Agile & SAFe Flashcards
Why is the development manager role important when it is not included in the role definitions for team, program, large solution, nor for Portfolio.
In Scaled agile framework, the teams are focused on delivery, and to do that job they are endowed in many ways, They can take their own decisions on what is to be committed, how it is to be developed, the testing pattern and scope but there still remains a need for management outside of the ARTs to provide for aspects such as pastoral care, risks and issues management, and for building capacity and capability in the teams. The development manager can look into the areas which can enhance the competence of the team, making them much stronger and focused on delivery. Great development managers are team builders, and that starts with hiring, they drive the hiring process and are well positioned to do so. Searching for candidates takes focus away from building great products hence the development manager can be of much help in removing such distractions.
Development managers also serve as accomplice and advisor because they are skilled at the essentials of management: one-on-one meetings, giving feedback, and coaching. Successful development managers mentor engineers to bring greatness to the table: ideas, code, tests, and culture. Even when an organization is using SCRUM as its development process, there are still supervisory and departmental tasks that need to be performed outside that process such as HR issues, performance reviews, upward reporting, etc. SCRUM doesn’t touch on any of these day-to-day tasks that development managers still need to be in place to take care of.
https://www.knowledgehut.com/interview-questions/scaled-agile
Does SAFe follow Agile Architecture or it has its own model?
Scaled Agile Framework is based on Agile Architecture which applies to all the levels in SAFe. It has few set of principles which helps to maintain the overall strength of the process/model:
- Design emerges. Architecture is a collaboration.
- The bigger the system, the longer the runway.
- Build the simplest architecture that can possibly work.
- When in doubt, code or model it out.
- They build it. They test it.
- There is no monopoly on innovation.
- Implement architectural flow.
Agile architecture allows incremental value delivery by harmonizing emergent design and intended architecture:
“By balancing emergent design and intentionality, Agile architecture is a Lean-Agile approach to addressing the complexity of building enterprise Solutions. In turn, this approach supports the needs of current users while simultaneously evolving the system to meet near-term future needs. Used together, emergent design and intentionality continuously build and extend the Architectural Runway that provides the technical foundation for future development of business value.” – scaledagileframework.com
What are the metrics and are they used in SAFe?
While we talk about the scaled agile framework and its implementation, metrics can give you the required evidence to track your way and approach to the necessary destination. They are the tools to track the progress of how well your teams are doing and what all measures can be taken to improve it further on the scale. With the help of metrics, the organizations can review how the different levels in scaling are performing. As the enterprise grows from projects to portfolios, it is vital to not be limited to team agility but to strive for business agility. A program’s business metrics should be rooted in its roadmap.
Specifically, talking about Scaled agile, metrics are used to measure the progress of an organization in terms of different aspects, such as – Portfolio, Large Solution, Program and Team. Metrics at each level in SAFe helps the enterprise to maintain the progress at the each level e.g. The Epic Burn-Up Chart at the Portfolio level tracks the progress towards completion of the epic. Each level has their own set of metrics, which helps around predictability, accessing the progress report, self-assessment at individual levels etc. But we have to make sure that the metrics are not implemented just for the purpose of doing it but it is necessary to adopt some metrics for your agile teams that suit your needs.
How is Essential SAFe different from Portfolio SAFe?
The Essential SAFe configuration is the most elementary configuration of Scaled Agile Framework. It is the initial level for organizations opting to implement SAFe, at this level of SAFe, it consists of the most critical elements needed to recognize the majority of the framework’s benefits. At Essential SAFe level, it mainly comprises of the Team and Program levels, and Foundation.
Essential SAFe is a great first step to improving scaled delivery if your organization has not tried it at all. It keeps in the framework of Lean-Agile Principles, Lean Agile Leaders and the basic components on building and releasing Agile Release Trains (ART) as the chief method of delivery for organizations at the program level. Talking about the Portfolio Level, this is where strategic themes are planned. In any Lean Agile Enterprise, these strategic themes set the tone for developing and achieving the objectives in fulfilling all the requirements necessary for a Value Stream. Thereby creating a solution. It contains the people and processes necessary to build systems and solutions that the Enterprise needs to meet its strategic objectives. Once, the organization has successfully implemented the Essential SAFe, it can opt for Portfolio level and thus scaling it further.
