The Power of Visualizing the ART(Agile Release Trains )

ART Visualisation TemplateART Visualisation Template

In SAFe, the Agile Release Train (ART), a 'team of teams,' stands as a crucial construct. Launching every ART carries its own set of challenges—from structuring to onboarding the right stakeholders and achieving the right team composition. It's common to initiate with existing anti-patterns or to encounter them as we navigate through ART Planning Intervals (APIs). From my experience, despite the presence of anti-patterns, the velocity and efficiency an ART introduces generally outweigh the inconveniences these patterns may cause.

Yet, if not addressed timely, these anti-patterns can impede flow, burden team members, and lead to inefficiencies and reduced productivity. I've found that visualizing the ART is an excellent strategy to gain a bird's-eye view of the system and swiftly identify anti-patterns at both the team and ART levels.

Here, I'm sharing the template I utilize for visualizing the ART alongside its anti-patterns. This color-coded display not only deepens understanding but also champions ongoing improvement and offers a narrative to leadership about our current and desired states.

At the ART level, various colors denote key roles: the Release Train Engineer (RTE), System Architect (SA), Product Management, and Business Owners. Similarly, at the team level, distinct colors differentiate the Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and Development Teams. Additionally, the methodology of each team—Scrum or Kanban—is indicated at the top, while the nature of the team, based on Team Topologies, is detailed at the bottom, identifying whether a team is stream-aligned, a complicated sub-system, enabling, or a platform team.

For each team, the size and composition are quickly discernible, ensuring adherence to Agile principles of cross-functional and fully dedicated teams. Anti-patterns such as having more than one PO per team or shared team members are conspicuously red-flagged. These visual indicators serve as a warning that we may be deviating from our path and act as guardrails to keep the ART aligned.

To leadership, this visualization is more than a mere moment captured; it's a compelling story. It showcases the ART's current state, providing a clear insight into our teams' and processes' inner workings. It also anticipates the future, using a similar visual to depict the desired state and guide us towards greater efficiency and effectiveness.

In sum, this visualization is not a mere static image. It's a dynamic document that grows with our ART, sharpening our focus and aligning our teams. By leveraging its full potential, we strengthen the foundations of our Agile practices, creating a fertile ground for innovation and progress.

The Mural template can be accessed here ART Visualization template