What Is Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)? Meaning, Principles, Certifications, and Importance

• The scaled agile framework (SAFe) is defined as a set of organization-level patterns for enhancing agile workflows.
• SAFe provides enterprises with a proven framework for scaling agile practices by promoting alignment, collaboration, and delivery across teams.
• This article covers the meaning, principles, certifications, and importance of SAFe.

What Is Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)?

The scaled agile framework (SAFe) is a comprehensive guide for large-scale agile project management. It provides a knowledge base of proven, integrated principles and practices to drive agility at the enterprise level.

Defining SAFe

SAFe is a set of workflow patterns implemented at the organizational level and designed to guide enterprises in implementing agile practices at scale. This robust framework offers structured guidance on roles, responsibilities, planning, and managing work, all underpinned by a set of values to uphold.

SAFe is built around three primary bodies of knowledge: agile software development, lean product development, and systems thinking. It promotes alignment, collaboration, and delivery across numerous agile teams, providing a structured approach for scaling agile as businesses grow.

Four configurations in SAFe accommodate various scale levels: Essential SAFe, Large Solution SAFe, Portfolio SAFe, and Full SAFe. Each configuration provides specific guidance for achieving business agility at every growth stage.

Evolution of SAFe

In 2011, Dean Leffingwell introduced SAFe to help organizations design better systems and software to adapt to customers’ changing needs. At the time, traditional project management processes were still popular for software delivery. However, the increasing need to respond rapidly to changing market conditions led to the emergence of new agile frameworks, with SAFe being one of the most prominent ones.

Today, SAFe is one of the most widely adopted scaled agile delivery frameworks. Its global community of practitioners continues to refine and evolve the framework, ensuring it remains relevant and effective in a rapidly changing business environment.

Core Values of SAFe

The core values of SAFe define the culture that leadership must cultivate and the behaviors individuals should exhibit within that culture to implement the framework effectively.

Program execution

Program execution is central to SAFe. It powers all other aspects of the framework. Teams and programs must consistently deliver high-quality, working software and business value.

Built-in quality

SAFe asserts that agility should not compromise quality. It requires teams to define what “done” means for each task or project and incorporate quality development practices into every working agreement. SAFe identifies five key dimensions of built-in quality: flow, architecture and design quality, code quality, system quality, and release quality.

Alignment

SAFe emphasizes the importance of alignment at all levels of an organization. By establishing planning and reflection cadences, everyone understands the business’s current state and goals and how to collaborate to achieve those goals. This approach ensures alignment across the portfolio and facilitates timely information flow in both directions.

Transparency

Transparency is a key value in SAFe. It encourages behaviors that build trust, such as planning work in smaller batches to identify problems earlier, providing real-time visibility into backlog progress, and regular Inspect and Adapt rituals.

Leadership

Lean-agile leadership behavior is a core tenet of SAFe. Leaders play a crucial role in changing the system and creating an environment that embraces all core values.

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Principles of SAFe

Implementing the ten fundamental principles of SAFe helps foster lean-agile decision-making across all levels of an organization. It shifts the mindset from traditional waterfall thinking to lean-agile thinking.

#1: Embrace an economic view

The first principle of SAFe, inspired by Donald Reinertsen’s influential theories on product development flow, emphasizes the importance of understanding the economic implications of delays. Achieving the shortest sustainable lead time requires everyone involved in decision-making to be aware of these implications.

However, merely delivering early and frequently is not sufficient. SAFe advocates for sequencing jobs for maximum benefit, understanding economic trade-offs, and operating within lean budgets. These responsibilities should be shared throughout the organization. Many of the concepts and tools used in SAFe are drawn from Reinertsen’s theories on product development flow.

To deliver the ‘best value and quality for people and society in the shortest sustainable lead time,’ one must fundamentally understand the economics of building systems. Decisions must be made within an appropriate economic context, which includes the strategy for incremental value delivery and the broader economic framework for each value stream.

This principle highlights the trade-offs between risk, cost of delay (CoD), and various costs such as manufacturing, operational, and development. Furthermore, every development value stream must operate within the confines of an approved budget and adhere to the guardrails that support decentralized decision-making.

#2: Apply systems thinking

The second principle of SAFe, systems thinking, is essential to address workplace and marketplace challenges. It requires understanding the complex systems within which workers and users operate. These systems have many interrelated components, and optimizing a single component does not necessarily optimize the entire system. To truly improve, everyone must understand the larger aim of the system.

