SAFe Framework Variations
What is SAFe?
SAFe, or Scaled Agile Framework, is the most commonly-implemented variation of scaled agile methodology. Created by Dean Leffingwell and Drew Jemilo in 2011, it was designed to better meet customers’ (and developers’) changing needs, enabling the benefits of agile development to adapt to larger organizations and teams.
Types of SAFe
Within the guidelines and framework of SAFe, there are four primary configurations, often used in different situations or contexts. These are Essential SAFe, Large Solution SAFe, Portfolio SAFe, and Full SAFe. Let’s discuss each in more detail:
Essential SAFe
Essential SAFe is the most basic configuration of the framework and it provides the minimal elements necessary to be successful with SAFe. It corresponds approximately to the Scaling to Team of Teams and Scaling to Product levels (which we discuss more here).
(Image is Copyright Scaled Agile Inc).
SpiraPlan provides robust support for Essential SAFe with its rich library of artifacts and hierarchies that map to both the product and team levels. Each agile release train is managed as a specific SpiraPlan product that is long-lived and contains multiple agile teams with their own team backlogs and an integrated release train schedule:
SpiraPlan provides visual tools and mind maps to visualize more easily the relationship between the overall release train and the individual product releases and team sprints/iterations:
SpiraPlan provides the following support for Essential SAFe:
| Essential SAFe | SpiraPlan Artifact | Artifact Sub-Type |
| Agile Release Train | Product | |
| - Product Backlog | - Product Backlog | |
| - Epic | - Parent Requirement | Epic |
| - Feature | - Requirement | Feature |
| - Enabler | - Requirement | Enabler |
| Team | Release | Major Release |
| - Team Backlog | - Release Backlog | |
| - Iteration | - Sprint | |
| - Story | - Task | User Story |
| - Enabler Story | - Task | Enabler |
| - Acceptance Test | - Test Case | Acceptance |
| - Unit Test | - Test Case | Unit |
| - Component Test | - Test Case | Component |
Large Solution SAFe
Large Solution SAFe is for enterprises that are building large and complex solutions, which do not require the constructs of the portfolio level. In our scaling context, it is focused on situations where you have several interconnected products that comprise a larger solution or program
(Image is Copyright Scaled Agile Inc).
SpiraPlan includes a robust program planning and management module that lets you manage the solution train as a SpiraPlan program, with the ability to manage the program / solution backlog and deliver increments of functionality based on the capabilities, features, epics and enablers in each constituent product:
SpiraPlan provides the following support for Large Solution SAFe:
| Large Solution SAFe | SpiraPlan Artifact | Artifact Sub-Type |
| Solution Train | Program | |
| - Solution Backlog | - Program Backlog | |
| - Capability | - Capability | Capability |
| - Enabler | - Capability | Enabler |
| - Program Increment | - Milestone | Increment |
| Agile Release Train | Product | |
| - Product Backlog | - Product Backlog | |
| - Epic | - Parent Requirement | Epic |
| - Feature | - Requirement | Feature |
| - Enabler | - Requirement | Enabler |
| Team | Release | Major Release |
| - Team Backlog | - Release Backlog | |
| - Iteration | - Sprint | |
| - Story | - Task | User Story |
| - Enabler Story | - Task | Enabler |
| - Acceptance Test | - Test Case | Acceptance |
| - Unit Test | - Test Case | Unit |
| - Component Test | - Test Case | Component |
Portfolio SAFe
Portfolio SAFe provides portfolio strategy and investment funding, Agile portfolio operations, and Lean governance. In our scaling context, it is focused on the situation where you have portfolios of independent products and systems that you manage from a resourcing, investment and business value perspective. Each of the products in the portfolio is considered “small” in terms of SAFe.
(Image is Copyright Scaled Agile Inc).
SpiraPlan includes portfolio management functionality that lets you manage multiple agile portfolios in the system, with the ability to track epics, backlogs, features, and enablers. Each of the value streams is represented by a long-lived SpiraPlan program artifact that lets you map functionality and features into each of the planned increments of functionality
SpiraPlan provides the following support for Portfolio SAFe:
| Portfolio SAFe | SpiraPlan Artifact | Artifact Sub-Type |
| Value Stream | Program | |
| - Strategic Theme | - Capability | Theme |
| - Portfolio Backlog | - Program Backlog | |
| - Epic | - Parent Requirement | Epic |
| - Feature | - Requirement | Feature |
| - Enabler | - Requirement | Enabler |
| Agile Release Train | Product | |
| - Product Backlog | - Product Backlog | |
| - Epic | - Parent Requirement | |
| - Feature | - Requirement | Feature |
| - Enabler | - Requirement | Enabler |
| Team | Release | Major Release |
| - Team Backlog | - Release Backlog | |
| - Iteration | - Sprint | |
| - Story | - Task | User Story |
| - Enabler Story | - Task | Enabler |
| - Acceptance Test | - Test Case | Acceptance |
| - Unit Test | - Test Case | Unit |
| - Component Test | - Test Case | Component |
Full SAFe
Full SAFe represents the most comprehensive configuration. It supports building large, integrated solutions that typically require hundreds of people or more to develop and maintain.
This is the situation when you have portfolios of independent solutions, each of which is considered large. Therefore, you need to combine the tools and techniques for managing large programs/solutions with the methods for allocating resources between portfolios of these solutions.
(Image is Copyright Scaled Agile Inc).
For Full SAFe, SpiraPlan provides you with both a portfolio and program (solution) level that can be used in concert to manage value streams, solution trains, product release trains, and teams in a seamless hierarchy of information:
SpiraPlan provides the following support for Full SAFe:
| Full SAFe | SpiraPlan Artifact | Artifact Sub-Type |
| Value Stream | Portfolio | |
| - Strategic Theme | - Strategic Outcome | Theme |
| - Portfolio Backlog | - Portfolio Backlog | |
| - Epic | - Strategic Outcome | Epic |
| - Feature | - Strategic Outcome | Feature |
| - Enabler | - Strategic Outcome | Enabler |
| Solution Train | Program | |
| - Solution Backlog | - Program Backlog | |
| - Capability | - Capability | Capability |
| - Enabler | - Capability | Enabler |
| - Program Increment | - Milestone | Increment |
| Agile Release Train | Product | |
| - Product Backlog | - Product Backlog | |
| - Epic | - Parent Requirement | Epic |
| - Feature | - Requirement | Feature |
| - Enabler | - Requirement | Enabler |
| Team | Release | Major Release |
| - Team Backlog | - Release Backlog | |
| - Iteration | - Sprint | |
| - Story | - Task | User Story |
| - Enabler Story | - Task | Enabler |
| - Acceptance Test | - Test Case | Acceptance |
| - Unit Test | - Test Case | Unit |
| - Component Test | - Test Case | Component |
Upgrade Your Organization with SAFe and Spira
As we’ve discussed, the most common form of scaled agile methodology is right at home with SpiraPlan. It enabled a wide variety of configurations with its suite of tools, reports, and features, making it easy for all parties involved to get up and running quickly. Not only that, but our technical support team is always on standby to help with any issues or answer any questions you may have, so you’re not left on your own post-launch. Want to learn more or see how it can instantly improve your development? Get a free 30-day trial by clicking the button below!