How to deal with risks in a SAFe framework?
“A Program Increment (PI) is a timebox during which an Agile Release Train (ART) delivers incremental value in the form of working, tested software and systems.” – ScaledAgileFramework.com
At the PI planning event, each day there is a set agenda which spans across 2.5 or 3 days, which is divided into Business Context, Product/Solution Vision, Architecture vision and development practices, Planning context and lunch and Team Breakouts. During this process, teams identify risks and dependencies and draft their initial team PI objectives.
There is a Draft plan review session which is the tightly timeboxed draft plan review, teams present main planning yields, including draft objectives, potential risks, and dependencies. Business Owners, Product Management, and other teams and stakeholders review and provide input.
At the Final plan review and lunch session, all teams display their plans to the group. At the end of each team’s time slot, the team states their risks and impediments, but there is no attempt to resolve them in this short timebox.
And lastly, Confidence vote is taken, once program risks have been addressed, teams vote on their confidence in meeting their program PI objectives.
Teams leave the PI planning event with a prefilled iteration backlog. They take their team’s PI objectives, iteration plans, and risks back to their regular work area. Program risks remain with the RTE, who ensures that the people responsible for owning or mitigating a risk have captured the information and are actively managing the risk.
(As per ScaledAgileFramework.com)
What is new in SAFe 4.5?
The scaled agile framework has been evolving since the time it has been introduced, with the launch of the new version SAFe 4.5, lets dive into the framework and see what all new changes have been introduced.
SAFe 4.5 can be shaped to match your organization’s necessities. This new version allows enterprises to:
Test ideas more quickly – Using the Lean Startup Cycle and Lean User Experience (Lean UX)
Deliver much faster – With Scalable DevOps and the Continuous Delivery Pipeline
Simplify governance and improve portfolio performance – With Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) and Lean Budgets
The key areas of improvements in SAFe 4.5 are as follows:
- Implementation Roadmap
- Flexibility and Configurability
- Scalable DevOps & Continuous Delivery
- Innovation with Lean Startup and Lean UX
- Backward compatibility
They’ve renamed the old SAFe 4.0 Value Stream Level to ‘Large Solution Level’. In doing so there are name changes, so Value Stream Epics becomes Solution Epics and a Value Steam Engineer now becomes Solution Train Engineer!
They’ve dressed up their piece a little bit. Now you get four essence depending on how determined your organization is in scaling:
- Full SAFe – building large integrated solutions, 100+ people
- Portfolio SAFe – Enterprise size model
- Large Solution SAFe – Program level agile
- Essential SAFe – stripped down framework for teams
What is the difference between Agile and SAFe framework?
Agile practices are a group of behaviors and techniques that use an empirical approach to deliver as much business value as possible in a given amount of time. They use iterations followed by inspect-and-adapt points to accommodate emerging requirements. It is a broad term that covers a number of different methods. It was created by a group of people who represented the methods that existed at the time (Scrum, Extreme Programming, Feature Driven Development, Crystal, etc.) Prior to the creation of the manifesto they were referred to as “Lightweight Methods.” Agile, in fact, is a way of thinking.
On the contrary, SAFe is an acronym for the Scaled Agile Framework, which is a branded version of a scaling model. Other scaling models include Large Scale Scrum (LeSS) and Scrum@Scale. Scaling models add extra layers of communication and controls to allow people to use agile methods (like Scrum) with very large groups. It is an attempt to take Scrum/ Kanban/ ScrumXp and make it work in large organizations with lots of teams working on the same product. SAFe defines an approach for scaling lightweight methods to an enterprise level and dealing with some of the challenges at that level that a team-level process based on Scrum does not address.
Who facilitates value stream processes and execution, escalates impediments, manages risk, and helps ensure value delivery and continuous improvement?
Among the other roles in scaled agile framework, there is a role called Release Train Engineer (RTE), this role revolves around servant leadership and coaching for the Agile Release Train (ART). The RTE facilitates value stream processes and execution, escalates impediments, manages risk, and helps ensure value delivery and continuous improvement. The key responsibilities include – People, Program Increment, ART Success Indicators, Improvement Roadmap and Coaching & Education.
