Ready to Scale Fast? Scaled Agile Frameworks Keep You on Track

The Scaled Agile Framework helps teams stay connected across departments, especially when there are multiple teams working on the same goals or a specific project, e.g. a change plan. At it’s core, SAFe ensures that no matter what each team is doing, everything contributes to the company’s overall strategy.

The Core Value of Scaled Agile Framework

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) gets everyone – from individual colleagues to entire departments – focused on the same goals. Often, teams get stuck working in their silos, doing great work, but not always connected to the bigger picture. Breaking down barriers gets everyone working together more effectively, which helps people feel more engaged and provides clarity. Despite the company vision being stated, colleagues don’t always incorporate it in their weekly work.

Four Levels of Agile Success

The Team Level

At the ‘Team Level’ this could be developers, testers, and the Scrum Master working in short, focused bursts – usually two-week cycles (or iterations). They deliver small but valuable pieces of work that fit together to deliver the end product. This is all about working in an Agile way – being productive, adaptable, and constantly moving the work forward.

The Program Level

The ‘Program Level’ is where multiple teams work together smoothly to ensure that what they’re building and working on fits into the overall vision. As a leader, you can work with the team to help keep the momentum going and address any bottlenecks on the way. Here, the bigger picture starts coming together, and your job is to monitor how the work connects across teams.

The Portfolio Level

The stakes are higher at the ‘Portfolio Level’, because this is where decisions are made about which initiatives deserve the most attention and resources. This is where your leadership skills play a vital part in ensuring that what’s being delivered genuinely matters to the business and the stakeholders.?

The Value Stream Level

The ‘Value Stream Level’ zooms out to focus on the actual value being delivered to the customer, so here it’s all about ensuring the work from your teams translates into real, tangible results that impact the business.??

How to use PI Planning to Align Teams

One of the biggest tools in the SAFe Scaled Agile Framework is PI (Program Increment) Planning where all the teams come together to create a shared plan. This is a structured event that happens over several weeks, where the vision and specific goals are set, and teams discuss where they fit in and what they will be accountable for, as well as any challenges they may potentially face, both internally and externally.?

Once everyone has had their say and shared their insights, the team agrees on a final plan, although the very nature of Agile itself means team members accept there may be adjustments along the way. As a leader, you’ll want to be confident that at this stage, any risks are surfaced early on and that the teams feel empowered to communicate any challenges they anticipate or roadblocks they are likely to face.

Facilitate Cross-Team Collaboration

Then, the next stage of SAFe Scaled Agile Framework is cross-team collaboration, which can be a real challenge, especially if organisations aren’t used to working in an Agile way. One of the common challenges leaders face is that teams get stuck in their own work, communication breaks down across departments, and that colleagues aren’t actually willing to integrate more with other teams.?

However, a core value of the Scaled Agile Framework is that no matter what, for the benefit of the business and actually employee development too, it is vital to encourage ongoing collaboration. Open communication and feedback help the relationships mature and flourish, so we recommend regular meetings, like quick daily stand-ups, where each team gives each other updates, and you can facilitate these conversations.

Keeping the Big Picture in Focus

As a leader, your job is to ensure each team remains focused on the company’s strategic goals. If some people are unwilling to get on board, it may require adjusting priorities and identifying conflicts that need resolving. When colleagues are reluctant to change or embrace new ways of working, there is always a bigger reason behind it. Rather than confrontation, offer support to encourage transparency, which is a crucial part of Agile.

Keep a close eye on how teams are progressing, and don’t be afraid to make changes if necessary because some people might be better suited to a different task or work better with another colleague, for example. If you see a project veering off course, you can work with the team to make any necessary adjustments before it’s too late. You can use tools like visual program boards to track progress across teams and have regular check-ins with team leads to ensure things stay on track.

Use Regular Reviews to Adjust and Improve

One of the strengths of the SAFe Scaled Agile Framework is its focus on continuous improvement, so after each PI Planning cycle, it’s important to review what went well and what didn’t. This isn’t just about individual team performance but how well teams collaborate and how effectively they complete the tasks that will lead to the expected outcome.?

This is where we schedule regular retrospectives after each planning cycle, where we encourage teams to talk openly about what worked and what didn’t so that any issues aren’t repeated in the next sprint and any promising leads are explored. Maybe communication between certain teams is weak, or perhaps some teams need more resources to meet their goals, so you can use this feedback to make improvements before the next cycle.

You can set up systems where progress is visible at a glance, such as visual boards or dashboards that track what is being done. There is a wealth of software out there you can use, but also those in-person interactive meetings – including sketching workflow patterns and keyword sticky notes on the board – can also encourage collaboration and creativity.

The retrospectives shouldn’t just be a ‘tick box’ exercise but a real opportunity to learn and encourage your teams to think about how they can improve their processes, not just on their own but in coordination with other teams. This ongoing learning will make each new PI cycle more efficient and effective.

The SAFe Scaled Agile Framework isn’t just a methodology – it’s a way to keep everyone moving in the same direction, ensuring that short-term actions tie into long-term strategy, so as a leader, you play an important role in facilitating this process. By keeping the big picture in mind, supporting team collaboration, and ensuring that progress is regularly tracked and reviewed, you can help your teams deliver better results faster. It’s all about providing the structure and support they need while allowing flexibility and quick adjustments when necessary. Do you think the SAFe approach could improve your team collaboration?

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We are Fractal Systems Consulting, an agile consultancy run by a group of Professional Scrum Trainers, change agents and agile delivery coaches who have deep experience and know-how in creating behavioural change.

Learn more about how we help global organisations transform their delivery. Register for one of our training courses or contact us at [email protected].