Playbook 3: Scaling Agile Framework Implementation (SAFe® Example) - Complete Goal: To successfully implement the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe®) to improve coordination, alignment, and value delivery across multiple agile teams working on larger solutions or value streams. This playbook provides a chapter-by-chapter guide based on common steps and considerations when implementing SAFe. Note: SAFe® is a registered trademark of Scaled Agile, Inc.

Chapter 1: Introduction & Assessment

Objective: To establish the foundational understanding and context for a potential SAFe implementation by clarifying the business drivers, providing a high-level framework overview, assessing organizational readiness, and identifying the initial value streams and potential Agile Release Trains (ARTs) to focus on.

Key Activities & Content:

• 1.1. Understand the 'Why': Business Drivers for Scaling:

  • Facilitate Leadership Discussion: Engage senior leaders and key stakeholders in a focused discussion to articulate the compelling business reasons for considering scaling agile practices with a framework like SAFe. Avoid implementing SAFe simply because it's popular.
  • Identify Pain Points & Opportunities: What specific problems is the organization trying to solve? Examples:
    • Slow time-to-market for large, multi-team initiatives.
    • Difficulty coordinating dependencies between teams.
    • Misalignment between teams and overall business strategy.
    • Inconsistent processes across teams leading to integration issues.
    • Inability to predictably deliver large solutions.
  • Connect to Strategy: How does improving scaled agility support key enterprise strategic objectives?
  • Goal: Achieve clear alignment among leadership on the specific, measurable business outcomes expected from a SAFe implementation. Document these drivers.

• 1.2. Provide High-Level SAFe Framework Overview:

  • Educate Key Stakeholders: Deliver a concise, tailored overview of SAFe for leaders and managers who may be unfamiliar with it. Focus on the core purpose and essential elements, not exhaustive detail at this stage.
  • Key Concepts to Introduce:
    • Agile Release Train (ART): The core concept of a long-lived, virtual organization of 5-12 agile teams (50-125+ people) aligned to a common mission/value stream.
    • Program Increment (PI): The fixed timebox (typically 8-12 weeks) during which an ART plans, executes, and delivers value.
    • PI Planning: The seminal two-day planning event where all ART members align on objectives for the upcoming PI.
    • Key Roles: Briefly introduce essential roles like Release Train Engineer (RTE), Product Management, System Architect/Engineering, Business Owners, Scrum Master, Product Owner.
    • Core Values & Principles: Touch upon SAFe's foundation in Lean-Agile principles and its four core values (Alignment, Built-in Quality, Transparency, Program Execution).
    • Different Configurations: Briefly explain that SAFe can be configured (Essential, Large Solution, Portfolio, Full) depending on organizational needs.
  • Goal: Establish a baseline, shared understanding of the framework's intent and key terminology among decision-makers.

• 1.3. Conduct SAFe Readiness Assessment:

  • Purpose: Objectively evaluate the organization's preparedness to adopt SAFe, identifying strengths to build upon and critical gaps or risks to mitigate.
  • Assessment Areas: Use workshops, surveys, or checklists covering dimensions such as:
    • Leadership Commitment: Strength and visibility of executive sponsorship. Willingness to lead the change.
    • Team-Level Agility: Existing experience with Scrum, Kanban, or other agile methods.
    • Technical Practices Maturity: State of CI/CD, test automation, DevOps culture, architectural runway.
    • Product Management Practices: Ability to define and prioritize value at scale.
    • Organizational Culture: Collaboration across silos, trust levels, willingness to embrace transparency and change.
    • Value Stream Identification: Clarity on how value flows to the customer.
  • Analyze Findings: Synthesize the assessment results, highlighting key readiness factors, potential challenges (e.g., significant technical debt, resistant middle management), and prerequisites that might need addressing before launching an ART.
  • Goal: Inform the implementation strategy and identify areas requiring focused attention or investment.