Systems thinking is applied not only to the system under development but also to the organization that builds it. SAFe encourages those using the framework to apply systems thinking to three key areas: the solution itself, the enterprise building the system, and the value streams. ‘Solutions’ can refer to products, services, or systems delivered to the customer, whether internal or external to the enterprise.

Large solutions have many interconnected parts, so team members should maintain a high-level perspective on how their part fits into the bigger picture. People following SAFe should consider the organization’s people, management, and processes when considering the enterprise building the system.

If an organization aims to optimize the way people work, it may need to eliminate silos, become cross-functional, and form new working agreements with suppliers and customers. Additionally, the enterprise must clearly define how value flows from concept to cash in the solution development value streams. Leaders and management need to maximize the flow of value across functional and organizational boundaries.

#3: Assume variability and preserve options

Traditional design and lifecycle practices often encourage selecting a single design-and-requirements option early. However, if this initial choice proves incorrect, subsequent adjustments can be time-consuming and may lead to a suboptimal design.

Designing systems and software is inherently uncertain. This third principle of SAFe addresses this uncertainty by introducing the concept of set-based design. This approach advocates for maintaining multiple requirements and design options for an extended period in the development cycle. It also relies on empirical data to gradually narrow down to the final design option.

Variability in design aids decision-making during uncertain times by identifying various options and their potential outcomes. This works similarly to a strategic bet. Integrating “learning milestones,” which serve as decision deadlines, is crucial to the set-based design. As teams learn more over time, they can eliminate more choices, making it easier to identify the best path forward and deliver the best possible outcome for customers.

#4: Build incrementally with fast, integrated learning cycles

Similar to the third, the fourth principle of SAFe addresses risk and uncertainty through learning milestones. It emphasizes that assessing the feasibility of current design choices requires considering the system as a whole, not just its individual components. Planning integration points on a regular cadence accelerates learning cycles.

Developing solutions incrementally in a series of short iterations allows for quicker customer feedback and risk mitigation. Each increment builds upon the previous ones. Since the ‘system always runs,’ some increments may serve as prototypes for market testing and validation, while others become minimum viable products (MVPs). Others may still extend the system with new and valuable functionality. Additionally, these early, fast feedback points help determine when to ‘pivot’ to an alternate course of action if necessary.

#5: Base milestones on an objective evaluation of working systems

The fifth principle of SAFe states that demonstrating a working system provides a more reliable basis for decision-making than a requirements document or any other superficial success evaluation. Involving stakeholders in feasibility decisions early on fosters trust-building and systems thinking.

Business owners, software developers, and customers are responsible for ensuring that investments in new solutions will yield economic benefits. While the sequential, phase-gate development model was designed to meet this challenge, it does not always mitigate risk as intended. In lean-agile development, integration points offer objective milestones at which the solution can be evaluated throughout the development lifecycle. This regular evaluation provides the financial, technical, and fitness-for-purpose governance needed to ensure that ongoing investment will yield a proportionate return.

#6: Ensure uninterrupted value flow

The sixth principle of SAFe essentially states, “Make value flow without interruptions.” It can be further expanded to “visualize and limit work in process (WIP), reduce batch sizes, and manage queue lengths.”

Limiting WIP allows stakeholders to see exactly how work is progressing. The three elements of this principle represent the primary ways to maximize throughput and accelerate value delivery, or in other words, implement “flow.”

When applied to software development, this means limiting the amount of overlapping work, the complexity of each work item, and the total amount of work tackled at a given time. Small batch sizes allow for constant validation that work is headed in the right direction. This principle seeks to guide on optimizing these elements for the best results.

#7: Apply cadence and synchronize with cross-domain planning

Agile teams naturally apply cadence through sprints or iterations. Establishing a cadence for all possible matters reduces complexity, addresses uncertainty, builds muscle memory, enforces quality, and fosters collaboration. Synchronizing these cadences enables people and activities to move in harmony, where learned information enables informed decision-making and incremental planning.

Cadence creates predictability and provides a rhythm for development. Synchronization allows multiple perspectives to be understood, resolved, and integrated simultaneously. Applying development cadence and synchronization, coupled with periodic cross-domain planning, provides the mechanisms needed to operate effectively in the face of inherent development uncertainty.

#8: Unlock the intrinsic motivation of knowledge workers

The eighth principle of SAFe, inspired by influential management consultant Peter Drucker and author Daniel Pink, is about unlocking the potential of teams and encouraging leadership to adopt a coaching and serving perspective over a command-and-control mindset.

Lean-agile leaders understand that individual incentive compensation does not generally motivate ideation, innovation, and employee engagement. Such incentives can create internal competition and undermine the cooperation necessary to achieve the system’s larger aim.