The Release Train Engineer is the Chief Scrum Master who facilitates program-level processes and program execution, escalates impediments, manages risk, and helps drive program-level continuous improvement. RTEs are responsible for facilitating program events such as Release Planning, the Inspect & Adapt Workshops, and the Scrum of Scrums. During retrospective sessions, the Release Train Engineer reports to the Product Owner. Usually, the RTE reports to the Agile Program Management office which in SAFe, is considered a part of the Lean Portfolio Management (LPM). Many also participate in the Lean-Agile transformation, coaching leaders, teams, and Scrum Masters in the new processes and mindsets. They help configure SAFe to the organization’s needs, standardizing and documenting practices. The RTE performs a lot of activities but there are few which actually helps the teams at all levels such as - assisting with economic decision-making by facilitating feature and capability estimation by teams and the roll-up to Epics, wherever necessary, Improve the flow of value through value streams using the Continuous Delivery Pipeline and DevOps, etc.
Who is responsible for managing the portfolio Kanban in SAFe?
The term “Portfolio Kanban” is often used to describe the process of managing portfolios of projects and business services using a hierarchy of Kanban boards, to track services at different levels with ease. The hierarchical Kanban boards, each with their appropriate stakeholders, help to visually track status, with easy cues and early signals, providing the relevant level of detail in near real time. It provides an at-a-glance grid view of the portfolio items in a project. Epic Owners are accountable for managing portfolio Epics through the Portfolio Kanban system.
They define the epic, its Minimum Viable Product (MVP), and Lean business case, and when approved, facilitate implementation. If an epic is recognized as the potential delivery item, the Epic Owner works directly with the Agile Release Train (ART) and Solution Train stakeholders to outline the Features and Capabilities that recognize the value. They may also have some responsibility for supporting the initiative as it moves downstream through the Continuous Delivery Pipeline to Release on Demand. Typically, an Epic Owner works with the one or two epics at a time that falls within their area of expertise and current business mission. The only way an Epic Owner is effective is through close collaboration with other entities in the organization.
What is the difference between Customers and Business Owners?
Customers are the end user or eventual consumer of every Solution. Being an important part of Lean-Agile development, they contribute through few specific responsibilities in SAFe. It’s a worldwide known fact that the customers are difficult. They anticipate solutions to work well and to resolve their present requirements. They also expect their solution providers to continuously improve the quality of their products and services.
The Customer is a part of the Value Stream and can be external or internal. Internal customers are within the organizations requesting to create internal apps such as Intranet, HR services or admin portal.
Where as a Business Owner is a role defined to represent management outside the Team. In practice, the Business Owner is either the ‘lead’ Stakeholder, the Team’s Sponsor, or the Product Owner’s Product Owner. “Business Owners are a small set of stakeholders who have the principal business and technical accountability for governance, compliance, and return on investment (ROI) for a Solution developed by an Agile Release Train (ART). They are key stakeholders on the ART who must evaluate fitness for use and actively participate in certain ART events.” – ScaledAgileframework.com
How does the SAFe House of LEAN look like?
The SAFe house of Lean has been derived from Lean Manufacturing originally, it has four pillars, a foundation and the Goal. The goal of Lean is to deliver the maximum customer value in the shortest sustainable lead time while providing the highest possible quality to Customers and society as a whole.
Below figure explains the Goal, Pillars, and Foundation of “SAFe House of Lean.”
- Pillar 1 – Respect for People and Culture – There are approaches which cannot be implemented without human intervention and same applies to Lean-Agile. Hence, Respect for people and culture becomes the basic necessity. The driving force behind this behavior is the culture and it requires the enterprise and its leaders to change first.
- Pillar 2 – Flow – Success of the SAFe implementation lies on establishing a continuous flow of work that backs incremental value delivery, based on continuous feedback and fine-tuning.
- Pillar 3 – Innovation - Flow creates a concrete groundwork for value delivery. But without innovation, both product and process will gradually deteriorate. For this reason Innovation has been given a lot importance.
- Pillar 4 – Relentless Improvement – As with the other three pillars, this one too holds a great value, it inspires new learning and evolution through constant reflection and process improvements.