• 1.4. Identify Initial Value Stream(s) & Potential ART(s):

  • Value Stream Identification Workshop: Facilitate a dedicated workshop with cross-functional stakeholders (business, technology, operations, etc.).
  • Steps:
    • Identify Operational Value Streams: Map how the organization delivers value to external customers (e.g., "loan application processing," "e-commerce order fulfillment").
    • Identify Development Value Streams: For a chosen operational stream, identify the systems, processes, and people involved in building and deploying the solutions that enable it.
    • Select Candidate Stream(s): Choose one (or possibly more, but starting with one is common) development value stream as the focus for the first ART implementation. Base selection on factors like strategic importance, leadership readiness in that area, potential for impact, and relative organizational complexity.
    • Define Potential ART Boundaries: Identify the specific agile teams (existing or to-be-formed), key roles, and major systems/applications that deliver value within the selected development value stream. This defines the initial scope and potential membership of the first Agile Release Train(s).
  • Goal: Define a clear, bounded context for the initial SAFe implementation, ensuring focus and alignment around delivering specific value.

Outputs from Chapter 1:

• Documented Business Drivers & Expected Outcomes for scaling with SAFe.
• Presentation materials and summary of the High-Level SAFe Overview delivered.
• Completed SAFe Readiness Assessment Report, including identified strengths, gaps, and risks.
• Identified and documented candidate Development Value Stream(s) for the initial implementation.
• Initial definition of potential ART boundaries, including likely teams and key systems involved.

Chapter 2: Gaining Sponsorship & Forming the LACE

Objective: To secure genuine, active executive sponsorship for the SAFe implementation, establish the Lean-Agile Center of Excellence (LACE) as the guiding coalition, and define the initial implementation strategy and high-level roadmap based on the assessment findings.

Key Activities & Content:

• 2.1. Secure Active & Informed Sponsorship:

  • Present the Case: Based on the business drivers and readiness assessment (Chapter 1), present a clear case to executive leadership for implementing SAFe. Highlight expected benefits, potential challenges, required investments (time, resources, coaching), and critical success factors.
  • Define Sponsor Roles: Clearly articulate the expectations for active sponsors beyond just providing budget. This includes:
    • Championing the Vision: Consistently communicating the 'Why' and benefits.
    • Leading by Example: Modeling Lean-Agile behaviors.
    • Removing Systemic Impediments: Using their authority to clear organizational roadblocks identified by the LACE or ARTs.
    • Building Coalitions: Engaging peer executives to ensure cross-functional support.
    • Participating in Key Events: Attending relevant SAFe events like PI Planning (Business Owner role) or System Demos.
  • Gain Explicit Commitment: Secure explicit, visible commitment from one or more key executives who will actively sponsor the implementation. This might be formalized in a charter or statement of support.

• 2.2. Establish the Lean-Agile Center of Excellence (LACE):

  • Purpose: Form the LACE – a small, dedicated team (often 3-7 people initially) responsible for implementing and facilitating the SAFe adoption. It acts as the central engine and guiding coalition for the change.
  • Mission & Responsibilities: Define the LACE's mission (e.g., "To drive the successful implementation and continuous improvement of SAFe practices to achieve [Business Drivers]"). Key responsibilities include:
    • Developing the implementation plan/roadmap.
    • Facilitating training and coaching.
    • Supporting ART launch and execution.
    • Fostering Lean-Agile principles and practices across the organization.
    • Communicating progress and managing change.
    • Facilitating Inspect & Adapt cycles for the implementation itself.
  • Composition: Staff the LACE with respected and influential individuals from both business and technology, potentially including experienced internal/external coaches. Members need dedicated time for LACE activities.
  • Empowerment & Operating Model: Ensure the LACE is empowered by sponsors, has necessary resources, and establishes its own way of working (e.g., using a Kanban board to manage the implementation backlog).