Providing autonomy and purpose, minimizing constraints, creating an environment of mutual influence, and better understanding the role of compensation are keys to higher levels of employee engagement. This approach yields better outcomes for individuals, customers, and the enterprise.

#9: Decentralize decision making

The ninth principle of SAFe advocates reducing queue lengths and adopting an economic approach by decentralizing decision-making. This approach empowers teams with the autonomy they need to get work done. Leaders should reserve their decision-making authority for matters of strategic importance and empower teams to make informed decisions on all other matters.

Fast value delivery necessitates decentralized decision-making. This approach reduces delays, improves product development flow, enables faster feedback, and fosters the creation of more innovative solutions designed by those closest to the local knowledge.

However, some decisions are strategic and global and have economies of scale that warrant centralized decision-making. Since both types of decisions occur, establishing a reliable decision-making framework is a critical step in empowering employees and ensuring a fast flow of value.

#10: Organize around value

The tenth and final principle of SAFe addresses the fact that many enterprises today are organized around principles developed during the last century. In the pursuit of intended efficiency, most are organized around functional expertise.

However, in the digital age, the only sustainable competitive advantage is the speed with which any market player can respond to its customers’ needs with new and innovative solutions. These solutions require cooperation among all functional areas, with their inherent dependencies, handoffs, waste, and delays.

Therefore, enterprises must organize around value to enhance delivery speed and quality. When market and customer demands change, the enterprise must quickly and seamlessly reorganize around that new value flow. This approach ensures that the organization remains agile and responsive to evolving market needs.

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Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) Certifications

For many software professionals, scaled agile framework (SAFe) certifications often serve as a stepping stone for career progression. Statistics from Scaled Agile, Inc. show that 77% of certified SAFe professionals seek SAFe certifications for professional development, while 63% utilize them to demonstrate their knowledge.

Apart from this, IT professionals who acquire a new SAFe certification see an average salary increase of $13,000. Additionally, 71% of companies are in the initial stages of agile adoption, indicating a vast market opportunity for certified SAFe professionals. About 78% of SAFe-certified professionals report increased demand for their skills post-certification.

Business agility hinges on individuals with the proficiency to spearhead successful transformations. Whether a professional is looking to advance in their current role or explore new opportunities outside their organization, a SAFe certification can broaden their skill set and experience, empowering them to play a pivotal role in driving business transformation.

Let’s learn more about a few key SAFe certifications.

1. Certified SAFe Practitioner

The Certified SAFe Practitioner (SP) certification is designed for those working in the Agile Release Train (ART) team within a SAFe-compliant enterprise. Encompassing the SAFe for Teams course, this course offers a comprehensive understanding of ARTs, equipping learners with the skills to plan and execute iterations and write user stories.

The course aims to equip participants with the skills to effectively apply SAFe principles in scaling lean and agile development at the enterprise level. Through this course, individuals learn to strategically plan iterations, gaining a comprehensive understanding of their team’s role within the ART and the interconnectedness with other teams. Participants will develop the capability to execute iterations efficiently and showcase tangible value.

Moreover, the certification course emphasizes the importance of integration and collaboration with other teams on the ART, fostering a cohesive environment that drives collective success. Attendees will leave with the ability to plan program increments, a skill essential for driving continuous improvement and alignment across the organization.

2. SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (POPM) Certification

The SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (POPM) Certification is a Scaled Agile course designed for business owners, product owners, business analysts, and product managers. This course allows learners to gain an in-depth understanding of their role within a lean-agile mindset. Upon completion, learners will be proficient in planning program increments (PIs), launching ARTs, and delivering continuous value at the enterprise level.

The course aims to equip learners with a comprehensive understanding of the roles and responsibilities of a product owner and product manager in a SAFe environment. The course connects the PO/PM roles and the SAFe lean-agile principles and values. It also covers the application of SAFe in a lean enterprise, providing practical insights into how these principles can be implemented in the real world.

Collaboration on lean portfolio management is another key learning goal of this course, emphasizing the importance of teamwork in achieving organizational objectives. The course also explores program increment planning for continuous value delivery, ensuring learners are well-versed in strategies for maintaining a steady flow of value to end users.

A clear articulation of the product owner and product manager roles is also provided, helping learners distinguish between the two and understand their unique contributions to the SAFe framework. Finally, the course culminates in creating a role action plan, enabling learners to apply their newfound knowledge and skills in a structured and effective manner.

