SAFe is a collection of information and knowledge that consists of structured guidance on roles and responsibilities, work planning, and work management. In other words, it is one of the Agile frameworks built on three pillars: team, Program, and Portfolio. SAFe is carved out to give teams flexibility and help manage challenges large organizations face when practicing Agile.

It promotes program execution, collaboration, alignment, built-in quality, and delivery across many Agile teams. Agile software development, lean product development, and systems thinking are the three primary bodies of knowledge on which SAFe is based.

When to use SAFe?

• It is primarily used by Development Teams working to provide solutions for large-scale enterprises.
• SAFe provides guidance for all enterprise levels actively engaged in solution development: team, Program, large solution, and Portfolio.
• If a company is just beginning to transition to Agile, then SAFe might be a viable option to bridge the gap owing to its greater perspective approach than other software.
• Required when numerous groups are running their own specific manner of Agile usage, however, consistently confronting obstructions, deferrals, and disappointments.
• An association needs to improve its item advancement lead time and realize how different organizations have prevailed with regard to scaling Agile with SAFe.

Few companies that are succeeding with the extensive use of the scaled Agile Framework are- Cisco, LEGO Digital Solutions, Barclays, Fitbit, and many more.

Benefits of Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) to organizations

SAFe’s fundamental beliefs portray the way of life that authority needs to encourage and how individuals ought to act inside that culture to utilize the system successfully. There are numerous advantages of the Scaled Agile Framework, many of which are listed below: 

1. Transparency

Sometimes, things go wrong or do not work out as planned. Lack of openness leads to decisions being taken based on speculative assumptions and a lack of authentic data. 

SAFe gives a complete picture of software development breaking down the traditional silos of Development, QA, and Operations and enables cross-functional communication. The framework emphasizes planning and breaking down a huge task into smaller batch sizes so as to cater to the issues quickly and effectively. It encourages trust-building conduct and provides continuous real-time visibility into backlog progress across different levels. Furthermore, it enables a scope to inspect and adapt rituals and ceremonies. As of today, the teams have more visibility into what is building in and why is it building.

2. Alignment

Alignment is required to keep up with the fast-changing environment, disruptive competitive factors, and geographically spread teams. SAFe necessitates that organizations set up planning and reflection rhythms at all levels of the association. With this setup, everybody comprehends the present status of the business, the objectives, and how everybody should move together to accomplish those objectives. Alignment must be complemented by clear directions of content authority, starting with the portfolio and then resting mainly with the Product and Solution Management roles, and extending to the Product Owner role. Synchronizing individuals and their activities routinely enhances the chances of aligning all levels of the portfolio. Unlike the conventional top-down approach, data and information stream both upward and downward in a timely manner.

3. Team-centric environment competency

Teams in Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) have an unmistakable vision on what they need to achieve and are amped up regarding the vision due to the fact that they were involved in forming it. An Agile team is cross-functional and self-arranging to design, execute, and deliver work against the goals and requirements of the association. Also, open correspondence and transparency help formulate favorable relationships, thereby, delivering more collaboration and an environment for teams to flourish.

4. Built-in Quality

“Inspection does not improve the quality, nor guarantee quality. The inspection is too late. The quality, good or bad, is already in the product. Quality cannot be inspected into a product or service; it must be built into it.” —W. Edwards Deming 

In the SAFe system, Agility should never come at the expense of quality. The framework has built-in quality practices, ensuring a quick stream of information across all levels and teams. SAFe requires groups at all levels to characterize what “done” signifies for each undertaking or project and to prepare quality improvement rehearses into each working agreement. Quality is embedded at every stage/level in SAFe, it can be dev tests, QA tests (scale, security, UAT), environment tests, or product configuration.  Expanding on stable environmental conditions is essential for large institutions without quality assurance, excessive rework and slower pace will create unsatisfactory outcomes.

5. Flexibility and Productivity

Scaled Agile Framework implies teams are aligned with the product or item; the consistent collaboration gives them an undeniable degree of transparency; they certainly comprehend the deliverables, and in turn, set expectations of the stakeholders. This smooth understanding, balance in work allocated, and transparency to the client level extraordinarily expands the work delivered and profitability broadly.

6. Program execution

The core of this framework is program execution, which powers all the other things in the framework, and therefore, SAFe places an intense focus on working systems and business outcomes. As knowledge alone will not fetch you results, SAFe enables leaders to apply the knowledge gained in the practical environment and obtain the desired results. Teams and projects ought to be able to deliver quality, while working with the software, on a regular basis.

7. Shorter time-to-market

With the help of SAFe, organizations can deliver and showcase value rapidly. The framework emphasizes planning and breaking down a huge task into smaller batch sizes, which helps in completing the tasks quickly and efficiently. SAFe aids in increasing throughput and value delivery, which in turn triggers quantifiable improvements in customer satisfaction and team commitment.

8. Facilitates Leadership

Scaled Agile Framework demands lean-Agile leadership behavior or conduct in light of the fact that no one but leaders can alter the system and establish the environment essential to embrace all of the core values and principles. In other words, it starts with leaders exemplifying behaviors that will inspire and motivate the enterprise to undergo a better way of working. Examples are set by engaging, coaching, and empowering individuals and groups to attain their maximum potential through Lean and Agile principles and practices. Lean-Agile Leaders also play a critical role in creating an environment that fosters trust and transparency.

Also, Check: Levels of Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)

A Case Study summary that depicts how SAFe benefitted Cisco immensely

Industry: Technology, Communications.

Challenge: Cisco wanted to shift away from Waterfall and replace periodic major releases with continuous delivery of new features.

Solution:

• SAFe
• Scrum framework

Results: SAFe was extensively used by Cisco on two major projects-

• 16% drop in the defect rejected ratio (DRR)
• 40% decrease in critical and major defects
• 14% increase in defect removal efficiency (DRE)
• Improved employee satisfaction by eliminating the need for after-hours work and reducing meetings/calls
• 25 percent fewer quality assurance defects
• Sprints that ran more efficiently each subsequent time

 Key Learning:

Carefully build teams – Build teams with the best members from any location.

Assemble the right tools – Cisco realized it could not have conducted regression testing every two weeks without test automation tools.

Adjust as needed – For un-integrated or loosely integrated products, features or components, consider eliminating the Program level of SAFe.

Conclusion
SAFe is an endeavor to gain from the Agile movement. Optimize project management, coordination, and decision-making by centralizing them. Today, Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is in its fifth iteration and has been adopted by more than 20,000 enterprises across the globe. The teams had their fair share of challenges when learning to implement SAFe. However, the learning curve was fast and the payoff visible as soon as the teams understood SAFe’s benefits. Furthermore, SAFe has notably facilitated the clear transmission of business requirements and priorities to individual Agile teams. Previously prone to misinterpretation or alteration, messages are now aligned and consistent across all levels, owing to the implementation of SAFe. Simpliaxis offers comprehensive training and resources to navigate the intricacies of SAFe, empowering organizations to unlock its full potential for enhanced efficiency and collaboration.