• 2.3. Define Initial Implementation Strategy & Roadmap:

  • Synthesize Findings: Combine the business drivers, readiness assessment results, value stream/ART identification, and sponsor input to define the initial rollout strategy.
  • Select First ART(s): Formally confirm the selection of the first Agile Release Train(s) to be launched.
  • High-Level Roadmap: Develop a high-level, visual roadmap for the initial phase (e.g., first 1-2 PIs). This should include key milestones like:
    • Leadership Training (Chapter 3)
    • Role Identification & Training (Chapter 3)
    • ART Backlog Preparation (Chapter 4)
    • ART Launch / First PI Planning (Chapter 5)
    • First PI Execution & Coaching (Chapter 6)
    • First Inspect & Adapt Workshop (Chapter 7)
  • LACE Backlog: Create the initial implementation backlog for the LACE, breaking down the roadmap milestones into actionable tasks and prioritizing them.

Outputs from Chapter 2:

• Documented commitment and defined roles for Executive Sponsor(s).
• Established LACE with a defined Charter (Mission, Responsibilities, Membership) and operating model.
• Confirmed selection of the first ART(s) for launch.
• Initial SAFe Implementation Roadmap (visualizing the first 1-2 PIs).
• Prioritized initial LACE Backlog (Kanban board).

Chapter 3: Training & Role Identification

Objective: To build foundational knowledge and alignment on SAFe across key leaders, managers, and stakeholders, and to identify and provide role-specific training for the individuals who will perform critical functions within the first Agile Release Train(s).

Key Activities & Content:

• 3.1. Provide Foundational Training (Leaders First):

  • Target Audience: Executives, leaders, managers, key influencers, LACE members, portfolio stakeholders, and anyone involved in supporting or interacting with the upcoming ART(s).
  • Recommended Course: Utilize foundational training like Scaled Agile's "Leading SAFe®" course. This course provides essential knowledge of the framework, Lean-Agile principles, the mindset shift required, and how leaders can support the implementation.
  • Timing & Goal: Conduct this training early in the implementation process (ideally before extensive ART preparation) to ensure alignment, build buy-in, and equip leaders to effectively guide the transformation.

• 3.2. Identify Individuals for Key ART Roles:

  • Critical Roles: Based on the defined ART(s) (Chapter 1 & 2), work with leadership and management to identify specific individuals to fill the key full-time or significant part-time roles required for ART success:
    • Release Train Engineer (RTE): Servant leader and chief Scrum Master for the ART, facilitates ART events and processes, removes impediments. Requires strong facilitation, coaching, and organizational skills.
    • Product Management: Owns, defines, and prioritizes the Program Backlog. Works with Product Owners and stakeholders to define solutions. Requires business acumen and customer focus.
    • System Architect/Engineering: Provides architectural guidance and technical enablement for the ART, ensuring solution integrity and enabling flow. Requires deep technical expertise and systems thinking.
    • Business Owners: Key stakeholders (often business leaders/executives) who have ultimate responsibility for the value delivered by the ART and participate in key ART events (e.g., PI Planning, System Demos).
    • Scrum Masters: Servant leaders for individual agile teams within the ART.
    • Product Owners: Own and prioritize the Team Backlog for individual agile teams, collaborating with Product Management.
  • Selection Criteria: Consider skills, experience, aptitude for servant leadership, influence, and willingness to embrace new ways of working when identifying candidates.

• 3.3. Provide Role-Specific Training:

  • Targeted Learning: Once individuals are identified for key roles, provide them with role-specific SAFe training courses (e.g., SAFe® Scrum Master, SAFe® Product Owner/Product Manager, SAFe® Release Train Engineer, SAFe® Architect).
  • Just-in-Time Principle: Schedule this training close to when the individuals will need to apply the knowledge – typically shortly before the ART launch and first PI Planning event.
  • Goal: Equip individuals with the specific knowledge, skills, and responsibilities associated with their SAFe role to ensure they can perform effectively from the start of the ART's operation.