3. SAFe Scrum Master (SSM) Certification

The SAFe Scrum Master Certification course focuses on the role of a Scrum Master within a SAFe environment. Upon completion, learners will be equipped to plan and execute program increments and build high-performing agile teams as servant leaders and coaches. This certification is ideal for both existing and aspiring scrum masters who wish to join agile teams in a SAFe enterprise.

The course begins by identifying the scrum master role within the context of a SAFe enterprise. It then delves into facilitating scrum events and ensuring effective iteration execution. This helps equip learners with the skills necessary to guide their teams through the Scrum process.

The course emphasizes the importance of supporting effective program increment execution. Another key learning goal of the course is fostering continuous improvement, encouraging learners to continuously seek ways to enhance their team’s performance and efficiency.

The course also covers coaching agile teams, providing learners with the tools and techniques to effectively guide their team members toward achieving their individual and collective goals. Finally, the course explores how to support DevOps implementation, highlighting the role of the scrum master in facilitating collaboration between development and operations.

4. Certified SAFe DevOps Practitioner (SDP)

The Certified SAFe DevOps Practitioner (SDP) course provides an overview of DevOps competencies. At the highest level, attendees learn to improve the flow of value through the continuous delivery pipeline.

This course equips learners with a comprehensive understanding of DevOps practices within the SAFe framework. For instance, CALMR is a DevOps framework that helps ARTs achieve continuous value delivery by improving culture, automation, lean flow, measurement, and recovery. Learners of this course gain insight into the CALMR approach, which emphasizes continuous value delivery throughout development.

The course shares the importance of continuous integration and testing, which enable measuring value flow and identifying bottlenecks within a SAFe environment. Another learning point is improving processes for exploring customer needs and developing, building, integrating, and continuously deploying to staging and production environments. The program empowers learners to execute a strategic DevOps transformation plan for their organizations.

5. Certified SAFe Agile Software Engineer (ASE)

The Certified SAFe Agile Software Engineer (ASE) is a workshop-oriented course designed to help software engineers learn the foundational principles and practices of agile software engineering. This course enables learners to deliver software solutions faster, with higher quality, and in a more predictable manner.

The course helps participants build a foundation in agile software engineering principles and values. Through the course, learners gain hands-on experience applying the test-first principle and understanding behavior-driven development (BDD).

Agile modeling techniques foster effective communication. The course emphasizes building applications, focusing on code and design quality while designing for optimal testability.

Automation of the testing infrastructure and collaboration to create intentional architectures are key aspects of the course. This certification course teaches attendees to optimize value flow through lean-agile principles and create effective agile software engineering plans.

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Importance of Scaled Agile Framework

Teams across 20,000 global companies have recognized the scaled agile framework (SAFe) as a powerful tool for scaling agile methodologies. The benefits of implementing SAFe are manifold and have been substantiated by numerous customer case studies.

Here are a few key reasons why SAFe is important for enterprises.

1. Boosted productivity

SAFe empowers high-performing teams to eliminate lower-value tasks, identify and remove bottlenecks, drive continuous improvement, and ensure the right products are built. This leads to measurable improvements in productivity.

2. Enhanced quality

SAFe highlights the importance of built-in quality. Implementers of the framework aim to integrate quality into every stage of the development cycle. This shift from a last-minute focus on quality to a continuous, shared responsibility significantly improves the overall quality of deliverables.

3. Accelerated time-to-market

The scaled agile framework facilitates rapid decision-making, effective communication, streamlined operations, and a customer-centric focus. Therefore, one of the primary advantages of SAFe is its ability to expedite time to market. Enterprises can swiftly meet customer needs by aligning cross-functional agile teams around value.

4. Improved employee engagement

Finally, SAFe fosters better working methods, leading to happier, more engaged employees. It aids knowledge workers in achieving autonomy, mastery, and purpose, key factors in unlocking intrinsic motivation. As a result, organizations practicing SAFe can minimize burnout and enhance employee satisfaction.

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Takeaway

The scaled agile framework (SAFe) is a powerful tool for scaling agile processes at the enterprise level. The framework is recognized globally for its effectiveness. SAFe is vital for any organization looking to scale its Agile working methods. The SAFe ways of working can be implemented by channeling its principles into day-to-day operations and leveraging the services of professionals holding SAFe certifications.

SAFe accelerates time-to-market by aligning cross-functional agile teams around value and giving them the support they need to ensure swift fulfillment of customer needs. Its built-in quality principle integrates quality into every development stage, enhancing the viability of deliverables.

Further, the framework enhances productivity by empowering high-performing teams to eliminate unnecessary tasks and focus on continuous improvement. Finally, SAFe fosters better working methods, leading to happier, more engaged employees.

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