Principle 9: "visualize work in progress, limit and reduce batch sizes." - SAFe Part 11
Dimitrios Mitrentsis
Department Manager System & Infrastructure, License & Contract Manager, Senior Programm Manager, Agile Transformation, Global Transition & Transformation, Outsourcing Services, M&A
This is a series from the SAFe maturity concept, which is based on living practice examples. This is Part 11 - "Visualize work in progress, limit and reduce batch sizes."
The implementation of requirements and their lifecycle time are coordinated (size, scope and period). Long wait times are reduced by prioritizing and MVP approaches along the teams. Smaller functional packages determine the backlog.
AP 9.1 - Unique backlogs (prioritization, size, scope) and work cycles
For scaling agile principles within an organization using SAFe you have to synchronize first the work cycles of all agile teams. You did this while you have introduced a cadence for the delivery lifecycle.
Now you have to devote yourself to prioritization as well as structuring the backlogs containing portfolio, program, product and each team.
You start dividing project requirements into portfolio, program and team epics as well as related stories. The size and number of epics should be aligned to the introduced cadence. The teams involved start split them into stories and tasks for each sprint. PI Planning will help the teams to handle the dependencies; the PMO will support the participants in methodology and content definition.
Sprint to Sprint, PI Planning to PI Planning, the teams become more secure and soon do not need any support in how to divide and structure their backlog.
AP 9.2 - rolling quarterly backlog has been introduced for product development
For many companies, the product portfolio is taboo for piloting agile methods inside. Understandable, as changes to the delivery model of central domains can lead to complications in production.
Nevertheless, you can certainly support the further development of the strategically important products through a 3-month backlog and bring them closer to the strategic orientation of your company.
Whether you want to take into account all products or only a part, it is formulated in your aligned SAFe design. It is also advisable to prove first successes by pilots (from simple to more complex products) and to establish agile methods into product development step by step.
AP 9.3 - Progress measurement via live dashboard is established
For all your product backlogs, you are now able to make statements for the progress of the planned feature developments. The KPI and measurements are defined and has been made visible via the agile value PMO.
Derived statements in the progress measurement are the progress of the started (and planned) epics and features as well as predictions on the end of the implementation (e.g., from the Velocity team and program). Here, the motto is "less is more", too. The most important 3-4 KPI are defined and proved in pilots.
Valid KPI on portfolio level can be such as time to realization, portfolio capacity, epic velocity, business value to portfolio epic, feature life cycle or stream epic burn down. On program level you can use KPI like program velocity, value of program epic, ART velocity and program/art burn down. On team level useful KPI can be team velocity and team/PI burn down, PI capacity, sprint burn down, business value team epic and so on.
The most useful examples for starting KPI monitoring are: standard deviation to velocity, stability and scope or team commitment. KPIs for trend analysis on team and program level could be an option after intoduction of the stability KPI.
AP 9.4 - Program and Team backlogs are introduced for selected ARTs
Start by piloting a backlog with two ore more independent ARTs or programs or products and live the SAFe principles hand in hand with the implementation of the agilization principles (see SAFe Principle 7 “PI Planning”, synchronization of work cycles and cadences, ...).
Piloting will be successful finished when you have already repeated prioritizing; PI planning, implementing and delivering features ala SAFe three cadences long. Your established live dashboard will provide you all informations you need to decide go on with the next step.
AP 9.5 - Backlogs and progress measurement is established across all ARTs
After successful piloting action point 9.4, you can start roll out backlog- and progress measurement over all defined ARTs, programs and products. You must repeat action points 9.1 - 9.4 and enable the teams to the new SAFe mindset. This step is a prerequisite for you to implement a comprehensive strategic portfolio management according to SAFe methodology.
Do not hesitate to contact me to provide you with the SAFe Maturity Concept and more detailed information to practice examples in implementation of "principle 9".
Next article will be SAFe Part 12 -" Principle 10: "stimulating the intrinsic motivation of knowledge workers."
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Dimitrios Mitrentsis publishes and comments on LinkedIn various topics as a private individual. All statements or opinions expressed in the articles reflect a purely personal opinion.
Take a look at my other articles:
Principle 8: "Set milestones on the basis of objective evaluation of the systems."
Principle 7: "Incremental approach with fast, integrated cycles"
Principle 6: "Introduce cadences and synchronize them with cross-domain planning."
Principle 5: "Apply systems thinking."
Principle 4: "Define and live decision-making at all levels"
Principle 3: "Taking an economic view"
Principle 2: "Design the SAFe framework for enterprise needs."
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