Outputs from Chapter 3:

• Documented Training Plan outlining courses, target audiences, and schedule.
• Records of attendance and completion for foundational training (e.g., Leading SAFe®).
• Confirmed roster of individuals assigned to key ART roles (RTE, Product Management, System Architect, Business Owners, Scrum Masters, Product Owners) for the first ART(s).
• Records of attendance and completion for role-specific SAFe training courses.

Chapter 4: Preparing for the First ART Launch

Objective: To execute all necessary organizational, logistical, and content preparations to ensure the first Agile Release Train (ART) is set up for success before its official launch and first Program Increment (PI) Planning event.

Key Activities & Content:

• 4.1. Finalize & Communicate ART Definition:

  • Clarify Purpose & Boundaries: Solidify the ART's name, mission/purpose statement (what value it delivers), and clear boundaries (which teams, systems, and functions are part of this ART).
  • Identify Key Stakeholders: Formally identify and confirm the Business Owners who represent the business/customer perspective and have steering/governance responsibility for the ART.
  • Communicate Widely: Ensure the ART's definition, purpose, and key personnel (RTE, Product Management, System Architect, Business Owners) are clearly communicated to all ART members and relevant stakeholders.

• 4.2. Form and Align Agile Teams:

  • Team Structure: Finalize the composition of the agile teams within the ART. Aim for cross-functional teams aligned to features or components where possible. Confirm team membership.
  • Role Assignments: Ensure each team has a dedicated Scrum Master and Product Owner assigned (leveraging those trained in Chapter 3).
  • Team Kick-offs: Conduct brief kick-off sessions for each team to establish initial working agreements, understand their context within the ART, and meet their SM/PO.
  • Refresher Training (If Needed): Provide brief refreshers on basic Scrum/Kanban practices if team maturity varies significantly.

• 4.3. Create and Refine the Initial Program Backlog:

  • Responsibility: Driven primarily by Product Management, in close collaboration with Product Owners, System Architects, Business Owners, and other key stakeholders.
  • Content: Populate the Program Backlog with candidate Features (service/product capabilities that deliver value) envisioned for the first 1-2 PIs. Features should align with the ART's mission and business drivers.
  • Refinement: Refine the Features intended for the first PI:
    • Define: Ensure features have clear descriptions, benefits hypotheses, and acceptance criteria.
    • Estimate: Estimate Features (e.g., using relative story points) to gauge size and support prioritization.
    • Prioritize: Prioritize the backlog using techniques like Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) or other methods agreed upon, ensuring alignment with strategic themes and Business Owner input.
  • Goal: Have a sufficiently deep, refined, and prioritized backlog ready to be presented at the first PI Planning event.

• 4.4. Prepare Logistics, Tooling & Communication for PI Planning:

  • Logistics (Critical): PI Planning requires significant logistical preparation, whether in-person or remote:
    • Facility/Virtual Space: Secure a large enough physical room or configure appropriate virtual collaboration tools (e.g., Miro, Mural, digital SAFe tools) capable of supporting 50-125+ people working interactively.
    • Technology: Ensure reliable AV equipment, microphones, projectors/screens, network connectivity, and access to necessary software/tools.
    • Supplies: Arrange for physical supplies (markers, sticky notes, posters) or digital equivalents.
    • Catering/Breaks: Plan for meals and breaks if in person.
  • Tooling: Configure any necessary Agile Lifecycle Management (ALM) tools (e.g., Jira Align, Rally, Azure DevOps) to support ART structure, backlogs, and planning artifacts.
  • Agenda & Briefings: Finalize the detailed PI Planning agenda (based on the standard SAFe template). Prepare and rehearse key briefings (Business Context, Product Vision, Architecture Vision).
  • Planning Guidelines: Define and communicate guidelines for capacity estimation, definition of done, use of program board, etc.
  • Communication: Send out clear invitations and pre-reading materials to all ART members and stakeholders well in advance, explaining the event's purpose, agenda, and expectations.

