The Must-have Reference Guide for SAFe® Practitioners “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   “You don’t have to be perfect to start SAFe because you learn as you go–learning is built in. Before SAFe, I would not know how to help my teams but now I have many tools to enable the teams. My job is really fun and the bottom line is I have never enjoyed my job more!” –Product Manager, Fortune 500 Enterprise   Captured for the first time in print, the SAFe body of knowledge is now available as a handy desktop reference to help you accomplish your mission of building better software and systems. Inside, you’ll find complete coverage of what has, until now, only been available online at scaledagileframework.com. The SAFe knowledge base 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, Value Stream, Program, and Team levels, including the various roles, activities, and artifacts that constitute the Framework, along with the foundational elements of values, mindset, principles, and practices.   Education & Training Key to Success   The practice of SAFe is spreading rapidly throughout the world. The majority of Fortune 100 U.S. companies have certified SAFe practitioners and consultants, as do an increasing percentage of the Global 1000 enterprises. Case study results–visit scaledagileframework.com/case-studies–typically include: 20—50% increase in productivity 50%+ increases in quality 30—75% faster time to market Measurable increases in employee engagement and job satisfaction With results like these, the demand from enterprises seeking SAFe expertise is accelerating at a dramatic rate. 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, visibility, improved performance throughout the enterprise, and ultimately better outcomes for the business.

Table of Contents:
Preface vii Acknowledgments ix Scaled Agile Framework Contributors ix SAFe Community Contributors x Additional Acknowledgments x   Introduction to the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) 1   Part 1: The SAFe Foundation 9 Lean-Agile Leaders 11 Communities of Practice 17 SAFe Core Values 21 Lean-Agile Mindset 27 SAFe Principles 35 Implementing 1-2-3 37   Part 2: The SAFe Principles 43 #1 – Take an economic view 45 #2 – Apply systems thinking 51 #3 – Assume variability; preserve options 55 #4 – Build incrementally with fast, integrated learning cycles 57 #5 – Base milestones on objective evaluation of working systems 59 #6 – Visualize and limit WIP, reduce batch sizes, and manage queue lengths 61 #7 – Apply cadence, synchronize with cross-domain planning 63 #8 – Unlock the intrinsic motivation of knowledge workers 67 #9 – Decentralize decision-making 71   Part 3: The Team Level 73 Introduction to the Team Level 75 Agile Teams 77 Product Owner 83 Scrum Master 89 ScrumXP 93 Team Kanban 99 Team Backlog 105 Iterations 109 Iteration Planning 113 Iteration Execution 119 Team Demo 125 Iteration Retrospective 129 Stories 133 Iteration Goals 143 Built-In Quality 147   Part 4: The Program Level 153 Introduction to the Program Level 155 Agile Release Train 159 Release Train Engineer and Value Stream Engineer 167 System and Solution Architect/Engineering 171 Product and Solution Management 177 WSJF (Weighted Shortest Job First) 183 Program and Value Stream Kanban 187 Program and Value Stream Backlogs 193 Nonfunctional Requirements 199 Program Increment 207 PI Planning 213 Business Owners 221 PI Objectives 225 System Demo 233 Features and Capabilities 237 Enablers 243 Innovation and Planning Iteration 249 Inspect and Adapt 253 Develop on Cadence, Release Any Time 259 Architectural Runway 265   Part 5: The Spanning Palette 271 DevOps 273 System Team 279 Release Management 283 Shared Services 287 User Experience (UX) 291 Vision 295 Roadmap 301 Metrics 307 Milestones 323 Releases 331   Part 6: The Value Stream Level 337 Introduction to the Value Stream Level 339 Value Stream Coordination 343 Economic Framework 347 Solution Intent 351 Model-Based Systems Engineering 359 Set-Based Design 365 Agile Architecture 371 Solution Demo 379 Pre- and Post-PI Planning 383 Supplier 389 Customer 395 Solution 401 Solution Context 405   Part 7: The Portfolio Level 411 Introduction to the Portfolio Level 413 Enterprise 417 Strategic Themes 423 Program Portfolio Management 429 Epic Owners 435 Enterprise Architect 439 Portfolio Kanban 443 Portfolio Backlog 449 Budgets 453 CapEx and OpEx 463 Value Streams 473 Epics 483   Part 8: Guidance 489 Continuous Integration 491 Test-First 497 Agile Contracts 503 Glossary of SAFe Terms 511   Bibliography 523 Index 529