In the Age of Digital, every business is a software business. Agility isn’t an option, or a thing just for technical teams, it is a business imperative.
—Dean Leffingwell, Creator of SAFe
As we all know the Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe®) is continuously evolving to address the challenges faced by organizations in implementing agile practices at scale. With the release of SAFe 6.0, several notable improvements have been made to enhance collaboration, quality, and overall value delivery. In this article, we will explore our top six favorite things about SAFe 6.0.
#1 Improved guidance on value stream management. Value stream management plays a crucial role in optimizing the flow of actual value to customers. SAFe 6.0 addresses the significance of this aspect and provides enhanced guidance on value stream management. It helps organizations identify bottlenecks, eliminate waste, and create a smoother value delivery process. Notably, SAFe 6.0 now suggests implementing LPM in conjunction with launching early trains. This suggests they’re seeing willingness in parts of organizations outside of the trains being willing to adapt practices earlier.
#2 A greater focus on outcome measurement and OKRs. SAFe 6.0 emphasizes the importance of measuring results rather than simply focusing on output. Additionally, SAFe 6.0 elevates the prominence of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) as a powerful mechanism for setting goals and aligning efforts across different levels of the organization. By explicitly acknowledging the value of OKRs, SAFe 6.0 provides organizations with a robust framework to drive meaningful outcomes and foster a culture of goal-oriented collaboration.
#3 Improved responsibilities descriptions and clear guidance on interactions. SAFe 6.0 places a significant emphasis on clarifying the responsibilities of each role within the framework. One notable improvement is the increased guidance on role interactions. It highlights the importance of collaboration between the Release Train Engineer (RTE), Solution Architect (SA), and Product Manager (PM), that we like to call the “three amigos.” By stressing the significance of these interactions, SAFe 6.0 fosters better alignment and communication among key roles, hopefully leading to more effective and efficient delivery.
#4 Team-level agile practices beyond scrum. More clearly acknowledging the diversity of teams and their preferences, SAFe 6.0 recognizes that not all teams are best suited to follow the Scrum framework. It allows for more flexibility at the team level, enabling teams to choose alternative agile practices such as Kanban or Scrumban. This supports what we see in practice with diverse team practices.
#5 Comprehensive team-level technical practices. One challenge we’ve seen more than once in agile-at-scale implementations is the neglect of technical practices. SAFe 6.0 addresses this by introducing a more comprehensive and actionable set of team-level technical practices in the “built-in quality” article. By emphasizing the importance of technical excellence, SAFe 6.0 aims to mitigate the anti-pattern of overlooking technical aspects while focusing solely on scaling agile practices.
#6 Merging metrics and measure & grow articles. In SAFe 6.0, the metrics and measure & grow articles have been merged into a single piece of guidance. This integration makes logical sense as it consolidates the measurement practices and aligns them with the growth mindset. By streamlining these elements, organizations can establish a more cohesive and consistent approach to tracking progress, identifying areas for improvement, and nurturing a culture of continuous learning and growth.
SAFe 6.0 introduces several key improvements that address the evolving needs of organizations embracing agile at scale. From enhanced role responsibilities and interactions to increased focus on technical practices, value stream management, and outcome measurement, SAFe 6.0 empowers organizations to adapt, collaborate, and deliver value more effectively. By embracing these top six features of SAFe 6.0, organizations can embark on a transformative journey that propels them towards sustainable agile success.
We’re looking forward to our first training sessions using the new framework in a few weeks time. Check out the schedule in our Public Training Schedule.