Outputs from Chapter 4:

• Finalized ART Definition Document (Purpose, Boundaries, Key Personnel, Business Owners).
• Confirmed Agile Team structures and membership within the ART.
• Initial Team Working Agreements.
• A sufficiently refined and prioritized Program Backlog (Features) ready for the first PI Planning.
• A detailed PI Planning Agenda, logistics plan (facility/virtual setup), and required technology/tooling configuration.
• Prepared Business Context, Product Vision, and Architecture Vision briefings.
• Communication artifacts for ART members regarding launch and PI Planning details.

Chapter 5: The ART Launch & PI Planning Event

Objective: To officially launch the Agile Release Train (ART) by conducting the first Program Increment (PI) Planning event, resulting in aligned PI Objectives, a committed plan, and identified risks for the upcoming PI. This event is the heartbeat of SAFe, creating shared understanding and commitment across the entire ART.

Key Activities & Content:

• 5.1. Facilitate the PI Planning Event (Typically 2 Days):

  • RTE Leadership: The Release Train Engineer (RTE) typically facilitates the event, supported by Scrum Masters, LACE members, and coaches.
  • Adhere to Agenda: Follow the structured PI Planning agenda meticulously:
    • Day 1 Morning (Alignment):
      • Business Context: Executive/Business Owner presents the current state of the business and market.
      • Product/Solution Vision: Product Management presents the vision and highest priority Features for the upcoming PI.
      • Architecture Vision & Development Practices: System Architect/Engineering outlines enabling architecture and practices.
      • Planning Context & Lunch: RTE explains the planning process, capacity estimation, and logistics.
    • Day 1 Afternoon (Planning):
      • Team Breakouts #1: Teams estimate capacity, analyze features, identify dependencies, draft initial plans (mapping features/stories to iterations), and identify risks. Scrum Masters facilitate, POs clarify features.
      • Draft Plan Review: Teams briefly present their draft plans, highlighting key risks and dependencies.
      • Management Review & Problem-Solving: ART leadership (RTE, PM, Arch, Managers, BOs) meets to address scope, resource, and dependency issues identified.
    • Day 2 Morning (Finalizing Plans):
      • Planning Adjustments: RTE communicates adjustments based on the management review.
      • Team Breakouts #2: Teams refine plans, finalize PI Objectives (using SMART criteria), map dependencies on the program board, and continue identifying risks. Business Owners circulate to clarify intent and approve PI Objectives.
      • Final Plan Review & Lunch: Teams present their final plans and PI Objectives.
    • Day 2 Afternoon (Commitment & Closure):
      • Program Risks: Review all identified risks, categorize them using ROAM (Resolved, Owned, Accepted, Mitigated), and ensure ownership for mitigation plans.
      • Confidence Vote: Each team conducts a fist-of-five vote on their confidence in meeting their PI Objectives. The ART then conducts an aggregate confidence vote. Significant issues require replanning.
      • Plan Rework (If Necessary): If confidence is low, facilitate necessary adjustments to the plan.
      • Planning Retrospective & Moving Forward: Briefly reflect on the PI Planning event itself and outline next steps.

• 5.2. Coach Teams & Roles During Breakouts:

  • Scrum Master Role: Coach Scrum Masters on facilitating team planning, managing timeboxes, ensuring participation, helping estimate capacity, identifying dependencies/risks, and guiding the team in writing good PI Objectives.
  • Product Owner Role: Coach POs on clarifying feature intent, answering team questions, collaborating with Product Management and other POs, and accepting team PI Objectives.
  • Team Coaching: Help teams understand features, break them down into stories, manage dependencies using the program board, identify risks, and write clear, measurable PI Objectives. Ensure effective collaboration within and between teams.

