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Benefits of Scaled Agile Framework (SAFE)

Software development and technological advancements are evolving at an enormously rapid pace and enterprises and organizations are experiencing disruption like never before. Agile methodologies offered an iterative method to sort out the challenges arising out of uncertainties from disruption and enabled organizations to stay competitive and relevant throughout.

Such methodologies increased organizations’ resistance to disruption. Agile methodologies were essentially developed to meet the requirements of small teams in today’s world, where different teams work in collaborative endeavors on complex products across geographies, scaling remained a challenge. Scaling frameworks evolved to help enterprises to practice and scale agile methodologies across different teams and departments functioning in the organization. Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is one such framework.

That it is acknowledged by more than 1 million individuals from 20,000 companies speaks volumes about the usability and reliability of SAFe. The blog describes in detail the key advantages of using the Scaled Agile Framework to guide enterprises in practicing and scaling lean and agile methodologies.

What is a Scaled Agile Framework?

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is a simple framework designed to streamline workflow patterns in enterprises and organizations by leveraging the benefits of four revolutionary concepts – lean product development, agile software development, DevOps, and systems thinking.

In simple terms, the Scaled Agile Framework presents processes, practices, and structures that can be used to design agile practices and adopt a lean mindset at the scale of an enterprise. Achieving alignment and transparency, and promoting stronger collaboration across different departments and teams in the organization as it scales form the cornerstone of SAFe principles. When adopted rightly, SAFe has the potential to shape and scale agility across organizations and empower them with the abilities to stay relevant and competitive in the ever-changing digital market scape.

How can you benefit from using the Scaled Agile Framework?

  1. Quality enhancements

Scaled Agile Framework integrates quality enhancements at every step of the product development cycle. From what was conventionally considered as the responsibility of a department to making it a core aspect across all teams and departments, SAFe enhances the quality of output and ensures the delivery of flawless, defect-free products.

The lifecycle of the value offering also improves. This way organizations can stay relevant to the emerging industry trends and competitive in the sector.

Quality drives all else, and when there isn’t enough focus on quality, the team may not able to deliver anything beyond a mediocre result. Conventionally, organizations emphasized quality only at the last minute and moments before delivery, whereas in SAFe, quality remains a key focus from the start to the end.

2. Alignment with business goals

Cross-functional teams are involved at various stages in the development of solutions and services. Scaled Agile Framework brings about an alignment and synergy between various teams that otherwise is chaotic and cumbersome. SAFe ensures that everyone, from people at the higher-level management to the ones in the team, is aware of the ultimate goals, targets, and missionary zeal of the organization and is aligned towards achieving the same. SAFe also bridges the technical aspects of a design to the business aspect of the product.

3. Unifies cross-functional teams

With agile, the team works towards achieving the same ultimatum. The SAFe framework promotes transparency as an essential work virtue. This promotes a platform where multiple teams can coordinate and collaborate transparently. The Scaled Agile Framework ensures that the teams have a detailed, clear picture of what is expected of them.

SAFe 3

4. Improves productivity

SAFe framework enhances transparency and enables seamless collaboration across teams. This improves the quality, reduces defects and errors, and closes the gap that exists between what teams deliver and what is required of them. In turn, improves the ROI and productivity.

5. Shorter time to market

The Scaled Agile Framework streamlines operations involved in software development. This ensures effective collaborations, quicker decision making, and a greater alignment toward the end goal that the teams work in unison and are able to deliver products faster. The SAFe framework optimizes the workflow by removing the bottlenecks that exist in the conventional principles while delivering greater results in a shorter frame of time.

6. Customer-centric approach

The SAFe framework is driven by design thinking ideologies and supports the development of user-centric products. The methodology presents ways to map and validate customer experience right at the planning and design phase. Customers can also review and offer recommendations on the usage of the services and this forms an important part of the framework.

7. Higher employee engagement

The Scaled Agile Framework smoothes out obstacles that may pop up when cross-functional teams get to work together. This way employees feel heard and are happier than otherwise. The SAFe framework has tools that reduce exhaustion and promote employee engagement and satisfaction.

The ultimate goal being seamless value flow, the process offers autonomy which is very crucial, particularly amongst knowledge-based employees. Overall, applying the Scaled Agile Framework offers enhanced productivity, higher ROI, higher employee satisfaction as well as employee engagement, seamless value flow, a conducive work environment, a shorter lead time, and more.