Scaled Agile Framework or SAFe is an agile framework designed for development teams. SAFe’s foundation comprises three meta-policies: Team, Program, and Portfolio. SAFe provides flexibility to a product team. It also helps to address some of the challenges that larger organizations face when implementing Agile. Also, The SAFe framework consists of a large knowledge base of tried and true best practices. Similarly, product teams use the SAFe framework to deliver high-quality software products.

The Best Ultimate Guide to Scaled Agile Framework Certification

What is the Scaled Agile Framework? It is an open-source online knowledge base that enables teams to implement Lean-Agile practices at the enterprise level. SAFE provides a straightforward and easy-to-use experience for software developers. Also, It is a collection of organizations and workflows that stand designed to help enterprises scale lean and agile processes. It broke down into three segments: Team, Program, and Portfolio.

The SAFe framework enables teams to:

• Implement Lean-Agile software and systems at the enterprise level
• Build Lean and Agile workflows based on Lean principles
• Provide detailed workflows at the enterprise Portfolio level, enterprise Value Stream level, enterprise Program level, and team level
• Designed to meet all stakeholder needs within an organization
• Developed in the field and published in books and blog
• SAFe version 1.0 was released in 2011
• Also, The SAFe latest version 4.6 was released in October 2018

Scaled agile framework History

The scaled agile framework (SAFe) was first introduced to the product world in 2011. It was created by the software-industry veteran, author of agile software requirements, and dean Leffingwell. The SAFe framework was originally known as the “agile enterprise big picture.” In it, Leffingwell outlined how to use existing agile frameworks, such as lean, Konban, scrum, and XP, and apply them to the team, program, and portfolio. Now, the entire SAFe knowledge and success pattern catalog is free to use. SAFe continues to be one of the best agile frameworks.

Why use the SAFe (scaled agile framework) Framework?

The SAFe Framework is simple and lightweight, but it can handle the demands of large value streams as well as complex system development.

• Implementing the SAFe Agile framework will increase your productivity by 20 – 50%.
• Quality increases by more than 50%.
• Time to market is faster than 30 – 75%.
• Also, Employee engagement and job satisfaction will increase.

What is the SAFe Framework Diagram? You can find the detailed framework diagram on the SAFe website. The diagram shows all the key roles, activities, deliverables, and flows. The diagram also serves as a reference for the rest of the website.

What is a story? A story is an extensive body of work that broke down into many smaller stories. Each team allocates the story as a sub-epic. Each team then works on the story or software feature accordingly.

When to Use the SAFe

Scaled Agile Framework should use when:

1. A team wants to consistently implement an agile approach across a large, multi-team program and portfolio
2. Multiple teams are running Agile implementation on their own but face common challenges, delays, and failure
3. A team wishes to work independently
4. You want to scale agile across the organization but don’t know what new roles need to add or what existing role (i.e. management) needs to change and how
5. You have tried to scale the agile across your organization but are struggling to achieve alignment to achieve a unified or consistent strategy across all business departments from the portfolio, program, and team levels
6. Also, You need to improve your product development lead time
7. You’re curious to see how other companies have scaled Agile using SAFe

SAFe for Project Management

Project management within an organization utilizing SAFe takes place at three levels. At the team level, it is essentially Scrum business as normal. Small teams have defined goals and responsibilities, so they release iterations after every Sprint. A Scrum Master usually leads the charge. The only notable difference is that small teams now roll up into programs.

At the program level, SAFe’s advantages begin to shine. Each team’s output must blend with everyone else’s to create something complementary, cohesive, and consistent. Under the leadership of an Agile Release Train Engineer, teams come together as a group to work on a project. After five or so Sprints, a PIII undergoes a full round of testing.

In this process, code ships much more frequently. The highest-level portfolios comprise multiple programs with long-term visions spanning multiple quarters or even a full year. Also, This is where budgeting defines epic-level milestones are set. Strategic planning and project planning meetings at the program level. For Synchronicity.

What are SAFe’s strengths and weaknesses?

SAFe’s strengths are that it facilitates cross-functional collaboration, helps organizations be more transparent, and aligns every aspect of a project with the overall business objectives.

SAFe’s weaknesses are that, firstly, some believe that SAFe is not a pure agile framework, as it requires too much pre-planning and process definition. Secondly, SAFe tends to be more of a “top-down” approach, rather than a “team-based” approach.

Scaled Agile Framework Certification & Training

The duration of SAFe Agile training modules ranges from two to four days, depending on the topic. Upon completion of the course, further study and preparation prepare candidates for a multi-choice SAFE Agile exam in the discipline they have chosen.

The SAFE Agile framework offers a wide range of certifications to meet the needs of almost anyone working within the framework. You can become a SAFE Certified Agile Product Manager or SAFE Certified Product Owner/Manager to learn best practices and also practices for product management in a SAFE Agile context.

You can also become SAFE Certified Lean Portfolio Managers, SAFE Agilists, SAFE Practitioners, and SAFE Program Consultants. SAFE Agile certifications are also available for architects, scrum masters, train engineers, software engineers, and DevOps.

SAFe Agilis Certification Course Summary

The SAFe Agilis certification training course covers the principles and practices of Lean-Agile through the use of the SAFe® framework. This two-day course provides an introduction to the SAFe® Lean-Agile framework, the Agile mindset, Agile release train implementation, Agile Portfolio building, and leadership in Lean-Agile in and organization transformation.

SAFe Agile Certification Training Course

SAFe Agile is a certification training course designed to help you and your organization adopt a lean-agile framework. The Scaled Agile Certification course is suitable for executives, senior managers, quality analysts, directors, program and project managers, product managers, portfolio managers, process, and enterprise architects, and solution architects.

What requires to take this course?

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Minimum five years experience in software development.
• Business analysis.
• Project management.
• Also, Agile Scrum.

Scaled Agile Academy training

What is Scaled Agile? Scaled Agile is an industry-proven framework for scaling Agile methodology for larger development efforts requiring over 50 people. This SAFe framework is constantly being developed and expects to remain the standard framework for scaled agile for years to come. Agilest has experience with scaling Agile and offers a variety of SAFe certifications.

The SAFe certifications offered by Agilest are designed to prepare teams at companies that are starting to scale Agile for continuous delivery and capacity management. The SAFe training modules delivered by Agilest result in function-specific certifications which serve as a credential.

Suggested Requirements

If your team members are planning to attend your scaling class and have not completed basic training such as a CSM then consider having them go through one of the other Agile certification training offered by Agilest®, such as the Agile Scrum Master™ AASM™, Agile Product Owner™ AAPO™, or Agile DevOps Engineer™ AADE™ training. The type of training they will attend should be relevant to the role they will be taking on the Scrum Team. The SAFe Training offerings are not starting sessions.

It expects that all SAFe-certified attendees have prior Agile experience and several years of experience in Agile development. At the very least, team members should have attended role-specific training before the SAFe Training. While it is not as effective as having a couple of years of experience before going into the SAFe Training, it is a much better option than going in with no Agile experience at all.

Agile® offers cost-effective packages that allow attendees to earn multiple certifications for a single package price. These packages are role-specific training packages that will help prepare attendees for the fast-paced demands of Agile development.