• 5.3. Ensure Alignment & Commitment via Key Outputs:

  • ART PI Objectives: Synthesize the Team PI Objectives into a set of ART-level objectives providing a high-level summary of the ART's goals for the PI. These are crucial for alignment with Business Owners and stakeholders.
  • Team PI Objectives: Each team produces clear, committed objectives aligned to the features they plan to deliver.
  • Program Board: The completed program board visually represents feature delivery timelines, dependencies between teams, and key milestones for the PI.
  • ROAMed Risks: All significant risks identified during planning are categorized and addressed with mitigation plans where appropriate.
  • Confidence Vote: The vote signifies the ART's collective commitment to the plan.

Outputs from Chapter 5:

• Committed ART PI Objectives for the Program Increment.
• Committed Team PI Objectives for each team on the ART.
• Completed Program Board visualizing feature delivery and dependencies.
• A list of Program Risks, categorized using ROAM.
• Results of the ART Confidence Vote.
• Action items from the PI Planning Retrospective.

Chapter 6: Coaching ART Execution

Objective: To guide and support the Agile Release Train (ART) throughout the Program Increment (PI) execution by coaching key roles, facilitating synchronization and feedback events, promoting technical excellence, and actively managing risks and dependencies to help the ART deliver on its PI Objectives.

Key Activities & Content:

• 6.1. Coach Key Roles During Execution:

  • RTE Coaching: Support the Release Train Engineer in facilitating ART events, managing the program board, tracking progress towards PI objectives, removing impediments escalated by Scrum Masters, and fostering ART-level continuous improvement.
  • Product Management Coaching: Assist Product Management in refining the Program Backlog for future PIs, collaborating with Product Owners on feature decomposition, engaging with Business Owners and stakeholders, and making scope/priority adjustments as needed.
  • System Architect/Engineering Coaching: Guide the System Architect/Engineering team in evolving architectural runway, ensuring Nonfunctional Requirements (NFRs) are addressed, supporting teams with technical challenges, and promoting good design and engineering practices.
  • Scrum Master Coaching: Support Scrum Masters in facilitating team events, removing team-level impediments, coaching team members, ensuring collaboration, and escalating larger issues to the RTE. Foster the Scrum Master Community of Practice.
  • Product Owner Coaching: Help Product Owners manage and prioritize Team Backlogs, collaborate with Product Management and other POs, effectively represent the customer to the team, and accept completed stories. Foster the Product Owner Community of Practice.

• 6.2. Facilitate ART Synchronization & Feedback Events:

  • ART Sync (Coach the Coach / Scrum of Scrums & PO Sync): Facilitate or support the RTE in running regular ART Sync events. Ensure the Scrum of Scrums focuses on progress, impediments, and inter-team dependencies, while the PO Sync focuses on backlog refinement, scope adjustments, and upcoming feature readiness.
  • System Demos: Ensure System Demos occur regularly (typically every two weeks), demonstrating the integrated working solution from all teams on the ART. Coach the ART on preparing and running effective demos that elicit meaningful feedback from Business Owners and stakeholders. This is a critical feedback loop.

• 6.3. Support DevOps and Built-in Quality:

  • Promote Technical Practices: Actively coach and encourage teams and leadership to invest in and improve technical practices that enable flow and quality. This includes:
    • Continuous Integration (CI): Automating integration and testing frequently.
    • Continuous Deployment (CD): Automating deployment processes.
    • Test Automation: Building automated tests at multiple levels.
    • Other XP/DevOps Practices: Pair programming, Test-Driven Development (TDD), collective code ownership, infrastructure as code.
  • Address Technical Debt: Help the ART make technical debt visible and prioritize its reduction.
  • Architectural Runway: Support the System Architect/Engineering team in building and maintaining the necessary architectural runway to support upcoming features.

• 6.4. Manage Risks and Dependencies:

  • Program Board Updates: Ensure the program board created during PI Planning is maintained and updated throughout the PI to reflect completed features and manage dependencies.
  • Risk Management (ROAM): Regularly review the ROAM board (risks identified in PI Planning). Follow up on mitigation actions for 'Owned' risks. Revisit 'Accepted' risks if conditions change. Identify and ROAM new risks that emerge during execution.
  • Impediment Removal: Support the RTE and Scrum Masters in actively identifying, escalating, and removing impediments at both the team and ART level. Track impediment removal progress.