Are the core values and principles in safe lean based or agile based?
First, it is important to understand about what exactly is a core value, it is a principle that guides an organization’s internal behavior as well as its association with the outer world. Core values are usually summarized in the mission statement or in a statement of core values. Scaled Agile Framework is based on both Lean and Agile principles. SAFe supports four Core Values: alignment, built-in quality, transparency, and program execution, as illustrated in Figure below:
These core values make sure that the SAFe is implemented with the true intension and the organization abides by the values which form an encapsulation around the implementation. The values are the roots which makes sure the tree is getting the right nourishment. Alignment is required to keep pace with fast change, disorderly competitive forces, and geographically distributed teams. Built-in Quality ensures that every increment of the solution reflects quality standards. The importance of transparency in Agile cannot be overstated. Over the long-run, the lack of transparency can upset the team, the project, and the organization. Without transparency, nothing is going to good. SAFe provides a strong attention on working systems and business outcomes, hence, program execution is the fourth value that SAFe holds.
What is an Iteration Review in SAFe?
The Iteration Review is a cadence-based event, where each team inspects the increment at the end of every Iteration to assess progress, and then adjusts its backlog for the next iteration – ScaledAgileFramework.com
Iteration Review has the potential to be a great source of learning and feedback for all involved. Agile teams embrace the notion of inspect-and-adapt as a means to continually build learning and improvement in how they work. The goal of the meeting is to create visibility around what occurred in the course of the iteration and to amplify learning about what could then be planned for the next iteration. The delivery team presents the done items in a demonstration. Done items are all items that have been accepted by the product owner.
The demonstration invites clarification, reflection, and celebration with regard to the team’s commitment. At the end of a good meeting, all attendees have a clear understanding of the completed iteration as well as a good sense of the value that was delivered. The iteration review starts by going over the Iteration Goals and talking over their status. It then continues with a walk-through of all the committed stories. Each accomplished story is demoed. The Iteration review is followed by the Iteration Retrospective.
Why is Value Stream Mapping important?
Value stream mapping is a technique used to document, analyze and improve the flow of information or materials required to produce a product or service for a customer. A value stream map is usually formed as a one-page flow chart portraying the current production track or design path of a product from the customer’s request to delivery. An important objective of value stream mapping is to identify processes that do not provide value so they can be improved. In lean production, value can be believed of as something the customer is prepared to pay for. Processes that do not deliver value are called waste. Value stream maps document the current state of the value stream as well as the future state of the value stream and define any gaps between the two.
Value stream mapping is often used to ascertain processes that could be streamlined and areas of waste that could be eradicated in keeping with Toyota’s kaizen philosophy. The philosophy, which highlights continuous improvement, has been adopted by many other industries outside manufacturing including healthcare and software development.
What is innovation and planning sprint?
An important aspect of Agile is continuous improvement. For ones on the Agile scrum teams this improvement can only be attained in an environment that allows for and endorses continuous learning. The Innovation and Planning sprint offers just this occasion for scrum team members as it gives a structured break in the development cycle to re-evaluate the team’s current skills with those needed in the sprints ahead.
SAFe provides for periodic Innovation and Planning sprints, which serve a variety of purposes, including: providing an estimating buffer for meeting objectives; a dedicated time for Inspect and Adapt and Release Planning activities; a cadence-based opportunity for innovation; time for continuing education; time for working on the technical infrastructure, tooling, and any other impediments; and time for backlog refinement.
As per ScaledAgiledFramework.com:
“Innovation and planning iterations provide a regular, cadence-based opportunity, every PI, for teams to work on activities that are difficult to fit into a continuous, incremental value delivery pattern. These may include:
- Time for innovation and exploration, beyond the iterations dedicated to delivery
- Work on technical infrastructure, tooling, and other impediments to delivery
- Education to support continuous learning and improvement
- A dedicated time for the PI System Demo, I&A workshop, PI planning events, and backlog refinement, including final prioritization of Features using Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF)
- Final integration of the solution, including verification and validation, if releasing on the PI boundary
Final user acceptance testing and documentation, and any other readiness activities that are not feasible or economical to perform at every iteration”
