SAFe Principles

Have you ever wondered why SAFe® professionals are in demand at present? It is because the Scaled Agile Framework provides huge business benefits to industries and organizations that implement it effectively. Hence, companies seek professionals who can lead Agile transformations by implementing the SAFe® framework.  

There are around 800,000 SAFe® trained practitioners, which proves the demand and credibility of this certification. You can also enroll in the accreditation under Simpliaxis to understand the framework. Now, let us try to understand the SAFe principles and how they help businesses drive innovation, maximize value, and create efficient teams.  

What is SAFe?

The Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe) refers to a set of workflow and organizational patterns to implement Agile practices at the enterprise level. This framework acts as a body of knowledge with structured guidance on the professional roles and responsibilities, plans to manage work, and values to uphold.

SAFe® further promotes collaboration, alignment, and delivery across Agile teams. It was formed depending on three different bodies of knowledge:

• Agile Software Development
• Lean Product Development
• Systems Thinking

SAFe® provides a structured approach to scale Agile with the growth in business sizes. The framework accommodates various levels of scale through four different configurations: 

• Essential SAFe
• Large Solution SAFe
• Portfolio SAFe
• Full SAFe

Also, read:What is agile and what is scrum?

What Are The SAFe® Lean-Agile Principles?

SAFe depends on the application of Lean and Agile at scale. The foundation of any SAFe implementation lies in its Lean-Agile principles as suggested below:

1. Take An Economic View

It is essential to understand the key value streams within the business delivery framework to enable decision-making. The latter will have the least impact and deliver the most value to the customer. By following this principle, you ensure that every value stream opens a broader economic framework. 

2. Apply Systems Thinking

This principle is about gathering a factual holistic view of the enhanced or developed system to maximize economic outcomes. SAFe also recommends that systems thinking be applied to the developed systems and the organization that is currently building a new system.   

3. Assume Variability; Preserve Options

A lightweight enterprise design evolving over various stages of product development will result in quicker adaptability. It involves implementing various SAFe® course corrections according to a volatile market situation.  

4. Build Incrementally with Fast, Integrated Learning Cycles

This principle asks professionals to keep their iterations short. This allows more time for improvements as well as customer feedback. Time to market is a key aspect that helps with improvement actions. This is usually for the cycle times of individual work packets. The process also enables faster-integrated learning cycles within Agile teams.

Click here to understand how to build and manage agile teams.

5. Base Milestones on Objective Evaluation of Working Systems

The mindset to measure success quantitatively and correctly is achieved by early and continuous integration processes. Such processes can be applied after iteration in a near production-like environment.  

6. Visualize and Limit WIP, Reduce Batch Sizes, and Manage Queue Lengths

This is associated with a Kanban practice related to the mainstream Lean approach. Here is a look at the three crucial continuous flow enablers as per Scaled Agile:

• Visualize and limit the amount of Work in Progress (WIP). It often increases throughput and then limits the demand to actual capacity.  
• Reduce the work batch sizes to facilitate a more reliable and faster flow.  
• Manage queue lengths for lesser wait times to ensure new functionality. 

7. Apply Cadence, Synchronize with Cross-domain Planning

This principle is important to the several cadenced synchronization methods. This helps ensure the amicable resolving of multiple challenges. A perfect combination of synchronizing in a cadenced manner is often compared to that of an orchestra. It helps with the specific cross-domain planning orchestrated by an RTE. Hence, it feels like playing some enchanting music to the ears of the stakeholders.  

8. Unlock the Intrinsic motivation of Knowledge Workers

Developing and applying contextual knowledge across various domains will help remove SME dependency. It helps all the cross skilling teams widely. The process also syncs up with the hyper-competitive world that is associated with effective employee engagement.  

9. Decentralize Decision-making

Decisions with long-lasting implications are kept centralized. Yet, most of the decisions that do not meet this criteria need to be decentralized and left to the specific Agile teams. This process ensures the team does not fall into the pit of what is usually termed a command-and-control hierarchy.   

Organizing around value business outcomes and their measurement will help gain a competitive advantage, as demanded by business agility. SAFe Agile principles focus on delivering the maximum customer value within the shortest time. This helps provide the highest possible quality to all the customers. 

Explore:Differences - SAFe vs Agile

Why the Focus on SAFe Principles?

The architects of SAFe duly recognize and emphasize that SAFe is an amalgamation of existing Lean-Agile principles and the wealth of knowledge left by numerous thought leaders throughout the Agile evolution. It's crucial to note that nearly two decades ago, when the foundational Lean-Agile principles were established, the development landscape, especially in distribution (offshore/onshore), was not as pervasive as it is today. The contemporary business environment has evolved into larger and more intricate enterprises. This necessitates SAFe to integrate this foundational knowledge with insights gleaned from numerous deployments.

SAFe acknowledges that not all challenges enterprises encounter in their scaled Agile journey can be addressed solely through its prescribed practices. Recognizing the unique nature of each challenge, SAFe introduces 10 underlying principles, acting as a guiding framework. These principles serve as a reliable reference for teams. It ensures a continuous progression toward the overarching goal of the House of Lean: achieving the "shortest sustainable lead time, with the best quality and value to people and society."

One of the primary hurdles in SAFe adoption lies in effective leadership. This resonates with the top challenges identified in the report, which emphasizes the critical role of leadership in the transformation process. Successful large-scale transformations hinge on robust management support, underscoring the need for SAFe principles to underscore the significance of Lean-Agile leaders. True SAFe leaders not only comprehend and embrace the Lean-Agile Mindset but also apply systems thinking, integrate business operations, and effectively convey these principles to others.

Why Use a Scaled Agile Framework?

The steady rise in SAFe adoption is backed by its 5-6% increase in the last 12 months, according to the 14th Annual State of Agile report. No one can underestimate SAFe’s effectiveness as a scaling framework for organizational agility. Amidst various alternatives like DAD, LeSS, Nexus, and SoS, SAFe maintains its leadership position, and understanding why requires a closer look.

SAFe distinguishes itself by intricately defining heterogeneous software delivery pipelines that govern the flow of business value, emphasizing the synergy of people, processes, and technology. It meticulously monitors disruptions in value flow through metrics, ensuring traceability back to business requirements at every stage of product development.

SAFe is not a methodology but a framework. Unlike a set of rigid rules or a checklist, the framework doesn't offer a one-size-fits-all solution to achieving business agility. It acknowledges the complexity of working with largely independent cross-functional Agile teams, where new and unique impediments emerge. 

SAFe's adaptability is key – it doesn't prescribe identical applications in every context. Understanding that SAFe is a flexible framework is vital for organizations looking for effective agility in their business.

Wrapping Up!

SAFe provides a roadmap for implementation with its core values and immutable principles. However, it's imperative to scrutinize thoroughly and, if necessary, customize these guidelines to align with your organization's specific needs. This personalized approach is important for unlocking the full benefits of this extensively adopted scaling framework. 
Seize the opportunity to enroll in our online project management professional courses and enhance your skills to become a project management expert. Take your career to greater heights by attaining effective project management expertise now!