Outputs from Chapter 6:

• Minutes, decisions, and action items from ART Sync events (SoS, PO Sync).
• Feedback logs and recordings from regular System Demos.
• Updated Program Board reflecting progress and dependency status.
• Updated ROAM Board reflecting risk mitigation progress and new risks.
• Evidence of impediment identification and removal activities.
• Coaching notes and development plans for key ART roles.
• Metrics related to flow, quality, and DevOps maturity (where available).

Chapter 7: Inspect & Adapt Workshop

Objective: To formally close the Program Increment (PI) by facilitating the Inspect & Adapt (I&A) workshop. This event allows the ART to demonstrate the full solution increment, reflect on performance using quantitative and qualitative data, and identify systemic problems and actionable improvement items for the next PI.

Key Activities & Content:

• 7.1. Facilitate the PI System Demo:

  • Purpose: The first part of the I&A event. Demonstrate the full solution increment developed by the ART over the entire PI, showcasing the integrated work of all teams.
  • Audience: All ART members, Business Owners, sponsors, portfolio stakeholders, and other interested parties.
  • Focus: Demonstrate working features and capabilities against the PI Objectives established during PI Planning. Elicit feedback from Business Owners and stakeholders.
  • Assess Objectives: Lead the Business Owners in assessing the achievement level for each PI Objective (e.g., assigning business value points achieved vs. planned).

• 7.2. Conduct Quantitative & Qualitative Measurement:

  • Present ART Metrics: The RTE (supported by LACE/coaches) presents key metrics gathered during the PI, providing insights into the ART's performance and predictability. Examples include:
    • ART Predictability Measure: Comparing planned vs. actual business value achieved on PI Objectives.
    • Feature Completion Rates.
    • Flow Metrics: Lead time, cycle time, throughput (if tracked).
    • Quality Metrics: Defect trends, automated test coverage.
    • DevOps Metrics: Deployment frequency, lead time for changes.
  • Brief Reflection: Facilitate a short discussion on what the metrics indicate about the PI's performance and any emerging trends.

• 7.3. Lead the Problem-Solving Workshop (Retrospective):

  • Purpose: Facilitate a structured retrospective focused on identifying and addressing one or two major systemic problems that impacted the ART during the PI.
  • Process:
    • Data Review: Briefly review the metrics and PI Objective achievement data.
    • Problem Identification: Gather input from the ART on the biggest challenges faced during the PI (e.g., using silent brainstorming on sticky notes). Group related items into themes. Vote to select the top 1-2 problems to focus on.
    • Root Cause Analysis: Guide the ART (often in smaller breakout groups) through root cause analysis for the selected problem(s) using techniques like the Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram or the "5 Whys."
    • Brainstorm Solutions: Brainstorm potential corrective actions or improvement ideas targeting the identified root cause(s).
    • Identify Improvement Items: Select the most impactful and feasible improvement ideas and formulate them as clear action items or improvement stories for the next PI. Assign owners where appropriate.

• 7.4. Ensure Improvement Items Feed Forward:

  • Capture & Prioritize: Ensure the identified improvement items (often framed as Features or Stories) are clearly documented and entered into the Program Backlog.
  • Visibility for PI Planning: Make these items visible and ensure they are considered for prioritization during the next PI Planning event, ensuring the ART acts on its own improvement findings.

Outputs from Chapter 7:

• Recording and/or feedback summary from the PI System Demo.
• Final assessment of PI Objectives achievement (e.g., planned vs. actual business value).
• PI Performance Metrics Report and summary of trends discussed.
• Documented Root Cause Analysis artifacts (e.g., Fishbone diagram).
• A list of prioritized, actionable Improvement Items/Stories for the next PI's backlog.

