Scaling Agile with Nexus or SAFe: Which Approach Aligns Better with Scrum Ideology?

Disclaimer: I am a Scrum Master who strongly believes in the core values and principles of the Scrum framework. As a result, my perspective may be biased towards Scrum ideology. This article is written on behalf of those who share my beliefs and values.

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) has become increasingly popular as a scaling mechanism for organizations that are implementing agile methodologies. However, some experts and agile practitioners have criticized SAFe for going against many agile values. One of the main critiques of SAFe is that it forces teams to forecast for three months ahead, which often changes as teams learn more about the work to be done. This results in the entire Program Increment (PI) planning session being a waste of valuable time for team members and management.

Fortunately, there is a better scaling model that aligns with and welcomes constant change through continuous inspection and adaptation mode. This scaling model is known as Nexus.

Nexus is a framework designed for scaling Scrum, a popular agile framework used by many teams and organizations. The framework provides guidance on how to organize, manage, and coordinate the work of multiple Scrum teams on a daily basis. Unlike SAFe, Nexus does not force teams to plan for long periods of time. Instead, Nexus uses a continuous inspection and adaptation mode that allows for change and flexibility. Nexus teams align through Cross-Team Refinement sessions and their frequency, duration, and attendance varies to optimize the two purposes, help the Scrum Teams forecast which team will deliver which Product Backlog items and help identify dependencies across those teams.

Nexus is more organic and agile when it comes to continuous inspection and adaptation. The teams meet as frequently as needed to continuously resolve emerging team dependencies, rather than planning to resolve cross-team dependencies for an entire quarter at once, as required by SAFe. This allows for more flexibility and agility, as changes can be made as needed in response to new information.

One of the key benefits of Nexus is that it allows for better alignment and integration of the work done by multiple Scrum teams through small increments. Nexus helps to ensure that teams are working towards a common goal and that dependencies between teams are identified and managed effectively, iteratively and continuously in small manageable increments that are more predictable.

Along with Cross-Team Refinement sessions, Nexus also provides a framework for scaled Scrum events. These events include the Nexus Sprint Planning, Nexus Daily Scrum, and Nexus Sprint Review and Retrospective. These events are similar to the events used in traditional Scrum, but they are designed to work at scale and involve multiple teams. Nexus emphasizes "Scaled Scrum is still Scrum. Nexus does not change the core design or ideas of Scrum, or leave out elements, or negate the rules of Scrum. Doing so covers up problems and limits the benefits of Scrum, potentially even rendering it useless"

Another benefit of Nexus is that it provides a clear governance structure for scaled Scrum. This structure ensures that decisions are made at the appropriate level and that the work of the teams is aligned with the overall goals of the organization.

In summary, while SAFe has been gaining popularity as a scaling mechanism for large organizations, it has been criticized for going against many agile values, including the need for constant change and flexibility. Nexus, on the other hand, is a framework designed for scaled Scrum that aligns with and welcomes constant change through continuous inspection and adaptation mode. With its focus on alignment, integration, and governance, Nexus is a better scaling model that organizations should consider when implementing agile methodologies at scale.

It's important to note that Nexus is a framework developed and backed by the same individuals and community that created Scrum framework and Kanban execution models. They are designed for autonomous, self-managing, cross-functional teams, and they serve as the building blocks for any scaled agile framework. By using Nexus, organizations can ensure that they are implementing a framework that is aligned with agile values and principles, while also achieving true benefits of scrum and/or Kanban while scaling agile practices.