SAFe methodology: What it is and how can it help you?

In the entrepreneurial world, agility is a key skill. This is the reason why agile methodologies, initially conceived for software development, have been gaining increasing popularity by boosting flexibility and efficiency in workteams. But when faced with the question of how to scale this type of methodology to broader environments, larger teams, and other departments, SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) was born. This doesn’t sound familiar to you? In this article, we explain what it consists of.

SAFe is, currently, the most popular agile scaling framework, surpassing others such as Scrum or Nexus. It can be defined as the set of workflows and roles that allows the implementation of agile methodologies at a business level, with the aim of increasing productivity levels.

What is SAFe?

This framework is governed by a series of key principles that differentiate it from others.

1. Adopt an economic point of view. It is crucial that everyone involved understands the economic consequences of delays to achieve sustainable delivery times and maximize profit within tight budgets.
2. Apply systems thinking so that all members of a team can understand the different systems of the project in its entirety and the relationships between them, and not only know the part that corresponds to them.
3. Assume variability by avoiding doing the initial design, and being open to its possible changes. That is, this framework recognizes the importance of considering all options even after a decision has already been made.
4. Build incrementally through rapid, integrated cycles. This allows teams to receive the customers feedback in each one of these cycles, minimizing risks, and being able to make needed changes and adjustments.
5. Establish milestones in order to evaluate the progress. These milestones must be established based on economic benefits.
6. Visualize and limit work in progress (WIP). A goal in SAFe is to maintain a constant workflow. This principle facilitates adapting the work to the available capacity, enabling rapid development, and managing the size of work queues, reducing waiting times.
7. Motivate team members by giving them autonomy and purpose. It is important to empower teams, foster their productivity, and commitment. SAFe seeks to give team members autonomy, as well as a clear purpose.
8. Decentralize decision-making. This principle helps to streamline the process, allowing the team to make its own decisions.
9. Apply cadence through iterations. Teams using agile methodologies apply cadence through sprints or iterations. This reduces complexity and uncertainty, while reinforcing quality. Furthermore, this cadence must be synchronized so that all teams in the process work uniformly, like gears in a machine.
10. Organize by value to increase efficiency. Through this methodology, which seeks to maximize efficiency to quickly deliver value to customers, cooperation and efficiency are fundamental. In this sense, the team must adapt to constantly evolving demands.

SAFe advantages

After seeing what SAFe consists of and what principles it is based on, it is clear that it provides numerous advantages to the companies that employ it. Among the most outstanding we find:

• Scalability. This framework allows companies to manage large projects and coordinate work teams through agile methodologies.
• Greater alignment among teams. SAFe greatly encourages collaboration and alignment among all teams in a company, helping them to work towards common goals and improving communication and efficiency.
• Improved quality. SAFe principles promote constant feedback and improvement of product or service quality, which helps to improve quality in your company.
• Improved productivity. The use of SAFe fosters a culture of collaboration and focus on value delivery, which helps companies to improve their productivity.
• Adaptability. This framework is designed to be agile and flexible, allowing companies to quickly adapt to market changes. This helps organizations to respond agilely and effectively to constantly changing demands.

The SAFe methodology can be a great ally for many companies looking to scale agile practices, improve productivity, and increase quality. And you, do you already use it in your company?