient and making mistakes, you need to take your time to implement it slowly. Consulting with professional Agile Practitioners who have experience with Scaled Agile Frameworks can be very beneficial and is recommended.