Chapter 8: Launching More ARTs & Expanding the Portfolio

Objective: To leverage the experience and learnings from the initial ART launch(es) to effectively scale SAFe adoption to additional value streams, potentially extend Lean-Agile principles to portfolio management, and establish mechanisms for ongoing organizational learning and continuous improvement.

Key Activities & Content:

• 8.1. Apply Lessons Learned to Subsequent ART Launches:

  • Analyze Initial Launches: Use data from I&A workshops, LACE retrospectives, and stakeholder feedback from the first ART(s) to identify what worked well and what could be improved in the launch process.
  • Refine Implementation Playbook: Update internal checklists, training materials, communication plans, and facilitation guides based on these learnings. Create a repeatable, refined ART launch playbook.
  • Targeted Support: Provide experienced coaches or members from the initial ART(s) to support new ART launches.
  • Adapt Contextually: While leveraging patterns, ensure the approach is adapted to the specific context of each new value stream and ART.

• 8.2. Extend to Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) (If Applicable):

  • Assess Need: Evaluate if the organization would benefit from implementing the SAFe Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) competency to better connect strategy with execution.
  • Introduce LPM Concepts: If proceeding, educate leaders and stakeholders on LPM principles and practices:
    • Strategy & Investment Funding: Connecting the portfolio to enterprise strategy, using Lean Budgets and Guardrails to fund value streams.
    • Agile Portfolio Operations: Applying Kanban to visualize and manage the flow of Epics, facilitating Portfolio Sync events.
    • Lean Governance: Measuring portfolio performance, coordinating value streams, supporting decentralized PI Planning.
  • Implementation Roadmap: Develop a plan for gradually introducing LPM functions, potentially starting with visualizing the portfolio Kanban and establishing Lean Budgets.

• 8.3. Mature the LACE and Foster Communities of Practice (CoPs):

  • Evolve LACE Focus: Shift the LACE's primary focus from initial implementation towards ongoing enablement, coaching, driving continuous improvement, and supporting the broader Lean-Agile adoption.
  • Support CoPs: Actively sponsor and support Communities of Practice (CoPs) for key SAFe roles (RTEs, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Architects, etc.) across all ARTs. Provide platforms for sharing knowledge, challenges, and best practices, fostering consistency and collective learning.
  • Develop Internal Expertise: Continue investing in developing internal coaches and trainers (linking back to Playbook 1, Chapter 8 concepts) to build organizational self-sufficiency.

• 8.4. Drive Continuous Improvement Across ARTs & Portfolio:

  • ART Performance Metrics: Ensure ongoing tracking and review of key performance indicators (KPIs) for each ART (predictability, flow, quality, value delivery).
  • Cross-ART Learning: Facilitate mechanisms (e.g., CoP meetings, LACE forums, shared I&A findings) for sharing learnings and improvements across different ARTs.
  • System-Level Optimization: Use insights from multiple ARTs and potentially LPM to identify and address larger, systemic impediments and opportunities for improvement in the overall value delivery system.
  • Relentless Improvement Culture: Foster a culture where continuous improvement is expected, supported, and celebrated at all levels.

Outputs from Chapter 8:

• A refined and documented ART Launch Playbook/Checklist based on learnings.
• Decision and potential implementation plan/roadmap for Lean Portfolio Management (LPM).
• Active and engaged cross-ART Communities of Practice (CoPs) for key roles.
• Metrics demonstrating trends in ART performance and predictability over time.
• An evolved LACE mission statement and operating model focused on enablement and continuous improvement.
• Documented examples of system-level improvements driven by cross-ART insights. This completes the detailed chapter-by-chapter guide for Playbook 3: Scaling Agile Framework Implementation (SAFe Example). Successfully implementing SAFe requires careful planning, strong leadership, dedicated effort from the LACE, comprehensive training, and a commitment to continuous learning and adaptation throughout the journey. Remember to tailor the approach to your specific organizational context.