deconstructing the scaled agile framework

QAI Quest 2016

Angela@PolarisSolutions.com Twitter: @OakParkGirl

There are lots of agile frameworks, I do not know which one is best and I had to start SOMEWHERE? Tell me more!

I already use the SAFe framework, and am interested in hearing another perspective

My team has grown too big and we are struggling with scaling our scrum efforts!!

I’ve seen the SAFe diagram and it looks (scary |overwhelming | complex) and I need the crib notes

SAFe seems like a bad idea, but I am open to hearing some alternative ideas about how to apply it

I already hate SAFe and am hoping to heckle you the entire talk

http://www.scaledagileframework.com/continuous-delivery/

PMO, plannin’ and budgeting

projects and initiatives, 12

months at a time

A Scrum team, kickin’ butt and

taking names on their product, 2

weeks at a time

Now let’s assume we have 5, 10, maybe

even 100 active scrum teams!

Scrum Team 1

Scrum Team 2Scrum Team 3

Scrum Team 4

DevOps Team

Scrum Team 1

Scrum Team 2

Scrum Team 3

Scrum Team 4

http://www.scaledagileframework.com/continuous-delivery/

http://w

ww

.scale

dag

ilefr

am

ew

ork

.com

/do

wn

loa

ds/

SAFe is based on nine

immutable, underlying Lean

and Agile principles.

THE

LEVELS

THE

PEOPLE

27

“A system is a network of interdependent components

that work together to try to accomplish the aim of the

system.

A system must have an aim. Without an aim, there is

no system.”

—W. Edwards Deming

THE

BACKLOGS

THE

CADENCE

Deliver on Demand

Major

Release Customer

Upgrade

Customer

Preview

Major

Release New

Feature

Develop on Cadence

PSI PSI PSI PSI PSI

Economic Prioritization

Code Quality

Relentless Improvements

http://w

ww

.scale

dag

ilefr

am

ew

ork

.com

/do

wn

loa

ds/

Take a systems view

Visualize and LIMIT Work in Process (WIP)

Deliver on a cadence but release on demand

Unlock intrinsic motivations

Trust your team!

Fear? Uncertainty? Doubt?

Maybe they haven’t ever really looked at SAFe beyond the “Big

Picture”

I honestly don’t know. But keep an open mind and check it out.

And in the end, maybe it just really isn’t right for your team…

Do you have a single product worked on by many teams?

Do you have a single team working on many products at the

same time?

Do you deliver many products that are worked on by many

teams?

Do you have one product worked on by a single team?

Focus on having a single product owner, not a product owner per team

Minimize sources of work, if possible use one consolidated portfolio backlog

Consolidate onto a minimum set of ALM/DevOps tools

Encourage and continually support EFFECTIVE and CONSTANT communication

Make sure progress across teams is transparent and easily discoverable

Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize

Context switching to work on multiple products should NOT be tolerated

Keep sprints short to allow for fast pivoting and integration of learnings

Scrum may not be the only solution, be creative!

Extreme focus on quality – crap doesn’t scale!

First off OH MY!!

Second off, this is where SAFe strategies shine

Leverage techniques already discussed

Bring the work to the team, always!

All teams must already be operating as highly effective agile

teams before you bring in SAFe strategies!!

Move along… and keep focusing on continuous improvement

©2008-2014 Scaled Agile, Inc. and Leffingwell, LLC. All rights reserved.

A proven, publicly-facing framework for applying Lean and Agile practices at enterprise scale

ScaledAgileFramework.com

Synchronizes

alignment,

collaboration and

delivery for large

numbers of teams

CORE VALUES

1. Program Execution

2. Alignment

3. Code Quality

4. Transparency

45

SAFe Guidance: http://www.scaledagileframework.com/guidance/

Principals of Product Development Flow:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1935401009

Lean Change Management by Jason Little: www.amazon.com/Lean-

Change-Managment-Innovative-Organizational/dp/0990466507/

Email: Angela@PolarisSolutions.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andugan

Slideshare.NET: http://www.slideshare.net/angelabinkowski

Twitter: @OakParkGirl, @ChicagoALM, @TeamPolaris

Blog - http://www.tfswhisperer.com/

Chicago Visual Studio ALM User Group - http://www.chicagoalmug.org/

Polaris Solutions website - http://www.polarissolutions.com/

Angela@PolarisSolutions.com Twitter: @OakParkGirl