SAFe 4.5 Reference Guide: Scaled Agile Framework for Lean Enterprises

The Must-have Reference Guide for SAFe® Professionals “There are a lot of methods of scale out there, but the Scaled Agile Framework is the one lighting up the world.” –Steve Elliot, Founder/CEO AgileCraft   “Since beginning our Lean-Agile journey with SAFe, Vantiv has focused its strategic efforts and its execution. We have improved the predictability of product delivery while maintaining high quality, and have become even more responsive to customers–resulting in higher customer satisfaction. And just as important, employee engagement went up over the past year.” –Dave Kent, Enterprise Agile Coach, Vantiv Fully updated to include the new innovations in SAFe 4.5, the SAFe® 4.5 Reference Guide is ideal for anyone serious about learning and implementing the world’s leading framework for enterprise agility. Inside, you’ll find complete coverage of the scaledagileframework.com knowledge base, the website that thousands of the world’s largest brands turn to for building better software and systems.   SAFe was developed from real-world field experience and provides proven success patterns for implementing Lean-Agile software and systems development at enterprise scale. This book provides comprehensive guidance for work at the enterprise Portfolio, Large Solution, Program, and Team levels, including the various roles, activities, and artifacts that constitute the Framework.   Education & Training Key to Success The practice of SAFe is spreading rapidly throughout the world. The majority of Fortune 100 companies have certified SAFe professionals and consultants, as do an increasing percentage of the Global 2000. Case study results–visit scaledagileframework.com/case-studies–typically include:  30 — 75% faster time-to-market 25 — 75% increase in productivity 20 — 50% improvements in quality 10 — 50% increased employee engagement Successful implementations may vary in context but share a common attribute: a workforce well trained and educated in SAFe practices. This book–along with authorized training and certification–will help you understand how to maximize the value of your role within a SAFe organization. The result is greater alignment and visibility, improved performance throughout the enterprise, and ultimately better outcomes for the business.

Table of Contents:
Preface x About the Authors xii Acknowledgments xiii   Introduction to the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) 1   Part 1: The SAFe Foundation 13 Lean-Agile Leaders 15 Core Values 21 Lean-Agile Mindset 27 SAFe Principles Overview 35 SAFe Implementation Roadmap Overview 39 SAFe Program Consultant 43   Part 2: The SAFe Implementation Roadmap 47 Reaching the Tipping Point 49 Train Lean-Agile Change Agents 53 Train Executives, Managers, and Leaders 57 Create a Lean-Agile Center of Excellence 63 Identify Value Streams and ARTs 69 Create the Implementation Plan 83 Prepare for ART Launch 89 Train Teams and Launch the ART 99 Coach ART Execution 105 Launch More ARTs and Value Streams 109 Extend to the Portfolio 119 Sustain and Improve 125   Part 3: The SAFe Principles 133 Principle #1: Take an economic view 135 Principle #2: Apply systems thinking 141 Principle #3: Assume variability; preserve options 145 Principle #4: Build incrementally with fast, integrated learning cycles 147 Principle #5: Base milestones on objective evaluation of working systems 151 Principle #6: Visualize and limit WIP, reduce batch sizes, and manage queue lengths 155 Principle #7: Apply cadence, synchronize with cross-domain planning 159 Principle #8: Unlock the intrinsic motivation of knowledge workers 163 Principle #9: Decentralize decision-making 167   Part 4: The Team Level 171 Team Level 173 Agile Teams 177 Dev Team 183 Product Owner 187 Scrum Master 193 Built-In Quality 197 ScrumXP 203 Story 209 Iterations 219 Iteration Planning 223 Iteration Goals 229 Iteration Execution 233 Iteration Review 241 Iteration Retrospective 245 Team Backlog 249 Team Kanban 253   Part 5: The Program Level 259 Introduction to the Program Level 261 Agile Release Train 265 Business Owners 275 Product and Solution Management 281 Release Train Engineer and Solution Train Engineer 287 System and Solution Architect/Engineering 291 Program and Solution Backlogs 297 Features and Capabilities 305 Enablers 311 Nonfunctional Requirements 317 Weighted Shortest Job First 325 Program Increment 329 Innovation and Planning Iteration 335 Develop on Cadence 341 Release on Demand 345 Architectural Runway 353 PI Planning 361 PI Objectives 371 System Demo 379 Inspect and Adapt 383 Program and Solution Kanban 391 DevOps 397 Continuous Delivery Pipeline 405 Continuous Exploration 413 Continuous Integration 419 Continuous Deployment 427   Part 6: The Spanning Palette 433 Metrics 435 Shared Services 457 Communities of Practice 461 Milestones 467 Roadmap 475 Vision 481 System Team 487 Lean UX 491   Part 7: The Large Solution Level 497 Introduction to the Large Solution Level 499 Solution Train 503 Customer 509 Supplier 513 Economic Framework 519 Pre- and Post-PI Planning 523 Solution Demo 531 Solution 535 Solution Context 539 Solution Intent 545 Compliance 553 Model-Based Systems Engineering 561 Set-Based Design 567   Part 8: The Portfolio Level 575 Introduction to the Portfolio Level 577 Enterprise 581 Value Streams 587 Strategic Themes 593 Lean Budgets 599 Epic 609 Epic Owners 615 Enterprise Architect 619 Lean Portfolio Management 623 Portfolio Backlog 631 Portfolio Kanban 635 Value Stream Coordination 639   Part 9: Advanced Topics 643 Agile Architecture 645 Agile Contracts 653 Agile HR with SAFe 661 CapEx and OpEx 673 Enterprise Backlog Structure and Management 683 Essential SAFe 691 Features and Components 695 Invitation-Based SAFe Implementation 701 Refactoring 709 SAFe Requirements Model 715 Six SAFe Practices for S-Sized Teams 717 Spikes 723 Test-First 727 The Role of PI Objectives 733   Part 10: Glossary 737 SAFe Glossary 739   Bibliography 749 Index 755

About the Author :
Dean Leffingwell, creator of SAFe®, is widely recognized as the one of the world’s foremost authorities on Lean-Agile best practices. He is an author, serial entrepreneur, and software systems development methodologist. His two best-selling books, Agile Software Requirements: Lean Requirements Practices for Teams, Programs, and the Enterprise (Addison-Wesley, 2011), and Scaling Software Agility: Best Practices for Large Enterprises (Addison-Wesley, 2007), form much of the basis of modern thinking on Lean-Agile practices and principles.